May 1, 2023 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)
How do you adapt to change and turn uncertainty into an advantage? In Chapter 21 of my book, Learn How to Lead to Win – 33 Powerful Stories and Leadership Lessons, I share the impact September 11, 2001 had on our crew. It is a day that Americans will never forget. My September 11 moment occurred on September 12 because the Carl Vinson was across the International Dateline and was steaming just south of the southern tip of India conducting flight operations.
Captain Clingan was on the bridge observing flight ops. I was running around the ship doing XO things. I got a call on the brick from one of the senior officers who told me to come to the Captain’s at-sea cabin to see something on TV. There was a sense of urgency in the voice.
So I climbed from the hangar deck up the ten flights of stairs to the at-sea cabin just off the bridge. A little out of breath, I stepped into the room and saw one of the World Trade Center towers burning on TV. I then stepped out onto the bridge to tell the Captain. We were not sure what happened, but it appeared to be quite the accident.
Walking back into the at-sea cabin, I stopped short and watched a commercial airplane bank into the second tower. That was clearly intentional. Stunned, I walked out and told the Captain what I had just seen. America was under attack.
His mouth set a grim line. He didn’t say anything as he continued watching flight operations. I could imagine what he was thinking and feeling, same as I was. Here we were in command of an aircraft carrier that was supposed to keep threats to America away from our shores. What do we do if the threat was behind us, at home? What was going to happen now? Total uncertainty.
I walked back into the at-sea cabin. The camera was now showing what I recognized to be the roof of the Old Executive Office Building next to the White House. I saw a column of smoke in the distance and thought, “Hey, that’s where the Pentagon is—” as the scene shifted to show the devastation of the airplane impact into the north side of the Puzzle Palace. Where does this stop?
I reported the events to the Captain who was being called by the Admiral at the same time. We canceled the rest of the day’s flight operations as the Admiral called all the senior officers together to plan our actions based on what he was being told from higher up.
That afternoon, the Captain got on our general announcing system and told the crew that America was under attack. Every TV on the ship was tuned to channels showing the devastation from our homeland. I went to the bridge and was standing looking out the front windows while the Captain was announcing that the towers had been hit and had subsequently fallen with loss of life.
A brooding uncertainty enveloped the ship. I turned to look in the direction of the helm station behind me and noticed the Helmsman, a young Hispanic female, was crying.
I went around behind the helm station, put my hand on her shoulder and said, “It’s okay. We’ll figure out what to do next.”
She replied, “XO, you don’t understand, my uncle works in the World Trade Center.”
At that moment, I realized that while I was focused on what we were going to do next in our mission with the potential of going to war, there were sailors who were personally impacted by the tragedy. They may have lost loved ones in the attack. My focus on the mission at hand blinded me to the understanding that sailors might be distracted by personal issues including the loss of a loved one.
This event galvanized in me the need for empathy in leadership. As the leader, you are understandably focused on conducting the mission to success, but you also have to understand the effect an event like this has on the people who work for you.
With that realization, I began to work with the administrative officer in the personnel office to determine whose family members might have been affected. We sought to determine whether we needed to take action and send members of our crew home for personal reasons. It turned out that while many of the crew had family members who worked in the World Trade Center, no one on the crew suffered a family loss. Remarkable.
Here’s three tips for helping your team deal with change and uncertainty. First, communicate frequently and transparently. Change and uncertainty can be unsettling for people, and communication is key to helping them feel more secure. Be transparent about what’s happening, how it will affect the team, and what you’re doing to address any challenges.
Listen to their concerns and be available to answer questions. The tendency of many leaders is to withdraw and communicate less. It is essential that you communicate more when the way forward is uncertain. Texts and emails have their place, but when your team is stressed with the unknown, they need to see your face and hear your voice. A squeeze on the shoulder with a word of encouragement goes a long way.
Second, help your team approach change and uncertainty with a growth mindset. Encourage them to see challenges as opportunities for learning and growth, and to embrace new experiences with new ideas. Celebrate successes and use failures as opportunities to learn and improve.
Third, foster resilience. Change and uncertainty can be stressful, and it’s important to help your team build resilience. Encourage them to take care of themselves, both physically and mentally. Provide resources and support, such as employee assistance programs or mental health resources. Encourage breaks, exercise, and other stress-reducing activities.
“You can’t calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself.
The storm will pass.” – Timber Hawkeye
Lead from your heart. Lead to Win.
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