Lead and We Will Follow

He was there when the first plane hit. He was there when it happened again. And when they crumbled to the ground, and when thousands went missing, he was there.

Every time we turned on the TV, he was there. He spoke to us from ground zero, and from his secret bunker. "I saw people jumping out of the World Trade Center," he said on September 11. "I saw some of the firefighters who I know going into the building."

He shared his feelings with us -- his sorrow and confusion, his anger, his disbelief. "I have a lot of moments where I simply can't accept it," he told us two days after the worst terrorist attack in history. "I just keep thinking, 'How could they have done this to my city?' " He asked the questions on the lips of everyone, and put into words what all of us were wondering. In doing so, he became one of us.

He told us everything we needed to hear -- rarely looking at notes -- and when we'd find out more. If someone else knew it better than he did, he moved over. But he was always there, just off to the side, where we could still see him.

He promised that those responsible for such despicable acts would be found and brought to justice. He gave us hope for the future, assuring us he'd do everything he could to help us recover. We put our faith and trust in him, and received a measure of comfort in return.

On the day that changed everything forever, New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani evolved from head of the Big Apple to leader of the entire country, if not the whole world. He was the face, the voice, the human being we listened to, looked up to, and relied upon during a period of dread, uncertainty, and insecurity. He was eternally present -- through constant communication, and with emotion.

Giuliani handily accomplished what crisis management experts say all leaders, be they politicians or CEOs, must do during a crisis of any magnitude or duration -- from a catastrophe of the moment, like a building fire or mass firing, to a lingering predicament, such as continually slumping sales. He set a new standard in governmental leadership; one that can work in an empire of any shape or size.



Front and Center

"Mayor Giuliani was incredibly visible from the moment the events of September 11 began to unfold," recalls Tom Preston, a Versailles, Kentucky-based crisis management consultant. "He was ubiquitous. I heard people say, 'Does he eat? Does he ever sleep?' We were all wondering how he held up." That kind of steadfastness in a leader can be a comfort to some, says Preston, while it can make the person in charge more credible in the eyes of others. Typically it works both ways for most everyone involved.

"By keeping his face out in front, Giuliani took responsibility for managing the crisis, proving he was a leader worth relying on," adds Kathleen Hesert, president of Communication Concepts in Charlotte, North Carolina. "He didn't disappear from view in order to collect information and decide what to do next." He gathered the facts and gave us the latest, personally. "In any crisis," says Hesert, "it's crucial that the leader control the situation and communicate with those affected. Doing one or the other is not an option."

As the mayor stayed on top of the crisis and in touch with the public (seemingly around the clock) he shared part of himself. "His expressions of emotion were always so appropriate," notes Preston. "He wasn't always glum, but we could see when he was touched, when he was hurting." He showed us he was human and a person we could relate to, says Preston, something people have begun to demand from today's leaders.

Both Hesert and Preston agree: New York's mayor secured himself a prime spot in world history -- and in the hearts and minds of everyone who let him be their leader -- by the way in which he handled the crisis of September 11. "He set an example that can and should be followed by anyone at the head of an organization," says Preston, adding, "The health of the outfit depends on it, and it's essential for morale."

Interestingly, Hesert believes, "A crisis is a planner's cue to step up to the plate." A planner is in the unique position, Hesert points out, to help a leader truly lead -- through high visibility, perpetual communication, and a show of humanity -- in hopes of creating a legacy to equal or even rival that of Rudy Giuliani.



Time to Shine

"Planners can take on a bigger leadership role in a crisis than you'd imagine," insists Hesert. "They have an edge because of their skills: their attention to detail, organization, and the flexibility to deal with the unexpected." Many individuals, adds Hesert, are forced to develop those skills (which, really, are intuition to a planner) during a crisis, while "planners have already honed them to a science."

However, "In far too many cases, because of that unique skill set, a planner is seen as a logistics person and no more," says Randy Pennington, who heads a training and consulting firm (which partners with planners) in Addison, Texas. "Planners have the ability to be very strategic thinkers," offering myriad ways to move a company forward. "They have a special understanding of the themes and feelings within an organization," adds Pennington. "Planners can use meetings, and communication through get-togethers, to help their leader leverage the moment and use the crisis appropriately." He knows this from experience.

Not long ago, Pennington was consulting with an in-house planner at a manufacturing company that had suffered a year-end loss of $35 million. That same year, the company's closest competitor was reveling in a $115 million profit. Pennington saw the need for the CEO to spend some face time with the high-ranking employees who were sitting down for their first shot at coming up with a plan to dig the company out of the red. "This was a large organization and there were many competing priorities. But if the CEO shows up and tells you what's important, then you know where to focus."

And so, at Pennington's insistence, the CEO boarded the company chopper and paid a visit to the group. He discussed the situation, showing his disappointment in his somber tone, and by the sadness in his eyes. He shared a meal with his employees, reiterated his faith in their abilities, and flew off to another meeting. "Everyone knew how busy he was, yet he rearranged his schedule to be with them," says Pennington. "That spoke volumes. It built trust in his ability to lead them in the right direction, and offered them a sense of security and hope that things can only get better."

Plus, by dining with them and sharing in their distress, he connected with his team "where they were at," so to speak. "People will have respect and work hard, even in tough times, for a leader who is human to them," offers Collierville, Tennessee-based employee relations expert Bill Catlette, author of Contented Cows Give Better Milk. Pennington admits he gave himself a pat on the back for having the foresight to get the CEO to "show face" at that crucial first meeting. (By the way, the company experienced a $35 million profit turnaround in the next year.)

