Leadership Moment - Extraordinary Acts of Heroism from Ordinary People
The last two months have rocked the nation and the world in ways we haven’t experienced in generations. We are self-quarantined, restaurants and shops are closed, school children have been sent home, events we have held sacred are canceled. Whatever normal was seems like a distant memory. Our souls are being tried. What we know for certain is that times like these create countless acts of heroism from ordinary people.
When Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast of the United States in 2012, homes were flooded, millions of people were without power. During this time of great need, a hardware store owner in New Jersey stepped up for his community. Bill MacDonald’s store was cleaned out before the storm. Afterward, his distribution center didn’t have the batteries, generators, and other things that would keep his community safe.
Relentless in his pursuit of a solution to supply the store, MacDonald found a distribution center in New Hampshire, more than seven hours away, with what was needed. One of his employees, Richard Seale, volunteered to fly to Boston, rent a truck, and drive it back to New Jersey with a cache of goods. Seale risked his life as he drove back on the abandoned roads littered with felled trees and downed power lines. The next day, the hardware store was stocked and ready to serve customers. This isn’t the remarkable part yet.
Customers were lined up around the block. Since the town didn’t have power, banks were not open and ATM's were unable to give out cash. The lack of power also meant credit card readers didn’t work. As customers waited to enter the store, there was no pushing and shoving. No fistfights. People stood for hours until it was their turn. MacDonald and his team did about $100,000 of business in that one day on good faith. They manually wrote down credit card numbers and waited to run the cards until power was returned days later. In all, only one purchase was rejected. MacDonald and Seale risked a lot to serve their community. There was no price gouging...only an overwhelming desire to help people get a little closer to normal.
About a year after Sandy, I called Bill MacDonald at his hardware store. Amazingly, he answered and gave me a few minutes of his time. I wanted to verify the details of the story. He confirmed everything and added that, yes, there was one credit card that didn’t go through. However, a story ran in the local paper and it included that detail. A woman came in a day after the story ran and asked if it might have been her purchase. It was. She insisted on paying for the $3 purchase that didn’t go through the first time.
At the end of the call, I thanked MacDonald for his time. I let him know I thought he was a hero. He wouldn’t accept that. "I just wanted to help the people in need," is what he said. He went on to say if anyone was a hero it was Richard for risking his life while driving the truck.
Spring of 2020 isn’t playing out the way we imagined or wanted. It’s bleak and many people are vulnerable and will suffer. This is clear. What isn't so obvious is that we will get through this together. The times that try our souls have a way of bringing out the very best in people. In the weeks and months ahead, we will learn about and celebrate the thousands and thousands of Bill MacDonald's selflessly doing a hero's work as they unite us and carry us to brighter days.
To listen to the full Leadership Moment, go to https://www.12geniuses.com/12-geniuses-podcast/leadership-moment-bill-macdonald.