hope for the best, prepare for the worst

As Hurricane Harvey makes its way to the Texas coast, I am watching how communities, organizations, and individuals respond to what has been brewing for several days.  As people leave their homes, as owners board up their businesses, and as governmental agencies prepare their people and equipment, everyone is getting ready in their own way to brace for what could be a devastating weather occurrence.  As always we hope and pray for the best outcome, knowing that the worst could occur at any time throughout the next 48-72 hours.

Leaders of organizations, who should always be purveyors of hope, must also be people who are constantly on the watch for what could harm or devastate their organizations.  Today it might be a flood...tomorrow it could be a wildfire...and later on it will be a public relations disaster.  Whatever the time and place, all organizations are susceptible to outside occurrences that, while always hoping for the best, could produce the worst results.  So what can leaders do to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best?  Here are a few thoughts:

• ensure financial security: I have always taught that cash is king, and that is no more true than when a disaster strikes.  Having cash on hand to address immediate issues provides a safety net for all organizations.  Financial security also includes having the right insurance policies and having a relationship with a bank that can help in times of need.
• ensure that there is an emergency management plan (and that it is practiced): having a plan does not guarantee that anyone knows what to do for any specific emergency.  Having written a plan, read the plan, practiced the plan, and updated the plan is of utmost importance for organizations.
• understand the leader's role: many leaders see themselves as the person who should be "in charge" at all times.  In the case of an emergency or unplanned disaster, there are people with more expertise and competence than the positional leader of the organization.  Letting others be in charge at the moment speaks highly of the leader and those who step in to make things happen.
• understand the leader's role (part 2): this is the time to be the purveyor of hope...when all else seems to be in confusion and nobody (including the leader) has any idea what the immediate future holds, those who have been given the title "leader" should be the person who keeps the vision, values, and mission in front of everyone.  Each leader will do this differently, and each organization will expect and need different things from their leader.  
• wake up the next morning: there is a darkness that occurs in the middle of a disaster, whether it be the darkness of the night or the darkness of the moment.  Hope comes in the morning, and the leader needs to be there, finding ways to help those in the organization understand that there is hope and to be able to see that hope in action.  It is these moments (hours, days, months) after a disaster that might be the hardest times for the leader.

My prayers are with those who, at this moment, do not know what the next 2-3 days will bring.  For those who have evacuated, there is no way to know to what they will return...for those who have closed their businesses, there is no way to know if that business will be open next week...and for those who are preparing to be first responders, there is no way to know what they may find as they arrive.  They are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, a lesson all leaders should take to heart.