As Captain Don’t Abandon Your Ship
By now we have all heard the story and seen the pictures of the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia running aground in Italy. It is hard to imagine how the captain could have intentionally sailed four miles off course and brought the boat so close to land. Now there are many reports of the captain abandoning ship and refusing the direct order to go back on board and lead. Last night on TV I heard he said he just “fell into one of the lifeboats.” I burst out laughing at that one.
Captains are not the only ones with responsibilities. When those who are responsible for the lives of others fall down on their job or let personal desires dictate their behavior many people suffer. When the captain of a ship neglects his job the consequences can be disastrous. When parents fall down on their job innocent children suffer. When spouses forget their commitments to one another marriages drift into dangerous waters. A wise mentor once told me, “Bob, I don’t have time to make all the mistakes myself, so I choose to learn as much as I can from the bad choices of others.” There is much we can learn from Captain Francesco Schettino of the Costa Concordia.
First, keep your ego in check. Apparently he wanted to impress someone with how close he could sail to that island. Ego and poor judgment started this crisis. Second, do a careful analysis of risks involved in any decision. Do your homework. He had gotten close to the island before and gotten away with it.
Remember your first calling and commitment. Don’t forget your responsibilities to others who are depending on you. Stay calm and do not panic. People are looking to you for both direction and a clue of how to respond. When we panic we most always make horrible decisions and we lead others to panic as well.
Don’t abandon ship. In a crisis you must step up and lead. The worse thing you can do is to create a leadership vacuum by acting like a victim or making excuses. Give clear and strong direction to others. This is not the time to have a large committee meeting and debate the issues. This is the time for action.
Plan ahead. None of us knows when a disaster will strike. Sometimes it will come because of a poor decision we made. Other times a crisis finds us through no fault of our own. As a boy I was taught the Boy Scout motto “be prepared” and it is worth taking the time to figure out where in our lives a crisis may occur and find ways to be prepared. The more prepared you are the quicker you can begin to act with wisdom to deal with the situation.
If you don’t have a plan, develop one quickly and implement it. A mediocre plan that is well communicated and implemented is far better than no plan, or a great plan that everyone forgets in the panic. You must exhibit great self-discipline and force yourself to do the right thing.
Bring all available resources to bear. Delegate responsibility and make things happen. Make sure your communication is clear and constant. Confusion is rampant in a crisis and you must constantly be communicating as the situation changes.
Some of you are in the middle of a family, health, marriage, health, or work crisis. Remember that Philippians 4:13-14 tells us, “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Now is the time to step up and lead. Others are depending on you. Be a faithful man or woman of God.
