Introduction
The line separating leaders from managers is so thin. The author notes that capable leaders must not be effective leaders. I find it hard to concur with this since it is necessary for management or leadership to set what and why something should be done and then go ahead and decide on how , when and move forward to execute the right policies and procedures to avert catastrophic events. Though managers do most of the work in disaster management, the outstanding role of leadership in disaster management should not be belittled. Leadership epitomizes the brains that are really useful in deterring disasters (Kapucu & Alpaslan, 2011).
The management should determine when an emergency has occurred and decide on when to trigger the emergency management plan. Emergency planning is also important. It should aim, where possible, to prevent the occurrence of emergencies, and if they occur, mitigate or control the adversities of the emergency. Rather than being a one-time process, it should be a systematic and ongoing process that should evolve from the lessons learnt from past emergencies (Kapucu & Wart, 2011). This calls for a close collaboration between government institutions responsible for disaster management and leaders/managers so as to effectively and efficiently manage catastrophes. Effective communication must also be integrated in the disaster management process to avoid misusing personnel and other resources as this are not infinite. However, the article fails to acknowledge that necessary skills and experience are required for one to effectively handle and manage disasters.
Generally, management is under business resilience standards. Emergency managers need to follow a common process to expect, evaluate, preclude, prepare, react and recover from a disaster. Pre-planning of communication should be created in advance for the threats that were already identified in the risk assessment plan. It is also necessary to note that miscommunication or failure to communicate may result in unnecessary acceleration of events (Kapucu & Wart, 2008). However, they should do this in close association with the leaders since in most cases it is the leaders who are involved in provision of the resources essential for disaster management.
The article underrates leaders by noting that there are many managers and a few leaders in any event and that leaders are a utility that may not be of value in handling disasters. Scanty leadership and underutilized management can create a nastiest tinge on adversity management profession. It is important for managers to formulate and implement the right disaster aversion plans and involve all members of the society who might unpleasantly be affected by the occurrence of the disaster (Kapucu & Wart, 2006).
References
Kapucu, N. & Van Wart, M. (2011).Crisis Management Competencies: The Case of EmergencyManagers in the U.S. The Public Management Review 13(4): 489-511.
Kapucu, N. & Van Wart, M. (2008). Making Matters Worse: Anatomy of Leadership Failures inCatastrophic Events. Administration & Society 40(7): 711-740.
Kapucu, N. & Van Wart, M. (2006). The emerging Role of the Public Sector in Managing Extreme Events: Lessons Learned. Administration & Society. 38(3), 279-308
