Ep214: Being a leader during crisis - and learning how to deliver a baby

David shares a story from his police training days about he was trained to deliver a baby and how it provides some great cues for leading in a crisis.

Transcript

David Wheatley (00:12)
Welcome to this episode. I’m David Wheatley.

I’ve been reflecting lately—probably because I just became a grandparent for the third time—and my mind’s been on babies. That reflection took me all the way back to my time at Hendon.

Hendon was the police college for the City of London and the greater metropolitan area. In the U.S., if someone says they went to Annapolis, you know they mean the Naval Academy. In England, saying someone went to Hendon means they trained to be a police officer.

When I went through training there in the mid-1980s, one of the classes I really looked forward to was first aid. The instructor gave us an overview on day one—starting with basics like the recovery position and moving up to CPR. That was a key skill, since police officers were often the first responders at emergency scenes in London.

But he also told us that if we completed the course, our final class would be learning how to deliver a baby. Apparently, it wasn’t unusual for police to arrive at a childbirth scene before the paramedics. I was excited by the idea—imagining myself as a midwife of sorts, trained and ready.

Each week, as we practiced things like applying triangular bandages or stabilizing broken limbs, the instructor reminded us: the last session would be the one where we learned how to deliver a baby. The anticipation built. And finally, we got there—the final class, just before graduation.

We walked in, buzzing with nerves and curiosity. And the instructor began... with something unexpected.

He said, “If you arrive first at a birth scene and there’s no medical staff around, your number one job is to take charge. Everyone will be looking to you to lead.”

So, step one: project confidence—make it clear that everything’s okay now that you’ve arrived.

Step two: make the woman as comfortable as possible. She’s about to give birth. Whatever you can do, do it.

Step three: in a calm, firm voice, tell everyone around to get hot water and towels. And I mean everyone—give them something to do.

Also, assign someone to call 999 (our 911) to ensure paramedics are on the way.

Then, when people return with hot water and towels, thank them, place the supplies out of the way, and say, “We need more hot water and towels.” Off they’ll go again—because you’re calm, in control, and clearly have a plan.

Step four was the real heart of it: women have been having babies for thousands of years. Your job isn’t to deliver the baby. Your job is to create a safe, calm space so she can do what she is more than capable of doing. You’re there to protect that space, to keep people from panicking, and to keep the process moving smoothly.

If nothing goes wrong—and usually, it doesn’t—when the baby arrives, you’ll be surrounded by towels to wrap the newborn in, hot water if needed, and time to wait for the paramedics. You might even have a nice cup of tea by then.

As I reflect on this story, I’m reminded of leadership. In times of chaos—when things are happening to or around us—leadership often looks like that police officer at a birth scene.

It’s the calm voice that says, “It’s okay. We’ve got this.” It’s the person who focuses the team, gives direction, creates space, and keeps things moving forward without panic.

At one organization I worked with, the plant manager called this “providing air cover.” He’d filter out the noise from corporate and only share what his team needed to know, protecting them so they could focus on doing their jobs well.

So next time you’re in a crisis or feeling unprepared, remember: leadership isn’t always about having all the answers. Sometimes it’s about calmly taking control, giving others something to do, and creating space for progress—even if all you’ve got is hot water and towels.