Story Telling From The Heart

Darren Flanagan - Ordinary People Doing Above Extraordinary Things

Over the past month I have been attending many of our CPA Congress 2010 events and have been very impressed by the quality and range of speakers but one stands out by far - Darren Flanagan. His was the most amazing and dramatic presentations that I have experienced for some time.

Darren was the leader of the explosives crew that led to the rescue of Todd Russell and Brant Webb at the Beaconsfield Mine in April 2006.

What made his presentation so special was that it came from the heart, it was told with so much feeling and emotion. He painted such a clear picture in your mind, what is was like for the trapped miners, for himself (who 65 times set off explosive to blow a tunnel for their freedom) and for all other that supported what was going on in and around the mine.

His simple use of words and phrases - delivered with the real emotion has left a lasting impression on me.

Simple message here is to keep it simple but tell it like it is.

Darren is an ordinary person, who did above ordinary things but told of the story of the trapped miners and rescues crew to show how just extraordinary these people were !

More About Beaconsfield Mines
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaconsfield_Mine_collapse

More About : Darren Flanagan
http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/explosives-expert/x5wgu31

Celebrating Mary

October also saw a lot of attention given to Australia's first saint - Saint Mary MacKillop of the Cross. I came across one of her saying that certainly showed her focus on issues around leadership "The little crosses are harder to bear than the thumping big ones !" ......just so true.

Global Financial Crisis - Lots of Action But No Leadership ?

At CPA Australia's Victorian Congress, last week I had the opportunity to listen to William Isaac, the former head of the USA Government's Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), speak about the lessons learnt about the Global Financial Crisis.

Isaac was very clear in his intentions, there was a lot of action, a lot of things put in place to stop the slide especially around Wall Street, but not a lot of clear leadership was given. Leaders in the US and around the world created a senseless panic. The GFC was no worse than the downturns in the mid 1970's and early and late 1980's it was just made to seem to be. US Government leaders failed to create a sense of calm, co-ordination and a sense that there was positive leadership in place. One clear example was that Bear Sterns was bailed out and eventually sold to J P Morgan Chase yet Lehman Brothers was not and the situation was made even worse by the negative and fearful comments created by US Government leaders.

In times of trouble, clam, consistent and visible leadership is what is required !

For more information please see William Isaac's book "Senseless Panic : How Washington Failed America"