What might have been a catastrophe in New York was averted by a pilot’s quick thinking and deft maneuvers, and by the swift collaboration of near rescue boats, a combination that witnesses and officials called miraculous.
According to the New York Times, “a US Airways jetliner with 155 people aboard lost power in both engines, possibly from striking birds, after taking off from La Guardia Airport on Thursday afternoon. The pilot ditched in the icy Hudson River and all on board were rescued by a flotilla of converging ferries and emergency boats.”
There is no doubt that the reason all 155 people aboard escaped the frigid waters safely was due to the quick thinking and leadership of the crew, the way passengers responded and followed, and the coordinated efforts of rescue personnel who converged on the crippled aircraft. A great example of what collaboration can accomplish in an emergency!
There are other “hidden” factors. Emergency preparation and practice, that enabled pilots and crew to act wisely; a specific evacuation plan drilled all the time on airplanes, which made it easier for scared people to follow instructions; clear priorities that valued survival above cherished things; and everybody’s willingness to work together to convert a possible disaster into a successful operation.
Leaders can use the same factors to facilitate change:
- Prepare for change, since that is the present mode that needs to be recognized and accepted.
- Plan carefully for successful change, calling for everybody’s help, considering not only present conditions, but future probabilities.
- Establish priorities based on values and needs, not on preferred agendas or favorite projects.
- Work together. This is imperative for success.
Today leaders need to become better equipped to communicate in ways that are influential, and to understand and embrace collaboration as a much needed skill and mode of leadership.
Be a collaborative leader and you will help your organization navigate the treacherous waters of change!
