When Leadership Takes Off Without a Plan…

Last week’s flight delay fiasco at Newark Airport was more than a technical glitch – it was a wake-up call about preparation and leadership. A 90-second communications outage in the control tower spiraled into days of disruptions. Strong succession planning signals a culture of growth, readiness, and shared responsibility—key ingredients for sustained performance and employee engagement. And Newark’s situation showed what can happen in the absence of that planning.

Here’s what happened: after an abrupt radar and radio blackout, air traffic controllers at Newark Liberty International Airport were shaken. Thankfully, disaster was averted, but the stress on the team was immense. Several veteran controllers went on medical leave immediately afterward to recover. That sudden loss of key people left the tower short-staffed, forcing United Airlines to cancel flights. In other words, a momentary crisis turned into a multi-day meltdown largely because there weren’t enough qualified people ready to step in.

This is a stark reminder of how we prepare our people directly affects how our organization performs under pressure. Succession planning isn’t just about CEOs—it’s making sure every critical role has a backup and every team has a plan when the unexpected happens. When an organization has a culture of developing talent and sharing responsibilities, it can weather storms like the Newark outage much more smoothly. When it doesn’t, even a brief interruption can snowball into a major breakdown.

At Concerning Learning, LLC, we help organizations build that kind of readiness and resilience every day. Our work focuses on developing leaders at all levels and creating succession management strategies that keep businesses running strong, no matter what. It’s about training the “next person up” before they’re urgently needed, and fostering a culture where employees are ready and eager to step into new challenges.

The Newark incident might have happened in aviation, but its lesson applies everywhere: invest in your people now so you’re not caught off guard later. Strong succession planning protects your operations and shows your team that you’re committed to their growth. In the end, it’s part of how we build organizations that can thrive in good times and in crisis.

So, I have a question for you: If a couple of your key team members had to step away tomorrow, would your organization be ready to carry on? Now is the time to make sure the answer is yes. Let’s foster cultures of growth and preparedness so we’re all ready for whatever comes next.

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If you’re interested in learning more about knowledge management, watch the Unlock Hidden Potential: How Knowledge Fuels Lasting Growth webinar replay.