I went to sleep on a calm June night two years ago. The next morning changed everything. When I turned my cell phone on at 6:30 a.m., there were 35 missed calls, ranging from our CFO, general manager, and the local fire department. In the middle of a night, a horrible fire took place. Our inventory was destroyed, offices were ravaged, and memories on the walls were crushed. Everything was either burnt or drenched by the water it took to extinguish the fire. With so many questions unanswered, there was no time to be angry, to figure out why, or even to be sad. Not a minute could be wasted. As a leader, I had one thing to think about: staying in business. In retrospect, this tragedy refined our company, showed the amazing character of our employees and crews, and ultimately prepared us for the current COVID-19 crisis.
Here are some tips on how to prepare for a crisis: