[May 17, 2021] Disasters are important and not necessarily for the reasons we might think. Lessons learned from the Hindenburg disaster, which occurred in 1937, can help us today. The Hindenburg crashed, killing 36 people at Lakehurst Naval Airstation, New Jersey. While their deaths were tragic to their families, their deaths helped end a high-risk form of transportation.1
Many in academia today, especially scientists, say that technology will make us free. And, that same technology (a vague, undefined term) is s universal good, leading us to godliness, and helps all humans regardless of social or economic status. Perhaps I was not in my university class that day, or I might have reminded them of the Hindenburg disaster.
“Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.” – Christian Lous Lange, Norwegian historian, teacher, and political scientist
Leaders learned a great deal from this disaster. Of course, aeronautical engineers realized that hydrogen gas, when not handled in a highly disciplined manner, puts people at risk.
Here are a few lessons that leaders can learn from the Hindenburg disaster:
- Immediate and qualified discovery of why the disaster occurred. We all want to prevent future events like this from occurring. Use the right people to identify and disprove all theories.
- Disaster investigations will be tainted by events surrounding the incident (this disaster occurred just as Nazi Germany was beginning its military expansion into Europe). “It was shot from the sky” was an early theory but never confirmed.
- Disasters will be politicized. Many Germans thought American sabotage was the cause to make the Nazi political system look bad.
- Bad news travels fast and often not accurate. Coast-to-coast radio was just making its debut in America.
- Unexpected disasters carry a heavy burden. Up to this point, hydrogen-laded zeppelins had an excellent safety record. In this case, the zeppelin burst into flames, and within 34 seconds, the entire airship was consumed by fire.
While there are many lessons, I believe these five are the most salient. Leaders can learn from history. Anyone who says that the Hindenburg disaster was ancient history to be forgotten may be the next disaster.
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- At the time, as a witness to the event, Herb Morrison announced on the radio, “It’s burst into flames … Get out of the way, please, oh my, this is terrible … Oh, the humanity and all the passengers.”
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In the US military, they teach us to remain “on point.” In other words, stay focused. You never know when the enemy will jump up and shoot. Ambushes are common. Stay focused, keep alert to your surroundings, and keep your men on their toes. This is how you stay alive and accomplish the mission.
Good list of lessons, Gen. Satterfield. I think, however, that most people don’t bother tabulating lists of lessons but look to the “experts” to help them. With just a little thought, we all can learn. But most of us are intellectually lazy.
https://www.theleadermaker.com/intellectual-laziness/
….. and we all wonder why.
I have seen this video and listened to the radio announcer more times than I can remember. It’s a short clip. I recommend it to all. Why? Because it brings to real life the fact that we must always remain focused on life and what is going on around us. We do that for this reason. Many died in the Hindenburg incident because they were overcome by fear. They only escape was to jump when the cabin was close to the ground.
It does not take much to learn from the mistakes of others. Of course, those who are regular readers of this website know that Gen. Satterfield regularly comments on how to best learn from other people – mostly by what they do wrong. Live and learn. Just try to learn the easy way.
You would think that is obvious, but I guess not. Some folks would rather do things the hard way, which is also the slow and expensive way. 😊
Yep, no surprise there…….
I wonder why that is? Maybe laziness. Maybe stupidity. Maybe they are just not human!
Thanks Guns are Us, we all tend toward laziness. Just make sure you are in the right spot when you do.
This is why history should be taught from the perspective of improving our current lives and for those in the future.
But all history depts in colleges are going “woke” so that nothing of value is ever taught. That is, unless you go to a college with conservative values and then you will actually learn. Like Hillsdale College in Michigan.
https://www.hillsdale.edu/about/mission/?msclkid=72054140c8851896fca621e2ab14ef87
Great example.