3- Leadership in the Face of Disaster - John Scardena

John Scardena

Reference:

Karlene Kerfoot (December, 2001) Leading Through the Blur: Leadership in Difficult Times

Theme:

Leaders become successful when they can understand what is going on despite chaos and grow in ability by using the five properties of leadership of disaster control

Summary:

-Recent Disasters like 9/11, floods in Houston, Oklahoma City Bombing, and tornados have created a new syndrome of nervousness called "anticipatory anxiety" which is a fear of the unknown.

- Leadership facing threats from terror and disaster has become very different than times past.

-Tests of leadership are not brought about by times of safety but by times of crisis

-In times of disasters leaders will raise from crisis because they choose to fight instead of flight.

-People will gravitate to those who are bold and seem to live without fear of the unknown

-This is a great time of learning and growing for leaders, just as a muscle grown from excursion so does a leader.

-This is a time to build the community

-The people who will suffer most in a disaster are those who do not have a support system.

-This is a time to rethink leadership qualities and training; i.e. new methods of leadership

This is a time for practicing compassion- leaders must lead by how they want the world to be governed.

-The world is attracted to leaders whom follow the golden rule.

-This is a time to focus on the spirit of peace.

-Leaders must look threw the blur of disasters and blow away the fog of confusion and become strong.

-People need strong leaders who are intelligent, courageous, and have a good heart.

Application to Lesson Topic:

            The leason focuses all about leadership, the view of leadership and what the World needs. I think this meshes with media because the leaders that we speak of and the ones we look up to are passionate and dramatic. Media thrives on these ideas thus making a positive link between the leaders we are looking for and the exposure that they need.

Application to Emergency Services:

            When I think of leaders in a disaster or crisis situation, I do think of the men and women that are in emergency services. Whether that be the police doing crowd control, the Red Cross comforting victims, members of Reaching Efforts taking control of clearing debris and rebuilding homes so that the communities can return, all have a place and all need to have courage so that victims and others suffering from anticipatory anxiety can feel safe and calm. Ultimately it will be the first responders becoming leaders who will help the initial calm and it will need to be the second responders and public servants who reinforce that calm by taking control, being peace makers, and offering peace.