Having a Moment

Gary Burnison is CEO of Korn Ferry and the author of Love, Hope & Leadership: A Special Edition.

It’s been said—it’s not personal, it’s strictly business. 

But as we’ve seen so many times—especially over the past five years and across the world—it is personal. 

“I am surrounded by family and friends tonight and truly believe that tomorrow is the start of a beautiful new chapter. It will get better. I lost everything but have everything I need.”

​These were the stirring and selfless words of a colleague who lost her house this week amid the devastating fires raging across Southern California, where our company is headquartered. Sadly, she joins others at our firm whose homes were also destroyed—along with countless residents in Los Angeles. And our hearts are heavy as we acknowledge those who lost their lives.

It’s normal when faced with tragedy to want to envision the way forward. But sometimes the way forward is to have a moment. In fact, we all need them. 

Only in the present can we pause to re-center and reset. This is where our perspective truly crystallizes—to appreciate what matters most to us.

Like countless others this week, my family was on evacuation notice. In a matter of moments, we needed to decide what stays, what goes, and what we hold closest to us. It became very simple, very quickly—each other, the dog, and a few pictures that capture irreplaceable memories. 

​There’s a reminder here for us, as leaders, as well. 

​It starts with people—right at the bottom of Maslow’s Hierarchy. The most basic human needs must first be met—we all need to feel safe. 

​While it’s always the leader’s job to deal with ambiguity, when the unthinkable happens, that ambiguity becomes exponential. That’s why we, as leaders, must take a moment to pause, process, and reflect—including on our own emotions. 

Just the other day I heard someone pose three questions: “Where did you come from? What are you doing? Where are you going?” Those questions, in a much different context, made me think then—and have even deeper meaning now. 

Only through reflection on who we are and who we want to become can we offer help, elevate hope, and embrace our shared humanity.

This brings me back several years ago, to another time and another wave of wildfires in California that destroyed millions of acres and countless homes. Heavy rains followed those fires, and slowly life returned. The canyons became green again, and flowers bloomed where there had been only charred earth. 

Then one day, as I drove to the beach, butterflies filled the air. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing at first—it didn’t seem real. I slowed the car and watched as they sailed over the windshield, never striking it. 

A sea of butterflies, the ultimate symbol of metamorphosis. 

Indeed, it was a moment… and one I’ll never forget.

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