We could have, we should have. We didn’t. If we spent one-tenth the energy on preparation, protection, and prevention that we spend on repair, blame, and fear, we’d live safer, more-prosperous lives. But we don’t.
What will it take for us to do better?
We know it’s critical to train emergency responders — law enforcement, fire fighters, medics, Coast Guard, and so on — and we do that well. Only now, after Hurricane Katrina, are we realizing how critical it is to train leaders, too.
Communities pay a heavy price when leaders make bad decisions, a price measured in thousands of deaths, widespread destruction, and hundreds of billions added to the national debt. By giving leaders education that can help them make better decisions as a team, we can prevent human and fiscal misery.
There are many reasons why we haven’t trained senior leaders, some good, some bad. We’ll discuss some of them here. We’ll also discuss how new technology and capabilities are making decision-making and leadership training more practical and effective than ever before.