Boeing 787 Dreamliner Rollout 7/8 (Photo credit: jnsabino)
In times of crisis?
Perhaps the Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy the exit best advice:
DON’T PANIC.
But, surely, there’s more to it than that.
Consider Boeing. They’re in the middle of a crisis. The Dreamliner, their future, is grounded. What do you think their CEO, Jim McNerny, should be doing. A some think he should be the public face of the company , reassuring the public and investors that the Dreamliner will return to the airways. But he’s not doing that. What is he doing?
Working behind the scenes, assembling a team of the best experts in the world to identify the root cause of the issue and develop a solution.Is that what he should be doing? Is that where he, as a leader, can add the best value? Consider his comments to this team: “Mr. McNerney banged his hands on his desk. “Do you understand the meaning of what we’re dealing with here?” he recalled saying. The issue isn’t just “electrochemistry in a battery…It’s about the safety and confidence in our planes and our brand. And it can’t happen again.”"( From WSJ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323864304578316361657483772.html?mod=itp. )
Is it important for the team to understand the real issue at hand? Yes. In fact, it is critic!
And it is up to a leader to make sure that everyone understands what is truly important. That is what leaders do. In times of crisis. And at all times.
Just Sayin’
