CIO and IT leaders should be able to relate to this video. Watch the first few minutes to see Mick Fanning waiting to catch a wave when suddenly he is attacked by a shark. You can see him scramble a bit then fend him off before a boat comes to his rescue.

Now for those of us in IT, there are some great lessons to share with your business leaders on handling a real life crisis from this video.

• • The announcer shows no real sign of panic. Yes, he utters a cuss word when he realizes what’s going on but he regains his composure and shows no panic or stress in his reporting despite the fact this has rarely (if ever) happened before.

• • There are clear operational procedures for this type of crisis and within minutes, you can see two boats zooming in to help with the rescue.

• • There are also safety and communication procedures outlined on what to do and the commissioner of the event is bound to follow them.

• The shark gets away which unfortunately is more often to happen in the corporate setting when a business leader goes on the attack.

Unfortunately, I think many CIO can reflect on this situation. Does your leadership team panic at the first sign of a major issue or crisis? Are you well prepared to handle the crisis with clearly defined operational procedures? Are you ready to handle communications during and after the crisis? If the issue is internal, do you have a culture that deals with individuals that are the source of the crisis?