The BP oil spill reminds me of another oil spill 21 years ago.

When the Exxon Valdez oil tanker gushed oil into Alaskan waters, Exxon CEO Lawrence Rawl insisted he was “too busy” to fly up to Alaska ASAP to inspect the mess. His inability to focus on the unfolding disaster tarnished his reputation. When he died in 2005, the headline was, “Exxon CEO Faulted for Exxon Valdez Spill Dies at 76.”

Ouch. Not an especially rosy way to memorialize the guy.

Rawl’s experience reminds us about the cardinal rule of crisis management: Treat it seriously from the get-go.

When you’re confronting the incipient stage of a crisis, harness all your energy to focus on what matters most. Prioritize. Think ahead. Stay fully engaged. Urge your team to take contingencies to mitigate the damage.

While you don’t want to assume the worst case, communicate the potential severity of the situation and formulate strategies to minimize ripple-effect problems.

When you rise to the occasion during a crisis, you reassure others that you’re a stand-up leader. A bad event can give you a chance to showcase your steadiness under pressure.

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Tags: leadership