Similarly, events planner Fe Domenech strongly encouraged the top dog of a management software company to address employees who were celebrating the end of one fiscal year with an awards ceremony, yet were learning that many of their co-workers wouldn't be back in the next. "People want to hear the news from the higher-ups," says Domenech, a senior executive events consultant with ME Productions, a Pembroke Park, Florida-based destination management and event production company. "The reaction to his presentation was positive because he took the time to clarify everything in person. He looked his employees in the eye, and several told me they appreciated that he was there."



A Love Connection (of Sorts)

People want, they need, to connect with their leaders in a time of crisis, and that's something planners must keep in mind. "Virtually every time we saw Giuliani in the days following the terror attacks, he was wearing a cap. Sometimes it was a police-department-issued one, at other times it was in support of the firefighters." The Mayor, says Pennington, did very visible things to identify with the people he was surrounded by. And if anyone is in the position to come up with creative ways for a leader to "touch" his or her followers, it's a planner.

By the same token, "President Bush connected with the masses when he went to ground zero with a bull horn," Pennington points out. If you recall, one fellow in the crowd told Mr. Bush he couldn't hear him. "The president said something to the effect of 'I can hear you and the whole world can hear you. And soon the people who did this will hear you.' " You could barely hear what came next through the jubilant whoops and hollers.

New York Governor George Pataki, on the other hand, "did the right thing by taking a back seat" to the mayor and the president. September 11, adds Pennington, was really a crisis of local and national proportions, and while "Pataki was wise to show up -- clearly demonstrating he was standing by both Giuliani and Bush -- he was even smarter for stepping away from the microphones."

Similarly, Giuliani stepped aside when a public official, like the fire commissioner or transportation director, had a better handle on the information. "Rudy was always visible and he had all the answers, yet we never saw him interfere with the jobs of others," notes Preston, adding that "Micromanagement is the worst" thing a leader can do during a crisis. "People want the news -- good or bad, but especially the bad -- from the person who knows it best, or is responsible for it," says Catlette.

Furthermore, "When crisis strikes a company, employees demand the latest facts yesterday, and they don't want to read about it in a memo or the newspaper," adds Catlette. Communication within an organization builds trust and fosters healthy morale, and the best way to facilitate such positive sentiments is through face-to-face sit-downs with the individual in charge.

"Meetings are the most effective way for a leader to communicate with his or her followers, so to speak, during a crisis," agrees Catherine Bolton, executive director of the Public Relations Society of America, headquartered about a mile or so from the site of the ungodly devastation in lower Manhattan. "Despite all the fear, confusion, and distress caused by a crisis, regular internal communication gives people a little extra 'oomph' to help them make it through." They walk away with a slightly better feeling about their situation, and it's good PR for the company as a whole.

"Meeting planners wear many different hats during a crisis," Bolton continues. "Public relations manager is definitely one of them."

While certain events warrant external communication, "A planner should remember that the media is only a part of the crisis," adds Hesert. "Planners can't be bowled over by the needs of reporters. Internal communication is just as important, or more so," than communication with the outside world.

When all is said and done

It remains to be seen how Mayor Giuliani and the other world leaders will resolve the crisis that was born at the start of the workday on September 11, but they've asked us to have faith in what they can and will do for us. Based on their popularity ratings, it's apparent most of us are complying.

Each admits it will take time to put this one to rest, but if the early days are an indication of anything, it's probably safe to say they'll be remembered kindly, perhaps gloriously, in the history books.

And although a crisis is not the time to jockey for recognition, it is certainly a time for a planner to stand up and be counted. Perhaps behind every good leader is a terrific planner. A planner who made the entire organization see that their leader was in control, shared their ups and downs, and was truly there for them. Every step of the way.

Sidebar
Planner with a plan
Since it's clearly a planner's job -- or at the very least, opportunity -- to help a leader manage a crisis, it's important to have a crisis management plan in your stockpile of planner ammo before the inevitable occurs.

Successful Meetings conducted a random phone survey of 10 meeting planners to get a rough idea of how many keep a crisis management plan at the ready. Only three said they do. On the upside, four said September 11 was a wakeup call and they've been working on one ever since. One planner admitted her crisis management plan was "in her head" before the terrorist attack, but "mapping one out" has become a high priority.

Wondering what should be included in such a plan? Michelle Santee-Tupps, president of Event Resource in Safety Harbor, Florida, "works off a master plan, but tailors it for each event" she produces. Her plan is similar to the one crafted by Debbie Elder, head of Scottsdale, Arizona-based ELDERWOOD Meeting Resources. "It identifies potential threats: medical emergencies, security, strikes, demonstrations, weather, fire, transportation issues, bomb threats." The list goes on, says Elder.

Both say it's crucial that planners keep a list of emergency and after-hours phone numbers for every person involved in the event -- from attendees to the folks manning the registration desk.

Crisis management expert Kathleen Hesert encourages planners to know their company or client's crisis management plan, as well as the one used by the facility, making certain they're in harmony. If the planner is the only one with a comprehensive crisis management plan, then he or she should "get everyone to agree to it in advance."

For the planner who really wants to go to bat in a crisis, start assembling a crisis management team now. Hesert offers this advice: One group should handle crisis management, while another takes care of crisis communication, and a third is for business resumption.

And one more tip: Stretch your goals. "Plan for a crisis that's unimaginable," coaches Hesert. That way you won't get caught sweating the small stuff.

Potential Threats

Medical emergencies, security, fire, bomb threats, strikes, demonstrations, transportation issues, weather, etc.

Starting point

List of emergency and after-hours phone numbers for every person involved in the event

Preparation

Know your company or client's crisis management plan, as well as the one used by the supplier