#700 tragedy

Thirty years ago, our campus experienced a great fire that destroyed one-third of the buildings.  Last week, I attended a panel presentation by several members of the faculty who were involved in that tragic day.

The former president had been on the job 111 days when the fire occurred.  Yet, she was on the news the evening of the fire, letting people know that a) graduation would occur as scheduled just two days later, b) summer school would start as scheduled in four days and c) we would rebuild.  At the panel presentation she recounted how she walked into the board of trustees meeting the day after the fire with a list of things that had to be done to move forward (eg: write prospective students, contact alumni, find temporary quarters for classes and the faculty, etc.).

Her comment last week: "In case of a tragedy, you shouldn't miss a beat."  Her focus as a leader was to orchestrate how to move into the future.  There was work to be done, and a lot of it, which became a visible sign of confidence to all those around her.  There was no doubt and there was no limbo, even when there were unanswered questions and chaotic logistics to be determined.

None of us know how we would act if we found ourselves facing such daunting circumstances.  But keeping Catherine Dunn's words of wisdom tucked in your brain would be a great place to start!

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
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