Examples of Leadership are all around us. “Creating a path to achieve your vision.”

We can see leadership all around us, even as we exercise. As a leadership trainer, I am constantly looking for examples of leadership in action. Because I have been a public safety employee for forty years, I often fall into the trap of looking to our public officials or military for these examples. It is easy to forget that leadership knows no employment or activity restrictions. Examples of leadership are all around us. It is about the path we create and inspiring others to complete it.

I have been rock climbing for only a few years but I became hooked the first time up the wall. While outdoor climbing creates its own challenges, indoor climbing necessitates that “routes or problems” be set and changed on a regular basis to create new challenges for the climber. Climbers may call it a route or problem, but bothare terms meaning “a path to accomplish a goal.”

I was preparing to indoor climb yesterday when I saw a group of employees setting new routes on one section of the climbing walls. As I watched the process, I realized I was watching natural leadership in action.

The group consisted of a “setter” and three climbers. The setter has the responsibility to:

1. create a vision for the route
2. determine the complexity level of the problem (routes are rated in difficulty using a numeric system from beginner to expert)
3. determine the types of hand holds and foot jibs were appropriate for the route
4. assess how and where to apply the holds and jibs on the wall as well as how they intersect and impact other routes on the same wall
5. “set” the route

After initially setting the route, the setter allowed the climbers the opportunity to attempt to solve the problem. Even as experienced climbers, some were unable to solve it on their first attempt and most had suggestions for relocation of a hold or jib.

They also supported each other by offering suggestions on skill styles that might help them complete the problem as it set. The setter quietly stood by and listened to each climber’s critiques, offered enthusiasm and coached while they were climbing. After all of the climbers were satisfied they had exhausted their skills but could not complete the route, the setter challenged them with more motivation, coaching, demonstration of skills, and an explanation of how the setter herself envisioned success on that route problem. After more consideration, the setter made the final decision to adjust the placement of the holds and jibs, or to leave it as envisioned. When the setter was satisfied that the vision was complete, she placed her picture and signature on the wall to let others know who had created that route problem. The team moved on to set another route problem on the wall.

As a leader, she knew that her responsibilities were to create something that would challenge others to succeed by envisioning a path with direction and milestones along the route. To accomplish her goal, she employed her vision, experience, and a willingness to allow others to critique and offer suggestions for the refinement of her vision. Most importantly she challenged, coached, and listened to those attempting to solve the problem ensuring her vision was sound and achievable. When satisfied, she employed the route problem (vision) for others to enjoy by placing her picture on the wall and signing her name to let others know it was her responsibility.

Leadership examples are all around us. Where did you last see leadership in action at a place where you least expected it? We must open our eyes and realize that leaders and their skills come in many forms and through many people.

 

 

Maybe you can never be fully prepared

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the United States devastating the southern ends of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama with winds exceeding 135mph and an estimated storm surge of over 14 feet. Damage was exacerbated when the City of New Orleans realized over fifty breaches of flood control levees causing massive flooding to over 80 percent of the city. Rescue and recovery efforts continued for weeks by local and regional public safety personnel before the Federal government got their act together and provided a response effort. I had the privilege of working with several agencies and talked with many Command Staff Officers as well as officers, supervisors and tele-communicators. Providing a “diffusing” environment for each of these people after their critical event was not only helpful to them, but I learned a great deal about what they went through as well as what they may face as part of their recovery.

Nearly 12 years later, to the day, Hurricane Harvey stormed on shore on the Southern, Gulf of Mexico, side of Texas, dumped mass amounts of rain and blew high winds for a week before returning to sea. Again, all local and regional public safety officials were on alert and managed untold numbers of rescues in Houston and southeast Texas. This time, they had significant support from Federal Agencies and many citizens from across the country that showed up in droves to help. Inspirational photos and videos of life saving rescues of people and animals were broadcast around the clock on national TV as well as social media. We heard echoes of praise for the heroics of people on the scene as well as the support of a nation again uniting for a single cause; to help their neighbor.

Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Irma leads to the largest evacuation in U.S. history as the category V hurricane devastates the Caribbean Islands and bears down on Florida. Packing winds in excess of 140mph and dumping huge amounts of rain onto a state that, like the southern part of Louisiana, sits below sea level. While most heeded the warnings to evacuate, others who were unable or unwilling to leave fail victim to the storms and again, massive rescue efforts were required.

As I noted, many positive changes have occurred over the past twelve years with crisis response. We are now seeing the rapid response and support of federal agencies and regular citizens willing to help.

While this speeds up the recovery efforts in many areas and brings relief to those primarily responsible for managing the event, it also brings a significant number of logistical issues. I will pour into these in a future article.

Saving Lives in a Crisis Isn’t Just About the Victims

The biggest thing that is consistent throughout all of these events is that local and regional public safety officials planned for such an event, trained and practiced their skills, stayed in place during the event and then reacted immediately to begin these rescue and lifesaving efforts. Most of these officers had evacuated their families ahead of time. They worked 18 to 24 hours without rest and often slept in the rear of the police department if it was not flooded or damaged. Most had limited or no mobile phone service so they couldn’t check in with their family to assure them that they were all right. After finally talking to their family, these officers returned to their service to their community. Often, one week after the event, many of these officers have not had the opportunity to survey the condition of their personal homes and property, much less inventory their own emotions. It seems that their personal safety, lives, homes and families always come after the job!

One of the things often overlooked is that the responders still need support to address these personal and professional needs after the conclusion of the crisis event. The volunteers and other responders that swooped in to help during the crisis either have, or will return to their own lives and the normalcy they left to aide in this event. When these support agencies leave the community, the first responders remain to continue their service commitment to that community but also to recover their personal lives. They must deal with the devastation of their own: Getting their family back safely, repairing the physical damage to personal property, helping friends and extended family with their recovery, and dealing with the emotional baggage that they collected during the event. How they manage that baggage along with their personal loss may have a lifetime impact on these brave and dedicated crisis responders.

Quick Tips for Individual “Crisis Diffusing and Recovery” 

Rehydrate

While a frosty cold adult beverage may be appropriate during off hours after a critical event, water and sports drinks that will replenish your electrolytes and other SNS chemical stores should be consumed in larger quantities. Shy away from energy drinks as they contain stimulants that will disrupt this chemical reproduction and may disturb sleep efforts.

Rest

Shutting down your mind and getting some restful sleep might be harder than you think. The physical and emotional exhaustion may cause you to feel restless and unable to sleep. If this occurs, you might want to seek assistance from a natural sleep enhancer such as Melatonin. If this persists, seek medical advice and assistance, rest is important to recovery of the body and mind.

Nutrition

Eat properly. Let’s be reasonable, you may not have had the opportunity to eat properly for several days or a week since before the crisis occurred… try to find something that will satisfy for nutritional needs as well as help restore your body and all of the necessary chemicals to perform at the highest level again. You should avoid foods that will upset your stomach and increase the amount of stomach acid (H2) produced keeping you from digesting foods properly, affecting your sleep and causing you to over produce histamine, a chemical your body produces during high intensity needs.

Feel your feeling

It is important that you do not shut you own feeling out! If we keep pushing down anytime they come to the surface, you may begin to suffer serious emotional and physiological reactions. They are normal feeling being felt by a normal person after a critical event…That is all! No sign of weakness. Feeling these feelings lets you know that you are alive and still care about yourself, your family and others.

Talk

Talk to your peers, to your spouse and/or family, peer, counselor, clergy… just TALK. No one understands better than others who were there but don’t disregard those that have been through something else and are willing to listen.

Listen

There are others that need you to listen to them. If your family evacuated, they had their own critical event and need to talk to you about it. Your friends and neighbors need to share with you as they see you a person of authority and understanding simply because you are their leader, a police officer.

Continue your life

Your life will be forever changed because of these events, how you recover, rebuild and continue your life is important to many people in your life. They are looking to you for continued leadership and guidance.

Don’t Wait Until Symptoms are Visible

Were you, or a team you manage, involved in helping during Hurricanes Irma or Harvey? I’d like to talk to you about your experiences. We can also help in the process of debriefing your team. These crises can have a dramatic impact on your employees, officers, or volunteers.

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