Managing through storms...with empathy
There are times when it seems that all the management experience we have seems to be tested to the limit. When total chaos reigns and the things we know to do, the things we do instinctively through years of experience seem to be nowhere near enough.
And yet, at those very moments, true leaders shine. Often, the very thing that makes them stand out is not only their xperience and skills, but moreso their style, their humanity, their empathy.
When Hurricane Wilma hit in 1995, I was at DHL, working for the CEO, John Mullen. We flew in from Germany the day after the hurricane hit and found all electricity out (it was to stay out for 8 days). We had no accounting of our employees and their families yet, no accounting of our customers' deliveries, and our entire courier network was crippled through a combination of impassable roads and no fuel.
Without going into detail, those of us who worked with John, don't remember the chaos. We remember getting back to work with anything we had at our disposal. We created a makeshift headquarters in the house of our CFO who lived in the only neighborhood that had electricity. We created shift teams to drive to North Florida to get food for employees, we worked with local authorities to help with water distribution and to secure fuel, and slowly but surely we got our delivery network back on track.
And every day, after long hours of stressful work, we got together wherever there was a generator (usually on a boat) and took advantage of an outrageous situation to have fun together, as a team. We relaxed, recounted the stories of the day, grilled and drank some good wine. (I have some great pictures of those hurricane parties)
The memories of those days were of times when we got together as a team, worked however we needed to work to make things happen; Everyone did what had to be done, and we relished in the feeling that a team that respects each other and trusts each other can achieve big things.
And we look back on those moments and realize that those toughest days were the best days as a team. When we made it happen and had fun as a team.
And when we look back and talk about those days, we always talk about John - how he led us through those days with a purpose and a calmness, and first and foremost with an empathy for his organization and his team. Its no wonder that many of us would walk through fire for him.
And yet, at those very moments, true leaders shine. Often, the very thing that makes them stand out is not only their xperience and skills, but moreso their style, their humanity, their empathy.
When Hurricane Wilma hit in 1995, I was at DHL, working for the CEO, John Mullen. We flew in from Germany the day after the hurricane hit and found all electricity out (it was to stay out for 8 days). We had no accounting of our employees and their families yet, no accounting of our customers' deliveries, and our entire courier network was crippled through a combination of impassable roads and no fuel.
Without going into detail, those of us who worked with John, don't remember the chaos. We remember getting back to work with anything we had at our disposal. We created a makeshift headquarters in the house of our CFO who lived in the only neighborhood that had electricity. We created shift teams to drive to North Florida to get food for employees, we worked with local authorities to help with water distribution and to secure fuel, and slowly but surely we got our delivery network back on track.
And every day, after long hours of stressful work, we got together wherever there was a generator (usually on a boat) and took advantage of an outrageous situation to have fun together, as a team. We relaxed, recounted the stories of the day, grilled and drank some good wine. (I have some great pictures of those hurricane parties)
The memories of those days were of times when we got together as a team, worked however we needed to work to make things happen; Everyone did what had to be done, and we relished in the feeling that a team that respects each other and trusts each other can achieve big things.
And we look back on those moments and realize that those toughest days were the best days as a team. When we made it happen and had fun as a team.
And when we look back and talk about those days, we always talk about John - how he led us through those days with a purpose and a calmness, and first and foremost with an empathy for his organization and his team. Its no wonder that many of us would walk through fire for him.
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