Leaders Be Calm Out There

Leaders - Be Calm Out There

Throughout 2002 most organizations have been under one form of stress or another. The United States government has had four straight years of emotionally laden disruptions:

1998 - the presidential impeachment hearings;
1999 - Y2K predicted potentially catastrophic computer breakdowns with the new millennium date;
2000 - a long and divisive resolution to a contested presidential election; and
Fall 2001 - the terrorist airplane hijackings and attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.

Not since the early 1970's has the future of the U.S. economy struggled or been more uncertain for a longer period of time. The poor financial results and uncertainty contribute to anxiousness in leaders and their organizations. Unfortunately the anxiety and resulting emotionally reactive behavior block the development of creative and breakthrough strategies.

Most people become fixated into old patterns of behavior when they get anxious or emotionally upset. Csikszentmihalyi (1990, Flow, p. 206) presented an example of how individual behavior, when under stress, becomes disastrously stuck in an old pattern. During parachute training in the middle of the Korean War, an ordnance sergeant discovered he was short one parachute for a right-handed person. During the flight to the target drop zone, the sergeant instructed a right-handed soldier on how to pull the ripcord, which was now on the left side of the soldier's chest.

After all of the soldiers had jumped out of the training aircraft, it was observed that one of the men's parachutes did not open and the soldier plummeted to his death. Upon investigation at the scene of the fatal accident it was discovered that there was nothing wrong with the parachute. The unopened chute was on the right-handed soldier who had been given a left-handed parachute. The left-handed ripcord was hanging ready for use on the left side, while on the right side the soldier's uniform was torn to shreds and his chest was bloody and gashed. His right hand was bloody from repeated attempts to pull the ripcord that wasn't there. Under the stress of falling towards the earth, the soldier had forgotten the instruction and had become totally fixated on pulling the ripcord that was supposed to be there. In emotional situations, openness to other alternatives and resourcefulness are mentally blocked out.

The United States military was curious why some airplane crews who safely parachuted were able to survive until help arrived, while other parachuting crews had one or more fatalities. The military psychologists noticed two contrasting situations. Crews of men who had rigged temporary shelter, had organized water and food sources, and the injured who had received medical attention were in sharp contrast to the crews who weren't even together when the rescue helicopter came for them. Injured men were running around disheveled and untreated and new injuries and fatalities had occurred.

To uncover the facts, all rescued crewmembers were interviewed in-depth about the details of their landing. Who took the first actions when the crew knew their plane was going down and they would be parachuting into unfamiliar and isolated terrain? The major difference, the researchers discovered, was the emotional behavior of the crew leaders.

The successful survivors' had leaders who presented a calm composure and were able to rationally assign responsibilities to crewmembers. They also frequently communicated with each individual about the status of their rescue. In contrast, the leaders of the crews who did not successfully survive had become emotionally upset and were less able to lead and direct constructive rescue procedures.

Several other research studies have documented the effectiveness of leaders presenting a calm demeanor in a variety of crisis situations (Yukl, 1994). Recall a time when you or someone you were with stepped on a sharp object. The person who remained calm was the most helpful. Remaining calm allows your brain to continue to receive maximum oxygen to perceive the facts of the situation as accurately as possible and to rationally determine the best action.

The world watched in amazement at Mayor Rudy Guiliani's calm composure on September 11, 2001, after the New York City's World Trade Center Towers were destroyed killing 2,823 people (USA Today, June 2002). In press conference after press conference, Guiliani was calm, objective, and thoughtful. During one interview, Mayor Guiliani announced he had spent time the previous evening reading the history about the bombings of London during World War II to help him understand how people in London had coped. In a 2002 television interview, Guiliani was asked how he was able to remain so calm. He replied that his father had taught him when he was a young boy that whenever events or people become anxious, the more anxious they become, the more calm he should be.

Research on the human brain documents how remaining calm under pressure improves problem solving and promotes mental flexibility. The popular and award winning television show from the 1980's, "Hill Street Blues," was about the dangerous challenges of the police officers in a high crime New York City Police Precinct. Each week's show was introduced with a morning meeting and roll call of the officers. The meeting leader, the police sergeant played by the actor Michael Conrad, ended the meeting with the heartfelt caution to the officers, "Let's be careful out there." In today's world an appropriate valediction for a farewell is, " Let's be calm out there."

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