Lessons from the 2021 Suez Canal incident

As you know, we are not foreigners to ominous moments — from the Covid-19 pandemic to the Suez Canal incident. We’re almost getting used to the yo-yo style of global-level issues. The recent blockage of the ‘Ever Given’ cargo ship could not come at a more perfect time when the world was attempting to bounce back from the 2020 economic breakdown.

In this article, I want to delve deeper, dissect the Suez Canal crisis and draw takeaway lessons that you and I can implement in our lives.

A quick recap of the Suez Canal incident:

The Ever Given container ship was stuck near the Egyptian city of Suez in a single-lane section of the canal, about 985 feet wide. It is said that desert high winds pushed the ship sideways, wedging it into both banks of the man-made waterway. It created a traffic jam of more than 360 ships as of Sunday and cost billions in delayed shipments. 

Do note that this constricted waterway stretch, which is one of the world’s busiest trade routes between Asia and Europe, carries some 12% of global trade. 

However, the chairman of Egypt's Suez Canal Authority said that there may have been technical or human errors for the ship’s blockage. 

Good news? Now the massive ship blocking the Suez Canal was freed on March 27th after five long days. Thanks to the full moon-induced high tides, dredgers and tugboats were used to free the ship.

This incident caused a major blow to the worldwide supply chain and potential havoc on the overall global economy, with the worst victims being Asia and Europe where oil and liquified natural gas (LNG) have been badly affected, along with containerized trade.

“Crew are still working hard around the globe to keep global trade moving, despite 200,000 seafarers being impacted by overly harsh restrictions which stop them boarding or disembarking ships. We hope this incident will remind governments of the vital role that seafarers and shipping play in keeping the world supplied. Seafarers must not be forgotten as soon as this incident is over.” - Port Technology.

Below are some of the lessons I would like to highlight in today’s article. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any takeaways from the incident. Do leave a comment below, I would love to learn from you as well!

1. A leader is a leader when he/she earns their trust:

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi celebrated the freeing of the ship as a national success. “He portrayed the efforts as a patriotic victory that assured the world that Egypt could be trusted with overseeing the 12 percent of all global trade that passes through the crucial waterway,”.

The President took full ownership of the issue and demonstrated a stellar leadership performance by solving one of the biggest trade issues. Whether you’re a leader or not, striving to play a key role in your team can do wonders. That includes taking initiative, inspiring your teammates, mentoring them, and constantly communicating with them to nurture a healthy trustable bond and experiencing progressive growth together.

2. Do what’s in your control

There are innumerable external reasons that stop us from achieving our goals — in life or work. But the best thing we can do is to take actions that are within our control. Whether it was the Covid-19 pandemic or a delay from your sales prospect, in certain situations, we are helpless. That’s true. Yet try focusing your efforts on what you can do, get up and make things happen for you!

3. Avoid the blame game

Why did the Ever Given get stuck? Was it due to weather conditions or human errors?

When we get caught up in the midst of a very tough problem, it becomes imperative to blame mistakes on somebody else. Getting defensive, playing the guilt or victim card, and unloading the issues on somebody else — will not do good for you or your team. At the end of the day, this unhealthy habit will tend to create a negative atmosphere, rather than actually working towards a solid solution and moving forward with flying colors.

4. Strong teamwork is contagious and how

As seen in the video, the salvage crews are celebrating the victory over the Ever Given vessel blockage. The energy of the team effort is clearly seen and felt through the video. This goes to show when a team of dedicated professionals comes together, magical things can happen. As long as the vision and mission are unified, you will soar with success.

5. Miracles do happen

A beautiful cosmic coincidence that also occurred here was that on the day when the ship was freed, it was a full moon day. This means the crews were able to take advantage of the high tide caused by the full moon to loosen the hold and free the ship after five long days.

It’s no doubt that miracles happen when we send positivity to the universe

Like many others in the past, this incident also re-affirms the fact that all bad things come to an end. If you’re struggling with sales or life in general, remember that there are a few things you and your team can do together. Implement the best practices and success plus satisfaction will come chasing you!

Most importantly, have faith in your abilities just like Egypt knew they could do it. You are more than you think you are. In work or life, don’t let go of opportunities to grow by doubting yourself. Let’s not wait till the end of our life to waste an opportunity and regretfully say, “Oh! That ship has sailed…..”