Leading the Way

• Building Community Preparedness Through Leadership

Walter Topp

wstopp11@gmail.com

Failure is an Option

Why Leadership?

Is there a shortage of information about leadership?

Not exactly.

But the leadership environment for emergency managers is especially complex and challenging.

• Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, the Bible, Confucius, The Koran, Plato, etc…

In fact, leadership is well-studied and its basic principles are commonly understood.

And emergency managers rarely have time to consider the leadership environment.

• Emergency management is a cooperative enterprise.• Multiple agencies, organizations, associations, enterprises, etc.

• Engaging the whole community is a core principle.

• Effective leadership is needed to set the direction and influence people to follow that direction.

Emergency management does not work without committed and effective leadership.

Preparation Requires Dedicated Leadership

“Leadership is another word for preparation.”- Vijay Prashad

“When opportunity comes, it’s too late to prepare.”- John Wooden

By the time you activate your EOC, everything important that you can do is already done.

Your primary job as a leader is to ensure that your organization, your partner organizations, and your community are prepared for

emergencies and disasters.

And Failure is an Option.

“Failure is not an option.”

But in our world, when disaster strikes, no stirring words are going to overcome a lack of preparedness.

“We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.”

― Archilochos

In Hollywood, an inspirational speech can save the day…

“Well, Captain, lucky for us that hundreds of flight controllers trained every day for years to prepare for an emergency just like this…”

“…We all saw the consequences of having

terrible government leadership.”

-Susan Faludi

Photo: REUTERS/Jason Reedhttp://theconversation.com/still-waiting-for-help-the-lessons-of-hurricane-katrina-on-poverty-46666

Real Failure: Four days after Hurricane Katrina

“What happened with Hurricane Katrina was the American electorate was forced to look at what lay behind the veneer of chest-beating…”

Leadership Requirements1. Know Yourself

- strengths, weaknesses, capabilities

2. Know your organization- people, policies, resources, capabilities

3. Know your community- partner organizations, civic groups, history,

culture, demographics, threats, vulnerabilities, capabilities, gaps, etc.

4. Know your profession

Leadership challenges for emergency managers…

Flooding damage, Ellicott City, MD

Photo Credit: Barnard / WTTG

Emergency Managers have three primary leadership roles, each requiring different leadership skills.

1. You lead your own organization (staff, peers, superiors…)

2. You lead the emergency management efforts of partner organizationsThey rely on you for leadership because EM is not their primary mission

3. You lead community-wide efforts to build a resilient and prepared community,

You lead your own organization (staff, peers, superiors…)

Within your organization you have traditional leadership responsibilities toward your staff as well as a responsibility to increase the overall preparedness of the organization.

You must exert leadership downwards and upwards.

“Know yourself, know your people, know your job.”-GEN W.H. Rice, USMC

• Take care of your people• Train, equip, delegate, empower, share information

• Be technically proficient• Focus on the mission (Goal)• Lead by example (these people see you every day)• Anticipate the future• Hold subordinates strictly accountable• Demonstrate self-discipline• Identify a small number of key priorities • Do what is right

Principles

You lead the emergency management efforts of partner organizations

Within your region you are the only official with primary responsibility for emergency management. You are expected to coordinate and direct the emergency management efforts of dozens, if not hundreds, of

organizations within your region.

You are the leader of a regional, multi-jurisdictional, multi-agency emergency management program.

They rely on you for leadership because EM is not their primary mission©iStock.com/Rawpixel

• Provide vision and remove obstacles• Create and nurture a culture of adaptation• Influence and persuade • Get out of your office. • Provide assistance and advice• Listen to everyone• Always be truthful• Remain flexible.• Encourage questions and discussion

Principles

You must exert leadership laterally.

You lead community-wide efforts to build a resilient and prepared community.Within your community you are the most senior official with primary

responsibility for emergency management.

You must lead regional efforts to increase preparedness and resilience, provide emergency management expertise, and strengthen community connections. (Groups, organizations, populations, agencies, etc.)

Without strong connections, your community is brittle and will not withstand the pressure of an emergency or disaster.• Create a shared vision and high expectations

• Communicate effectively • Encourage innovation• Treat everyone with respect• Be persistent

Principles

You must exert leadership outward.

High Consequence / Low Probability events

Emergency managers face a number of significant barriers as they attempt to prepare their organizations, their partner organizations, and

their communities.

You think of the high consequence, everyone else thinks of the low probability.

