Newsflash: There are no born leaders (or born followers, either, by the way). So, how are leaders made?Sugar, spice, and everything nice?Fire and brimstone?Repeating clever leadership quotes?Ancient Chinese secret?Purposeful education and experience?If you picked 1 – 4, go take a break. If you picked #5, keep reading. Just as the tallest buildings are built with the strongest
CASE STUDY:Retail Chain Evacuates During Hurricane BACKGROUND Hurricane Katrina; New Orleans, LA (2005) – Category 3 Hurricane (at landfall) that caused the levees to break, flooding the city and forcing mass evacuations. Over 1800 people lost their lives.At the time of the storm a major office supply chain operated over 50 stores and a major
CASE STUDY:Corporate Office Shelters in Place During HurricaneCopyright TEAM-Solutions.US All Rights Reserved BACKGROUND Hurricane Wilma; South Florida (2005) – Category 2-3 Hurricane (at landfall) that caused massive flooding, structural damage and power outages. Nearly 90 people lost their lives.At the time of the storm a corporate office for a national company operated out of multiple building
CASE STUDY:Leadership MicromanagementCopyright TEAM-Solutions.US All Rights Reserved BACKGROUND The Browerville Fire Department has 24 stations so far in service to their growing community. The Browerville Chief has been under pressure by the city manager to maintain and in some cases lower costs to maximize the funds available for the city’s growth initiatives. DECISIONS MADE During the
CASE STUDY:Ego and Dysfunction at Community EventCopyright TEAM-Solutions.US All Rights Reserved The city manager directs the police department to develop a special event plan, with contingencies, for this fall’s parade and carnival. The police assemble their planning team consisting of: Two senior police officersTwo junior police officers“Jerry” from the Streets DepartmentThey cobble together a plan based on
CASE STUDY:The Origin of L.C.E.S. for FirefightersCopyright TEAM-Solutions.US All Rights Reserved BACKGROUND Arizona, 1990: Six (6) firefighters died after being overrun in a wilderness fire attack. RESULTS In the After Action Review (AAR), the reviewers determined that opportunities were missed by the fire ground commanders to prevent many of the contributing factors that led to the responder loss of life. From
In the movies, the heroic leader is often seen charging at the enemy with their saber rattling and a fierce battle cry. Just like in real life, right? Uh, no. Theater aside, success during a crisis requires a leader that can access different strengths at different times. Read on about the different leadership types in a crisis … and consider which ones you
In 2005, during my USAR team’s response to Hurricane Katrina, we were repeatedly tasked – along with thousands of other responders – to blanket the submerged city to help those in need. Historically, most folks had always relied on street signs, good maps, and recognizable travel aids. However, all of those were underwater or not helpful
Imagine spilling your milk (or any other unplanned event). Unpleasant, right?Questions That Leaders AskTo move on, Crisis Leaders seek answers to two separate but complementary questions: WHY (insight) andWHAT (action) WHY did it happen? Seeks insight into the disruption but does little to actually clean up the milk.Why is backward facing – looks at cause, effect and origin. Why is historic
I recently facilitated an exercise for some folks who were enrolled in their organization’s leadership development program. The more strategic level work I do, the more I notice when there’s a disconnect between what’s delivered versus what the participant actually learns. Here’s some further context:The leadership program takes place over 2 years where they participate in