Three PR Lessons From Katrina
With the one-year anniversary of Katrina approaching, I thought it would be instructive to analyze how the disaster might have been handled better (from a PR perspective).
First, a coupe of quick notes ...
... My purpose is not to criticize President Bush, but rather, for us to learn from the past.
... What follows are observations about the political implications of dealing with disaster.
1. Get in Front: In the immediate aftermath of Katrina, President Bush flew over New Orleans on Air Force One, but did not stop. This was a mistake.
Great leaders understand the importance of getting in front. General George Patton constantly told his officers to "get in front." As depicted in the movie, Patton, he once summoned an officer to the map and said, "Cross the river at this point." The colonel responded: "We have no idea how deep the river is at that spot, so we'll probably have to build a bridge." Patton restated: "We will cross the river at the place where I made the mark, every tank and every man on foot will make it across. I am certain that the banks are solid. The river is wide, but shallow." The colonel asked, "How can you be so sure?" General Patton replied, "Take a look at my pants! That's how shallow the water is. I walked across the entire river without drawing any enemy fire."
The point is that, in times of crisis, leaders must demonstrate the courage of putting themselves on the front-lines. Had President Bush simply gone to New Orleans immediately, that single act might have silenced many of his critics. He should have ignored his advisors and gone to the site. He should have waded in the rubble; he should have gotten dirty; he should have walked into the most impoverished areas and stood in the middle of a crowd and said "fellow Americans, we're in this together."
2. A Leader Must SHOW He Cares: Believe it or not, when rapper Kanye West famously said, "George Bush doesn't care about Black people," he actually reflected the perception of 72 percent of blacks (according to a Gallup poll).
Although his statement certainly wasn't true, in politics, perception is reality.
Throughout history, we've seen examples of leaders scoring political points by merely demonstrating they "care." We've also seen plenty of good leaders hurt politically, simply because they did not show that they care. FDR didn't "end" the Great Depression, but at a time when Americans needed hope, he provided hope. His predecessor, Herbert Hoover was a very good man, but he allowed the perception that he was out-of-touch to take hold. Today, most Americans have a distortedly negative view of him. Bill Clinton was a master at empathy. When he said, "I feel your pain," he may have been pandering, but he won over many undecided voters. In his terrific book, "A Whole New Mind," author Dan Pink says empathy is one of the six senses that will be vital for future leaders to possess. As the saying goes, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
3. Avoid Negative Momentum: Leadership author John Maxwell says momentum is one of the most powerful forces in the world. To illustrate, he says that a moving train could easily smash through a brick wall, yet a small concrete block could keep a stopped train from ever getting started.
This concept is also true in sports. When a football team starts losing momentum, the coach calls a time-out.
In the real world, political leaders can't call a time-out, so the best thing to do is to avoid negative momentum, in the first place. Famed football coach Vince Lombardi said, "Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing." He was right. And the same principle works in politics; once negative momentum takes hold (as was the case with Katrina); it takes a long time to turn it around).
In our modern media age, it's hard to change momentum. As was the case with Katrina, once the media decides what the storyline is, it's almost impossible to change it.
Had President Bush gone to New Orleans immediately -- and expressed emotion -- he would have had momentum on his side. By hesitating, he was always fighting an uphill battle.
... Hopefully, you won't ever have to experience a tragedy like Katrina. But it's important to note that even local political leaders often have to confront disaster situations. If you're a public servant, the odds are that you may one day have to face some sort of disaster.
First, a coupe of quick notes ...
... My purpose is not to criticize President Bush, but rather, for us to learn from the past.
... What follows are observations about the political implications of dealing with disaster.
1. Get in Front: In the immediate aftermath of Katrina, President Bush flew over New Orleans on Air Force One, but did not stop. This was a mistake.
Great leaders understand the importance of getting in front. General George Patton constantly told his officers to "get in front." As depicted in the movie, Patton, he once summoned an officer to the map and said, "Cross the river at this point." The colonel responded: "We have no idea how deep the river is at that spot, so we'll probably have to build a bridge." Patton restated: "We will cross the river at the place where I made the mark, every tank and every man on foot will make it across. I am certain that the banks are solid. The river is wide, but shallow." The colonel asked, "How can you be so sure?" General Patton replied, "Take a look at my pants! That's how shallow the water is. I walked across the entire river without drawing any enemy fire."
The point is that, in times of crisis, leaders must demonstrate the courage of putting themselves on the front-lines. Had President Bush simply gone to New Orleans immediately, that single act might have silenced many of his critics. He should have ignored his advisors and gone to the site. He should have waded in the rubble; he should have gotten dirty; he should have walked into the most impoverished areas and stood in the middle of a crowd and said "fellow Americans, we're in this together."
2. A Leader Must SHOW He Cares: Believe it or not, when rapper Kanye West famously said, "George Bush doesn't care about Black people," he actually reflected the perception of 72 percent of blacks (according to a Gallup poll).
Although his statement certainly wasn't true, in politics, perception is reality.
Throughout history, we've seen examples of leaders scoring political points by merely demonstrating they "care." We've also seen plenty of good leaders hurt politically, simply because they did not show that they care. FDR didn't "end" the Great Depression, but at a time when Americans needed hope, he provided hope. His predecessor, Herbert Hoover was a very good man, but he allowed the perception that he was out-of-touch to take hold. Today, most Americans have a distortedly negative view of him. Bill Clinton was a master at empathy. When he said, "I feel your pain," he may have been pandering, but he won over many undecided voters. In his terrific book, "A Whole New Mind," author Dan Pink says empathy is one of the six senses that will be vital for future leaders to possess. As the saying goes, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
3. Avoid Negative Momentum: Leadership author John Maxwell says momentum is one of the most powerful forces in the world. To illustrate, he says that a moving train could easily smash through a brick wall, yet a small concrete block could keep a stopped train from ever getting started.
This concept is also true in sports. When a football team starts losing momentum, the coach calls a time-out.
In the real world, political leaders can't call a time-out, so the best thing to do is to avoid negative momentum, in the first place. Famed football coach Vince Lombardi said, "Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing." He was right. And the same principle works in politics; once negative momentum takes hold (as was the case with Katrina); it takes a long time to turn it around).
In our modern media age, it's hard to change momentum. As was the case with Katrina, once the media decides what the storyline is, it's almost impossible to change it.
Had President Bush gone to New Orleans immediately -- and expressed emotion -- he would have had momentum on his side. By hesitating, he was always fighting an uphill battle.
... Hopefully, you won't ever have to experience a tragedy like Katrina. But it's important to note that even local political leaders often have to confront disaster situations. If you're a public servant, the odds are that you may one day have to face some sort of disaster.
posted by Matt Lewis at 6:31 AM
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