• Cultural and cognitive obstacles to preparedness- including focus on short-term, Lack of trust in government (including response agencies), Limited sense of community

• Cost-benefit analysis may favor inaction- immediate expense, uncertain and distant reward

• Resources are unavailable to prepare for worst-case scenarios• No apparent penalty for inaction or deferral• Failure to understand risk

“This is the most depressing thing. We know. We can predict future disasters. What we have not yet learned is how to convince societies to act on that knowledge. That’s what we don’t know.”

- Planetary Scientist Emily Lakdawalla

SuggestionsEmphasize all-hazards planningShare case studies of actual disastersBuild resilienceReduce uncertaintyBe persistentDiscuss costs of inaction

Requirement for Constant Readiness• Most disasters provide no warning• Response must be correct the first time• Constant readiness is psychologically draining• Reduces opportunity for new processes• Resource-intensive (unaffordable?)

Suggestions• Train relentlessly• Exercise realistically• Checklists, SOPs, Guides, Procedures• Monitor and reduce stress• Incorporate preparedness into routine activities• Establish and maintain a sense of urgency

“I’ll tell you what leadership is. It’s persuasion, and conciliation, and education, and patience. It’s long, slow, tough work.”

- Dwight Eisenhower

“Man, this is exhausting. Somebody get us some more coffee.”

Responsibility But No Authority

• You are leading people from different organizations• You cannot compel participation• You are responsible for the outcome

Suggestions• Influence and persuade• Culture of collaboration• Share information freely• Build relationships• Lead by example• MOU’s, formal agreements• Engage your boss

The ability to influence others is a key leadership competency

Multi-Discipline, Multi-Organization Effort

• Dozens, if not hundreds of supporting agencies• Multiple missions, cultures, funding streams, expertise• Responsibilities and capabilities may overlap• Supporting organizations have own priorities• Coordination and collaboration is difficult• Personnel turnover • Relationship building is difficult

Suggestions• Newsletters• Workshops• Tabletop Exercises• Site Visits

Photo: 2018 Steve Zuieback, Synectics LLC

Lack of Understanding of Emergency Management

• No one knows what you do

• No one knows why you do it

• Infrequent activations limit proficiency

• Competition for resources

Suggestions

• Share information freely

• Build relationships

• Make every effort to educate and inform

• Workshops, seminars, conferences, meetings

• Site visits

• Planning teams

• Tabletop exercises

“Leadership is not a some time thing. It’s an every day thing. I do that every day.”- Lebron James

Insufficient Resources

• Emergency management may not be a core mission of supporting organizations• It may not be seen as a core mission of YOUR organization• Immediate needs versus uncertain future benefits• Emergency management may not be seen as cost effective (Inefficient)• Competition for resources is never-ending

Suggestions• Identify cost savings from mitigation and preparedness• Identify risks of capability gaps• Seek additional sources (grants, in-kind, etc.)• Develop regional capabilities• Share resources regionally

No Metrics

• Cannot quantify preparedness• Difficult to measure progress• Difficult to justify or defend program• Cannot establish targets• Cannot calculate Return on Investment or

other measures

Suggestions• Conduct comprehensive hotwash• Encourage honest feedback• Review AARs from other regions• Establish internal performance standards “His mitigation plan is out of date and his

evacuation planning shows no understanding of modern transportation technology.”

Failure Looks Like Success• All disasters end, all communities recover• Impossible to quantify the impact better preparation might have had• No basis for comparison• No one knows what was supposed to happen• Except for egregious failures (Katrina, Puerto Rico)• No one will know how things could have been better• No performance standards• Possible resistance to accurate assessment

Suggestions• Conduct comprehensive hotwash• Encourage honest feedback• Review AARs from other regions• Establish internal performance standards

Photo: https://pedro5043.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/framing-up.jpg?w=445&h=340

Rebuilding after Katrina.

Summary

The leadership environment for emergency managers is especially complex and challenging.

Emergency management requires committed and effective leadership.

Your primary job as a leader is to ensure that your organization, your partner organizations, and your community are prepared for

emergencies and disasters.

Emergency managers have three primary leadership roles, each requiring a different mix of leadership skills.

Within your community you are the most senior official with primary responsibility for emergency management.

Failure is an Option.

But no one will probably notice.

Trust is the very core of leadership.

Closing ThoughtsOnly you have the authority, experience, and skills to lead community-wide

preparedness efforts.

The ability to influence others is a key leadership competency.

Comprehensive training and realistic exercises are critical to overcoming local government lack of EM experience.

Leaders’ power comes from their consistent, principle-centered behavior and actions that demonstrate honesty, integrity, trust, dignity, and respect for all people. When leaders demonstrate behavioral integrity, people choose to follow them. (IS-240.B)

It’s not about you.

Questions