Triumph of Human Spirit

Category: Editorial

New Orleans really should not be there; much of it is six feet below sea level and even further below the level of the largest river in America. It is unreasonable to build a city on such a site.

I have visited New Orleans twice this year and each time I was fascinated about how a town could be built in such a place and how it can have survived and grown. But it has not only survived, it has thrived and celebrated.

Apart from jazz, it is probably best known for the French Quarter. But the 'French' quarter is actually the Spanish quarter – the French quarter having burned down and been rebuilt by the Spanish. On one of my visits we stayed in a lovely old house in Uptown. We travelled into and out of town on the green St Charles Avenue trams. On my next visit I stayed in Canal Street and travelled on the new red trams. Did New Orleans go to Czechoslovakia to buy them like other cities do? No, they built them for themselves in their own workshops with their existing maintenance staff – and the trams carried a brass plate naming everyone who had worked on the project. Is this unique? It is certainly unreasonable.

I bought a much admired suit from Brooks Brothers sold to me by a friendly young assistant named Chesley Hines. I cannot think of any other city in which I learn, let alone remember, the name of a shop salesman. New Orleans is special. Chesley, I wish you well.

On trips into the swamps we heard how previous hurricanes had swept towards New Orleans and then changed direction just in time. We heard how the fresh water lake Pontchartrain had been polluted by salt water from the sea, killing all the fish. Serious warnings from environmentalists, but it had recovered within three months. We took a trip in an air boat to see the wild life. You would have thought that it was a special one off trip by a university professor - such was the enthusiasm and knowledge of the guide. But he has done this every day for ten years, with not a hint of staleness.

Repeated tales of enthusiasm, energy and survival. This week we have been on an emotional rollercoaster, with fear followed by relief followed by shock, then sadness, then frustration, then anger and finally some level of relief.

Logic says that it is unreasonable to build a city below sea level, especially in a hurricane zone. But it is unreasonableness that distinguishes the human spirit, that causes us to make continued progress, to challenge and change.

In the words of George Bernard Shaw:

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the conditions that surround him - the unreasonable man adapts surroundings to himself. All progress depends on the unreasonable man."

What unreasonable behaviour do you display that is moving humanity forward?

I am due to revisit New Orleans in May next year with CoachVille. I am sure that we shall witness great progress in the re-establishment of this vital city.

Let us not forget that the tragedy of Katrina spreads over much of the Gulf Coast and has displaced many thousands of people, who might never return home. However, such tragedy is also matched by human generosity and I am delighted to introduce you to David Frey's blog which records the wonderful response of volunteers in Houston (We recommend David's Consultant and Coaches Marketing Boot Camp). I send special Labor Day greetings to any of our readers in the Deep South, whether you have been displaced, or whether you are contributing generously to the recovery.

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I have had a wonderful summer. I love the heat and I have been to Riyadh twice, New Orleans twice and, most recently, Toronto – all hot cities. Not only that, but England has been hot and dry for much of the summer. It is interesting to note how a predictable environment affects how people behave. I have first observed the difference in behaviour and attitude in Texas and Florida but see it now in Britain as well. People dress differently, they plan activities outdoors (we had a barbecue today), they are more positive. Our cities are increasingly showing signs of an established pavement cafe culture, which would have been unheard of in my youth when we were more concerned as to whether the annual fete would be rained off.

When visiting organisations, one of the first things we notice is the environment. Is it positive, bright, motivating; or run down and depressing? Look around you. Are you making the most of your assets? What small changes could have a big change on atmosphere, attitude, and motivation?

For corporate retreats, we take great trouble to choose an attractive environment. The recent Higher Ground Leadership Gathering organised by the Secretan Center in Canada was set by the beautiful lake Simcoe. I report on my learnings below.

USEFUL LINKS:

• CoachVille Conference 2006


• David Frey's blog


• Small Business Best Practice - David Frey

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