Starting my career as a producer at The Weather Channel 28 years ago, I didn’t expect to spend so much time facing storms or learn so much from it. I frequently joined our teams live in the field before, during, and after storms. This storm chasing revealed that preparation, teamwork, and perspective are crucial not only for surviving severe weather but also for effective leadership.
Some nights stand out. Once, with the University of Oklahoma’s Doppler on Wheels team, I reported on eight tornadoes in one evening. It was both terrifying and amazing. However, what I remember most is the responsibility of documenting extreme weather so communities could prepare, respond, and recover.
Other moments were impactful. After a massive tornado hit Norman, Okla., families told me through tears and hugs that our reporting saved their lives. That’s when something really resonated with me.
The work my colleagues and I do is more than just predicting the weather. It’s about protecting people. This realization has driven my passion and continues to influence my leadership style.
A forecast for leadership
Storm chasing may seem reckless, but it’s actually about calculated risks. You prepare, act, and adapt. The best leaders do the same: predict scenarios, act decisively, and guide their teams through uncertainty.
For instance, a CEO preparing for a product launch might plan for potential disruptions to global supply chains, slower customer adoption than expected, or a competitor launching a similar product. By anticipating different scenarios, leaders can respond precisely instead of panicking.
With the right information, leaders can foresee impacts, adjust operations, and even find opportunities. Weather shouldn’t be just something you react to; it should be part of your strategy. That’s why I believe weather data, and data in general, remains an underused resource in business. Leaders should consult experts who understand risk before making major financial decisions.
Teamwork is essential. In the field, I relied on the driver for safety, the meteorologist to interpret data, and the camera crew to capture important moments. If one person failed, the whole operation would fail. Similarly, in business, success requires alignment, trust, and coordinated progress toward a shared objective.
Consider a cross-functional team launching a new initiative. An effective leader focuses on teamwork and sets standards, such as daily check-ins or rotating team leads, to ensure accountability, empowerment, and that everyone is heard, rather than just assigning tasks. The result is the same as in storm chasing: no weak links, just a team moving forward together.
Perspective is also important. Covering a major weather event like a hurricane is very different from forecasting a rainy commute. As leaders, keeping perspective on the actual significance of your decisions helps you filter out distractions and stay focused.
Chasing storms also taught me that people don’t always act logically. Some evacuate early and get frustrated when storms change direction. Others may stay put even as the danger increases, gambling with hurricanes because they think it won’t happen to them or resenting the inconvenience of leaving.
This mirrors the challenges leaders face every day. Inspiring quick action, even when it’s uncomfortable, is a difficult part of leadership. To achieve this, a leader might communicate the risks of inaction and demonstrate decisiveness. For example, when implementing a difficult organizational change, clear guidelines show commitment and provide small, immediate successes that demonstrate the importance of the change, encouraging the team to act before the “storm” fully arrives.
The changing climate of risk
In my two decades in this field, I’ve seen risks evolve and intensify. Warmer oceans lead to stronger, wetter hurricanes. Tornadoes now occur year-round. Unexpected extremes, like a cold snap in August or a winter heat wave, are catching communities and businesses unprepared.
At the same time, the stakes are rising. More people live on coastlines, and more infrastructure is in vulnerable areas. Damage totals increase not just because storms are stronger but because we’ve built more in their path. Preparedness is more important than ever, but many still treat weather as an afterthought.
As we go through the peak of hurricane season, I remember every lesson from my storm-chasing days. Preparation is better than panic, teamwork is better than bravado, and respect—for nature, data, and those who depend on us—is better than any shortcut.
Extreme weather will always challenge us, as will leadership. The question isn’t whether a storm will come, but whether you’ll be ready when it does.
