From BP and the Deepwater Horizon to the response to Hurricane Katrina to the allegations swirling about the captain, officers and crew of the cruise ship, Costa Concordia, leadership or lack thereof, is always THE issue.
It’s hard to fathom that the Captain, the Officers and Crew of this formerly floating city could allegedly display such callous disregard for the safety and lives of the liner’s passengers. By now, most of us have seen the cell phone video clips and heard the reports of complete chaos during the crisis.
Leaders step up during times of crisis. This is where people in positions of responsibility finally earn the right to the “L” label. Unfortunately, in this instance, much like just about every other crisis we’ve created or viewed, leadership seems to take a holiday, replaced by “everyone for himself” and “it’s not my fault.”
Those paid to oversee the safety and comfort of their passengers were nowhere to be found at the point in time when they were most needed. The Captain has been charged with a number of crimes, including the odious act of abandoning ship in advance of the passengers. In the not-so-distant past, that act alone might merit keelhauling.
The CEO of the business behind the ship, Pier Luigi Foschi, has already pointed his finger squarely at the Captain. Yes, Pier, the Captain is likely at fault for the incident. However, you and your firm hired him, trained him and his crew and created the culture that allowed this to happen. See also the comment on keelhauling.
The Bottom-Line for Now:
If you’ve been given the responsibility and the title, you better be prepared to act selflessly when the time comes. Anyone can float through their days showboating and blowing their own horn. It takes a real leader to step up when the ship hits the rocks.
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Art Petty is a developer of leaders and a strategy consultant. Art frequently speaks on leadership and management, and his work is reflected in two books (Practical Lessons in Leadership and Leadership Caffeine-Ideas to Energize Your Professional Development) and over 1-million words published at The Management Excellence blog. You can reach Art via e-mail to learn more about his leadership development, speaking and management consulting services.
It seriously is a sad state of affairs when leaders fail when it matters most. A lot of people tend to believe the lie that reputation is only built in times of tranquility and ease.
Unfortunately, real leaders are only witnessed in times of crisis! It’s not something to be wished for, but when it happens, that’s when everything you stand for is tested! Many fail.
In definite agreement with this post
Thanks for reading and sharing. Well said. -Art
I have saying: “People can overcome just about anything, but they can’t overcome it with bad leadership.”
Agreed, Jay!
Art – glad you pointed out that the ship operator can’t dodge culpability by shifting blame to the captain. I’ve yet to see a mass media story about this tragedy that even hints at this! (That being said, wouldn’t this cold, winter day be a good one for a cruise in the carribian cruise!)
Thanks, Eric. It irks me to see the person at the top not owning up to his organization’s failings. And yes, as I prepare to step off the train and walk across the loop to DePaul, being somewhere warm sounds good. I think I will stick to the beach though! -Art
[…] you are going. But don’t lose yourself on that journey. Who you are is far too important for that.It’s Always About Leadership by Art Pettery on Management ExcellenceQuote: If you’ve been given the responsibility and the title, you better be prepared to act […]