Cathy Harris

Cathy Harris specializes in diversity, leadership and dialogue skill-building for corporations, associations and government organizations, including Chevron, Shell, Monsanto, LSU, and others. She guides them in improving morale, performance, team and personal effectiveness. Cathy is masterful at helping people deal easily with sensitive issues. Her impact is positive and long-lasting.

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Leadership: Lessons Learned from the Superdome

Jazz music from brass bands wafted through the air. Crowds danced in the streets — literally. It wasn’t Mardi Gras, although the environment sure seemed that way. September 25, 2006, was certainly not just another Monday in the Crescent City.

“You’d think the Super Bowl had come to town. We’re closing the office, and I’m getting off at three o’clock today,” said Joanne Burch describing the atmosphere. Additionally, other offices were closing early as well. She works as a legal secretary for Oil and Gas Rental Services Inc., located in the Central Business District of New Orleans. Her office was just blocks from where the doors of the Superdome would soon open for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.

Thirteen months ago, the Superdome was the site of some of the worst anguish and human misery in America since slavery was abolished. Mesmerized in horror and disbelief, audiences around the world witnessed the ghastly events as an estimated 25,000 people suffered with no food and no water — not even the use of bathroom facilities for five whole days. Life ceased to exist, for so many, as they once knew it.

The Superdome would host the first Monday night football game of the season between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons, who had previously played in the Super Bowl. It reopened for business on September 25, 2006, with a $185 million price tag for the extensive renovation. To the astonishment of countless a naysayer, the massive project was completed under budget and ahead of schedule.

In August of 2005, criticism emerged from several different directions after the announcement of the projects undertaking. People in New Orleans and the media, both local and national, said that the focus needed to be on rebuilding people’s homes and their livelihoods. Sports seemed frivolous in the face of such destruction. Disparagement was not only about why the Superdome renovation shouldn’t be pursued at the time, but that it couldn’t be done in New Orleans without the stigma of corruption that has long plagued Louisiana politics.

Garland Robinette, a television news anchor turned WWL’s afternoon radio talk show host, interviewed Doug Thornton, general manager of the Superdome Management Group, about lessons in leadership from the massive responsibility of rebuilding the “Dome.” Below are some quotes from segments of Thornton’s responses in that interview

Vision

Transformational leadership begins with a clear vision of a suitable future. Rebuilding the Superdome was a daunting project. The complete “Dome” makeover required extensive work from roof repair to sanitizing every seat and everything in between. “We had to deal with some pretty big issues," said Thornton.

He believed that it was worth the risk. “The project was important to the city — important in terms of the recovery, fulfilling contractual obligations, and in terms of the symbolism,” he said. “…If people who witnessed the rebirth of that tremendous destruction that characterized the Superdome, they would believe that their homes, their neighborhoods, and their city could be rebuilt.”

Decisiveness

“We had to have some key decisions made. And we had to make quick decisions. So decisiveness was important,” he explained. Thornton needed an executive order allowing the renovation to take place. For this, he needed Governor Kathleen Blanco. Signing the executive order, according to Thornton, made the project a priority, and allowed them to fast track several actions. Governor Blanco agreed and signed the agreement post haste.

The next step was selling the vision to fund the project. The state of Louisiana’s bond ratings were considered junk bonds by the ratings agencies. “So the first order of business was to convince the ratings agency that they were incorrect in their assessment of our ratings.” After presenting solid data, the ratings improved, setting the stage for the Bond Commission meeting. They were successful here as well. Funding came from several sources including FEMA, the Superdome Commission, the National Football League, and the state of Louisiana.

People made key decisions daily because Thornton chose people with the ability to produce results — and he allowed them to get their job done. Then he set up a system of accountability.

Commitment

Committing yourself to the project and enrolling others who are equally committed are essential leadership elements. Thornton decided on a team approach. He engaged a team of architects, engineers, construction consultants and specialty consultants — all committed to the same result. Successful leaders know the importance of being accessible and meet routinely to demonstrate commitment not only to the project or organization, but to the individual members of the team as well. This reminds them of the leader’s dedication, which helps to convince them that the vision is, in fact, achievable. “We had an obligation to get the project done,” said Thornton.

