The Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness is a dynamic curriculum designed by Harvard University faculty and tailored to the challenges business, government and nonprofit leaders face.

The Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness initiative is supported by a generous grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Meta-Leadership in Action – Columbus, GA

In interviews conducted five months following the Columbus Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness, participants described specific concrete actions that they have taken as a result of attending the summit.

“Each time we meet and bring players back to the table, we learn about other resources and assets. We wondered where we would get a resource or asset before. Now people are offering them in the event of an emergency.”
     –Participant, Government Sector

The Columbus Mayor’s Office has coordinated several follow-up meetings to the summit. These meetings have brought key members of the community back together to create a forum where resources and assets can be discussed and shared (e.g., the use of refrigerated trucks in the event of a crisis). Several participants have attributed an increased level of understanding of historical and current preparedness and emergency response activities in Columbus to the follow-up meetings.

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“The Director of Homeland Security mentioned his concern to me about being able to communicate timely information during a crisis to big businesses. I have now identified and contacted leadership within four major corporations in the area.”
     –Participant, Business Sector

After the summit, the Director of Homeland Security for Columbus expressed a concern to one participant about the ability to communicate timely information during a crisis to big corporations. As a result, the participant has since coordinated with leaders of four major corporations in the Columbus community regarding emergency communications. The four corporations have now confirmed that they will distribute information during a crisis to all of their employees, using the best method of communication, either via e-mails and⁄or a broadcast system.

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"The Meta-Leadership Summit brought together the community partners that need to be at the table to really look at the special needs population.”
      –Participant, Government Sector

On the day of the summit, it became apparent to one participant that not enough had been done for the special needs population of Columbus within the context of preparedness and emergency response. Although it was clear that a void existed before the summit, it had been difficult to bring the right individuals to the table to discuss the void. As a direct result of the summit, partners were identified (including individuals with special needs) to participate in meetings that specifically addressed the special needs population. Since June 2007, several meetings have been held and the group is currently assessing, analyzing and discussing plans for where special needs shelters will be located, where resources will be stored and how to communicate and relocate individuals with special needs in a crisis.

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“It (the Meta-Leadership Summit) built relationships that we did not have before, and it prompted a different way of thinking.”
     –Participant, Business Sector

As a result of the summit, a local university was able to establish a relationship with the Department of Homeland Security. This new relationship was used to help develop and improve a series of table top exercises held on the campus of the university. Since the summit, table top exercises for fire and tornado response and bomb threats included the expertise of the Columbus Director of Homeland Security, as well as the participation of the fire department, university police and emergency management team.

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“I think the Summit helped clarify that it is ‘doable’ if you have the right mindset…Someone had to say, ‘Listen, this is a new way of doing business. We have never done it before, but it is feasible. It isn’t truly impossible.’”
     –Participant, Nonprofit Sector

One participant applied key concepts of meta-leadership, including the “Walk in the Woods” to his planning and execution of a Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) exercise that was conducted in Atlanta in October 2007. Five public health districts and thirty businesses offered disaster response teams for the Anthrax scenario. The participant stated that the full-day exercise demonstrated that businesses could successfully be integrated into a dispensing site. In addition, the participant stated that there were several parties involved in the planning of the exercise who were often negative and felt that the exercise simply was not “doable.” He was able to refer back to the summit and draw on the learned concepts to convince other individuals that the collaboration of businesses and the public health entities could work in the exercise.

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“The whole conference and the concepts drove home that you have to be ready to go for a ‘Walk in the Woods’ at any time.”
     –Participant, Nonprofit Sector

A participant used the “Walk in the Woods” several times with government officials within the context of the drought response in Georgia. He has tried to legitimize, validate and create “buy-in” from the government regarding how the drought affects businesses and why leaders from the business community should be part of the solution. Using the learned problem-solving methodology has helped him in these difficult situations.

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“We started bringing together players that we had worked with at the Meta-Leadership conference. Some of it was knowing who to go to, and some of it was having a greater comfort level in contacting those people.”
     –Participant, Business Sector

One participant brought together individuals that he met during the summit to help develop an emergency response plan for a building on the campus of a local university. The participant stated that as a result of the summit, he knew who to ask for assistance. In addition, he was more comfortable asking for that assistance. The university now wants each building on the campus to develop its own emergency response plan, including instructions on calling 911 and methods to increase the overall comfort level regarding emergency communications. Also, he envisions applying what he has learned in this process to local businesses in order to help them develop their own emergency response plans.

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“The Director of Homeland Security has organized a critical infrastructure committee for city and county businesses, nonprofits and government – similar to the groups at the Meta-Leadership Summit.”
     –Participant, Business Sector

The Director of Homeland Security has organized a Critical Infrastructure Committee consisting of approximately 30 individuals from city and county businesses, nonprofit organizations and government agencies. The committee meets once a quarter and the different subcommittees meet to discuss particular topics around the seventeen areas identified by the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

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“They were resistant, and I took a ‘Walk in the Woods’ with them.”
     –Participant, Business Sector

One participant reported using learned concepts of meta-leadership, including the “Walk in the Woods,” in his role in business continuity within his corporation. The information presented at the summit gave the participant the tools he needed to understand the situation and the silos. It also introduced him to a new problem-solving methodology on how to interact with resistant individuals so they were able to see the importance of preparedness and emergency response from this point of view.

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“We are taking the lead, community-wise, to do a comprehensive study of where we can relocate the railroad tracks.”
     –Participant, Business Sector

Several Columbus businesses are located near operable rail yards that were built post Civil War. Although a train-related chlorine spill in South Carolina and the events of 9⁄11 heightened awareness that downtown Columbus could be a soft target for terrorism, via the railroad tracks, the summit renewed this participant’s interest and vigor in this issue. The participant has now reopened discussions with his colleagues and is currently taking the lead in the community to conduct a comprehensive study of where the railroad tracks could be relocated.

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“It (the Summit) opened my eyes to what is here in Columbus that we don’t know about.”
     –Participant, Government Sector

Each year, outside of Ft. Benning, a peaceful demonstration with over 20,000 people takes place at the School of the Americas. Although these demonstrations occur annually, the response to the 2007 demonstration was different. As a result of the summit, the police department was able to “identify new resources” that could be used in response to the demonstration. The police department asked for, and received, “space at the Columbus Civic Center to detain protesters; the prison warden offered vans to transport protestors; and medical staging sites were set up by members from the medical community.” The participant stated that there was improved coordination and collaboration as a result of the summit.

Stories compiled from interviews with participants five months after the Columbus summit.