Ob Personal Case - Hurricane Katrina

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LT Sales’ management style was governed by the trust in himself and experience, which enabled him to empower his team to make decisions along with accepting responsibility for those decisions[8]. The strength of his convictions stemmed from the belief in his subordinates, which also led to a high level of confidence in them. The military trained them to have a high tolerance of ambiguity, and their specialization gave them the necessary knowledge and experience to deal with the problem. This enabled LT Sales to give them greater freedom to coordinate their efforts and to assume responsibility for decision-making.

According to Tannenbaum and Schmidt, there are situations where the nature of the problem determines the level of authority delegated to the subordinates[9]. Biloxi was an excellent example of where the recovery effort required LT Sales’ team to perform at the highest level, inclusive of their specialized training and a desire to facilitate the recovery effort of the residents. When mold started to creep over the walls of homes, they all agreed that removing the drywall to the bare studs was the quickest way to save the home, and help insurance companies.

LT Sales displayed traits of exemplary leadership, documented by Kouzes and Posner[10]. When he recognized the need to remove the drywall, no one in his unit disagreed. Along with this shared vision[11] and enabling ability to do whatever it took to get the job done, his team was able to help scores of homeowners on their road to recovery. An outstanding practice LT Sales exhibited during this time was leading through example, or modeling the way[12]. He quickly endeared himself not only to his team but also to the residents by picking up a hammer or saw to help his team tear out moldy drywall. In a time where it was easy to point fingers and issue orders, LT Sales understood the magnitude of the situation and realized every abled bodied person should assist in the recovery effort[13]. There was significant risk in removal of the drywall. Not only was he exposing his team to the danger of mold abatement without standard protocols, he was operating in the absence of oversight from his leadership. In his heart, he knew this was the right thing to do, and in the end, it would prove to be the wisest thing to do for the recovery. This pioneering spirit is an example of challenging the process.

The sum totality of everything LT Sales experienced during this time was his crucible of leadership[14]. Taking everything he had learned, combined with is experience and an able team, everything was put to the test. The devastation was disparaging and the thought of recovery was unimaginable. Loved ones perished and homes were swept away, as if they never stood before. As LT Sales witnessed these things first hand, it fueled his desire to do well through his team. This was a transformative experience[15] that defined his leadership style and desire to help those in need. The experience was transformative and challenged LT Sales to continue to push ahead in the absence of any guidance from his senior ranking leadership. Had he gone door to door and simply asked if everything was ok, he never would have truly helped anyone, other than providing water or advice on where to file an insurance claim.

In a situation such as Post Katrina, self-preservation kicks in and for LT Sales, he realized his situation wasn’t as dire as others, and instead of managing the stress of recovery; he embraced the challenges of getting residents back to normalcy. His calming presence enabled him to connect with homeowners and helped them reestablish their routine in the “new normal” of life in Biloxi. Later on in LT Sales military career, he would recall on his experiences in Katrina to help him with tribal leaders, asking them to oust insurgents hiding in the villages.

When taking into account the skills that enable leaders to endure their crucible, LT Sales’ Adaptive Capacity[16] is what enabled him to persevere through adversity and emerge stronger than before. Combined with the capabilities of his subordinates, and their ability to follow him, they quickly grasped the context of the situation and possessed hardiness[17]. They were able to quickly prioritize their recovery efforts to be efficient with their skills and time. Even though death and decay surrounded them, their hardiness enabled them to emerge from devastating circumstances without losing hope.

As the senior ranking officer in his team of eight he possessed Positional Power[18], however he knew that in order for his team to function as a single unit, he would have to rely on his personal power, or power from his team. This was an example of having both position and personal power. LT Sales’ experienced team was relatively new as a unit, so he took the opportunity to gain their respect and trust, enabling his subordinates to follow his leadership more willingly than through his position power. Working alongside them removing drywall also endeared himself to his unit, and growing his personal power. His unit would later learn to employ this skill in future deployments, with other units, too much success.

In the short time LT Sales was in Biloxi, participating in the recovery, his growth as a leader and manager truly blossomed. He would say that he thought he was a decent leader before driving to Biloxi, but afterward the experience, he would say he was good at convincing people to tear apart their homes. This is a testament to his leadership and ability to inspire a shared vision. Listening to his account of the situation and reading about the recovery process post Katrina, it’s apparent without leaders like Lamar Sales, there would be no new way of looking for opportunities, or guiding those through conflict to work together. He would say the best preparation for his deployment to Afghanistan was going through Katrina and while the two regions were completely different, the amount of leadership required was similar, and without enduring the crucible of Katrina, his time in Afghanistan would have been more difficult to endure. LT Sales was able to lead his unit out of Biloxi almost a month later with the satisfaction that he had made a difference in the lives of many. It would not be until his deployment to Afghanistan when he realized how sharp his leadership skills had become, which not only saved his own life, but the lives of many soldiers as well.

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