Each week we're gratified by responses to this column which began about ten years ago as an aside to the week's intense travel and programming tasks. Occasionally, reaction to a given topic far exceeds expectations. Such was the case with last week's account of Captain Al Haynes' against-all-odds United 232 miracle. If you missed, it we retold the incredible outcome of an almost certain disaster when Haynes and his cockpit team found a way to land United's 232 "heavy" from Denver to Chicago, saving 185 passengers and crew.
 
Many of the column's responses and rejoinders came from people in leadership positions; CEO's, market managers, and programmers. For example, Anne Gress, highly respected program director for CBS' Philadelphia stalwart WOGL wrote, "A riveting story and an important reminder to all of us to keep our problems in perspective." Jeff Winfield, NRG's Director of Programming added, "Puts the occasional 'bad book' in perspective." And Denyse Mesnik, Beasley Broadcasting's Director of Corporate Communication offered, "I'll be thankful there are no crises for me to handle today." There were innumerable other responses with much the same theme: what we often hold to be crises are far from it in relative terms, when compared to historic moments in time where redemption triumphs over tragedy.
 
Somewhere there's an unwritten rule: the higher one rests on the ladder of leadership success, the greater their risk for upset and crisis. If, for example, you're an ensign on a guided missile cruiser under war footing in the Sea of Japan, there's not much chance you'll be called on to make a command decision to launch ordinance. If, however, you're the fleet admiral charged with fighting an engagement, the task force and certainly your flagship may hang between survival and disaster if you make the wrong call. Transcend to today's agenda...most decisions or problem sets will not come close to meeting the criteria of a "crisis."
 
Here lies the code for managing and leading with far more effectiveness as day-to-day land mines lie hidden in the hallways.
 
1. Never allow a setback to become a catastrophe. Usually this occurs only in the mind, and every leader is entitled to their nuit blanchefears. How we deal with them carries us above the norm or seals our fate as one of the pack.
 
2. In situations where decision making results in revocable outcomes (if ineffective, they can easily be reversed), good managers make them quickly and roll forward.
 
3. In situations where decision making leads to outcomes that are irrevocable (once made, outcomes are final), good managers decide slowly and with much supporting rationale.
 
4. George Perles once coached at Michigan State where he enacted his "24 hour rule" which to his players and assistant coaches essentially said, "Decision-making on important situations, even crises, is far too important to fire from the hip in the first few minutes of recognition. We need to examine this 24 hours from now to measure just how critical the situation really is, and to see if we have alternate solutions."

Every leader will have surprises, setbacks and crises. Few of us will encounter "catastrophes" as defined by potentially unalterable decompressions of our organization. Knowing what to do and how to do it proportionate to the situation will make all the difference.