Copy of When the Waters Rise: What Crisis Reveals About Culture and Character (TPL Insights #282)

By Rob Andrews

Over the Fourth of July weekend, as families across Texas gathered to celebrate freedom, laughter, and legacy, tragedy struck in a place that means a great deal to many Texans. Camp Mystic, nestled on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, faced devastating flash floods. Water levels surged more than 25 feet in less than an hour. As I write this, the confirmed death toll stands at 120. 168 others are missing or unaccounted for.

There are no words for this kind of grief. Only silence, prayers, and presence.

I find myself holding space for the families, the campers, the first responders, and the entire community. This isn’t just a weather event. It’s a soul-shaking moment that will ripple through lives for years.

As I prepare to drive to Austin for classes this weekend, my mind is less on coursework and more on people. On the fragility of life. On how we show up when the waters rise—literally or figuratively.

Because they always do.

Whether you’re leading a family, a business, a community, or just trying to keep yourself afloat, there will be storms. Floods. Moments where everything familiar is swept away and you’re left with only what you’ve built deep down.

And that’s where this post begins: in the quiet question that lingers after the disaster:

What holds when everything else falls apart?

Crisis Doesn’t Build Character—It Reveals It

It’s a phrase you’ve probably heard. But when you see it play out—in the middle of a catastrophe—it hits differently.

The stories coming out of Kerrville are powerful. Counselors are risking their lives to get campers to higher ground. Local residents are forming human chains to pull strangers from rushing water.

Teenagers texting “I love you” to their parents as the river swelled around them.

These are not scripted heroics. These are instincts shaped by something deeper. Culture. Values. Training. Faith. Love. A thousand small choices were made long before the flood came.

It’s true in life. And it’s true in leadership.

Moments Like These Strip Everything Down

They show us what matters. What lasts.

Nobody at Camp Mystic was thinking about KPIs, job titles, or the perfect strategic plan when the water started rising. They were thinking about people. Safety. Life.

I’m not trying to draw some forced analogy between natural disasters and business strategy. That would cheapen what’s happened.

But I am saying this: Crisis is the great clarifier. And the people and organizations that thrive long-term are the ones who live with that awareness even when the skies are blue.

They don’t wait for disaster to clarify their values. They embed them. Daily.

They don’t postpone hard conversations about purpose or preparedness. They have them. Together.

They don’t put culture on the back burner. They treat it like oxygen.

May We Be the Kind of People Who Respond Well

I don’t have any pat answers for what the Kerrville community is going through right now. I wouldn’t dare try.

But I know what I’m praying for:

— Peace for grieving families.

— Strength for first responders and volunteers.

— Wisdom for decision-makers navigating rescue and recovery.

— Healing for the kids who experienced unthinkable fear.

And for the rest of us—watching from a distance, maybe wondering how to help—I’d offer this:

We can be part of the solution, too. Not just with our donations (though those matter), but with our daily lives. With how we lead. How do we live? How do we prepare for the moments we pray never come?

Let this be a reminder to build something that holds, so that when the storm comes, we don’t have to search for our values. We just have to live them.

A Quiet Call to Action

You don’t need a catastrophe to start asking the big questions.

What do we stand for?

Who do we want to be under pressure?

What are we teaching our teams to prioritize when it’s not convenient?

Have we rehearsed hard things before they’re real things?

Now is the time to answer those questions. While we can. While the sky is still clear.

Because, as Kerrville has shown us, the world can change in under an hour. And when it does, all that’s left is who we are.

Let’s build cultures—and lives—worthy of trust in the toughest moments.

Let’s lead with integrity, not improv.

And above all, let’s pray for the families walking through unthinkable loss. May our leadership—at home, at work, and in our communities—be shaped by their strength.

Warmest,

Rob Andrews

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Celebrating 28 years of Executive Search, Leadership Advisory, and Interim Executive Excellence

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