A few weeks ago, Jimmy Leppert wrote a blog about the heroic efforts of the NYC MTA system in the face of Hurricane Sandy. With the disaster now over, my colleague Kathy Gersch questions whether with the pressure of impending doom lifted, city leaders will take the needed action to ensure a bigger disaster won't occur in the future.
Sometimes after recovering from a disaster, with enough time and distance it can be easy to forget the dangers still lurking. We revert so easily to the status quo.
After living through the Hurricane Sandy disaster that revealed New York City’s vulnerabilities, leaders are out of crisis-management mode. Most of the city is back in operation, and many people are celebrating what they’ve accomplished. It’s time to establish a vision for the future and focus collective energy toward the next goal. Unfortunately, it seems with the crisis out-of-sight, the dangers are again out-of-mind.
Last Friday, Mayor Bloomberg defended New York utility ConEd after the prolonged power outages following Hurricane Sandy. He said that the 12-foot wall protecting their high-voltage wires was two feet short of the floodwaters. He explained, “They had 14 feet of water. It's easy to second guess. If they'd built it 15 feet and we had 16 feet ...” Then, in an interview on WOR radio’s John Gambling Show, Bloomberg said that considering how quickly subway service was restored after Sandy and the likelihood that it could be years before another mega storm strikes, FEMA funds might be better invested in expanding and improving the transit system. Said Bloomberg, “I think a legitimate question is, if this happens only once (in) 110 years ... is that a good use of your money?” Compared to the velocity of change in business, some are arguing that the velocity of change in the environment could be on an even steeper curve.
This reminds me of a controversial post written by Dr. John Kotter about the reason for the Kodak downfall. Despite hints and clear indicators – surfaced by internal leaders – that the world was changing around them, Kodak’s executive leadership team failed to address the implications of the rapidly changing circumstances. Kotter, who had worked directly with Kodak leadership several times over the years, cited the reason for the Kodak downfall as a clear sense of complacency, denial and a lack of true urgency.
Unfortunately, Mayor Bloomberg doesn't recognize that the majority of the population of New York is already truly urgent. They are riding an incredible high after all they've accomplished to get the city back up and running. New Yorkers are energized as a volunteer army – with the power and energy to get things done. Mr. Bloomberg must not realize that failing to harness these people’s energy not only discourages the momentum in the direction they’re headed, but it makes them question their faith in leadership. What a shame to see all that potential - all that unified energy from people who have survived incredible loss – simply discarded by leadership.
In a recent article called Accelerate!, Dr. John Kotter recognizes that one of the biggest challenges a business faces is getting that spark lighted – creating an army of people inspired to move with the speed and agility to tackle an issue. What a gift to already have this in place! Once it’s there, it takes only gentle guidance and support to not only accomplish the initiatives people are passionate about, but to continue to accomplish more. Failing to support and encourage this type of energy not only squelches the spark, but it also forces people back into “wait-to-be-told” mode.
Mr. Bloomberg has demonstrated his impressive leadership prowess in the past. Let’s hope he realizes the potential power in his hands. New York is poised to take on city improvements that will help it expand and be prepared for the next Sandy.
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