Trust

It is much easier to get other people involved when the leader has relationships based on two types of trust — capability and character. Trust of capability follows a history of consistency, courage, and getting the job done. Trust of character is only possible when the leader has demonstrated honorable traits such as sensitivity, integrity, and conscientiousness. Followers embrace leaders who are good for their word. When team members believe in their leader, chances are they will be more likely to believe in the vision, and do everything necessary to make that vision a reality.

Communication

Achieving victory requires that leaders communicate the vision repeatedly and develop clear lines of ongoing communication. One secret to inspiring people to action is listening as much as you talk. Effective leaders listen to and respect the ideas of their team members, which allow them to express their views and thoughts freely. This give-and-take form of communication allows individual team members to contribute to the overall decision-making process, encourages creativity, and eliminates flawed decisions. Through collaboration with other team members, cooperation and insight can be gained that might not otherwise present itself. This does not mean that the team will always operate by consensus; however, it does mean that team morale will be high, improving the chances that the ultimate vision will be accomplished. “Once clear positions were developed, ongoing communication was critical. We communicated … there were no egos involved,” said Thornton. “The leadership (his team leaders) dealt with every obstacle that showed up.”

Model the Behavior

The transformational leader inspires others to action and exhibits the kind of behavior he or she wants team members to emulate. If the leader adopts a positive, upbeat attitude, team members will follow suit. Mahatma Gandhi said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” Thornton decided to lead by example never asking anyone to do what he was unwilling to do. He believed that his hard work would provide inspiration for others.

Empowerment

Warren Bennis has said, “Leadership is not so much the exercise of power as the empowerment of others.” In his book, Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge, Bennis says that transformative leaders are leaders who can shape and elevate the motives and goals of followers. Thus, they behave in ways that inspire team members to achieve individual success. In this scenario, followers believe that their contributions matter. They also feel valued and appreciated by the leadership. The resulting change reflects the “community of interests of both leaders and followers — indeed; it frees up and pools the collective energies in pursuit of a common goal.”

With effective leadership, the Superdome, which had been the site of human suffering and misery, was now renewed. On opening night, the world was watching again. The icing on the cake was a huge victory for the New Orleans Saints over the championship-winning Atlanta Falcons. This win instilled a sense of pride in the hometown team and provided the residents of New Orleans a fun-filled evening.

Workplace Application

Whatever your current level of leadership ability, you can improve your skills and a basic strategy can help make that happen. Here are some questions that can serve as reminders to help you hone your skills.

Vision: Do you have a clear vision for the future? Has your vision been embraced by those you lead or seek to lead?

Decisiveness: Are you willing to make tough decisions quickly? What gets in your way?

Commitment: Are your team members committed to the same result? What evidence do they have of your commitment?

Trust: Are you known as someone who is fair? Can others count on you to keep your word? Have you established trust with those who follow you?

Communication: How often do you communicate the vision? Are your followers eager to share their ideas, opinions, and viewpoints with you? If not, why not?

Model the behavior: What does your behavior show? Do you avoid doing what you expect from others?

Empowerment: Is your style directive rather than collaborative? Are your people winning as individuals? Are your working to get their needs met?

Thornton’s achievement gave us good examples of effective leadership in a time of crisis following Hurricane Katrina and it gave us a Superdome where activities will always be a part of New Orleans’ future. The night the Atlanta Falcons played the New Orleans Saints in 2006 gave a great benchmark for where leadership could take a community. Doug Thornton’s story shows how vision, a willingness to make tough decisions, commitment, communication, trust, modeling the change and empowerment can combine to create a great communal achievement. As with all leadership one accomplishment, opens the stage for the next. The Superdome success gives Doug Thornton and his group a chance to look for new domes of unity to build in New Orleans.