Mayor Bloomberg’s Blind Spot: The New York Marathon

Today, thousands of runners took to the streets of New York in an impromptu run/helping effort in the aftermath of the cancelation of the New York Marathon.  Despite the camaraderie and altruism, the spontaneous show of solidarity was nothing like what could have been, had New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York Road Runners CEO Mary Wittenberg not stumbled badly in their struggle to guide the marathon through its greatest crisis in it’s forty year history. The marathon crisis was, of course, instigated by the larger catastrophe of super storm Sandy, which wrecked havoc on New York last week.

The marathon debacle is a classic example of leadership struggle, the subject of my forthcoming book, Leadership and the Art of Struggle: How Great Leadership Grow Through Challenge and Adversity. A struggle episode can expose blind spots that hamper adaptation to changing circumstances. Bloomberg and Wittenberg had hoped that the marathon could be held as scheduled, a sign of resilience in the face of the devastation. However their plan was hindered by two blind spots, causing them to misjudge the situation and miss critical opportunities. Their efforts backfired and only served to further polarize a community still reeling in the aftermath of the storm.

In deciding to go ahead with the marathon, Bloomberg was affected by the Experience Blind Spot. Here past successes lure us into overconfidence that previous strategies are appropriate in a new situation. We apply these old strategies uncritically, not taking into account potentially radically different circumstances. Noting the success of the New York Marathon shortly after 9/11, Bloomberg reasoned that holding the 2012 marathon as scheduled would be a show of resilience and strength like it was in 2001. But this logic failed to consider several critical differences. One was in the time that elapsed between the cataclysmic event and the marathon; in 2001, two months had passed, whereas Sandy had struck a mere seven days earlier. Another difference was the area of devastation and degradation of critical infrastructure. Hurricane Sandy cut a wide swath throughout the New York metropolitan area, disabling the very infrastructure that was necessary to support the marathon.

Whereas responsibility for the Experience Blind Spot rests solely with Bloomberg, the burden of the second blind spot is shared by Bloomberg and Wittenberg. Together, they failed to re-imagine the role of the marathon in the aftermath of the storm. Instead, they simply suggested that the marathon go on as previously planned. I call this a Strategic Blind Spot, where leaders allow pure inertia from the past to continue, instead of radically re-thinking an initiative in the light of changing circumstances and requirements.

It is not surprising that many residents found this offensive. They saw the prospect of critical resources being syphoned away from relief efforts toward the marathon, an endeavor that seemed more like a luxury than a necessity.

The ingredient that was missing from Bloomberg and Wittenberg’s plan was a specific plan to harness the goodwill and energy of the runners, sponsors, and international community—orchestrating an event that would tangibly benefit the local community.  According to NBC, the 2011 marathon raised $34 Million for charity.  What if Bloomberg and Wittenberg had spelled out a pathway to $100 Million, with tens of millions of additional dollars going to storm relief? What if they had shortened the run and coupled it with some assistance activity? The residents may have been more likely to support a plan like this, rather than the one outlined by Wittenberg on the November 1 Today Show that showed only vague benefits to the tattered community.

Instead of articulating a creative vision that embraced and honored the facts on the ground, Bloomberg and Wittenberg became mired in a bitter dispute that eventually forced the cancelation of the entire event. And, if this wasn’t bad enough, the event was canceled at the very last minute, after many out-of-town runners and guests had already departed for New York based on previous assurances that the marathon would be held.

There is no question that Bloomberg and Wittenberg were of noble intentions. But in the end, their efforts caused even more suffering and anguish and did little to harness the potential goodwill that was theirs for the asking.  Their difficulties in navigating this treacherous situation is a testament to the perils of leadership struggle and the power of blind spots to undermine the very causes we work so hard to support.