Lessons from Typhoon Hato, When Leadership Means Owning Your Mistakes

With Typhoon Ragasa approaching Macau, I can’t help but think back to Typhoon Hato in 2017—my first day of teacher training for the year at The International School of Macao .

That morning was clear and sunny. Like many times before, I assumed the storm would pass without much impact. Against warnings, I pressed on with training, convinced it was the “responsible” thing to do.

It wasn’t. Hato turned out to be the worst storm in 50 years. Trees snapped, buildings shook, and water and power were cut off. Teachers’ children were home alone while their parents were stuck at school with me.

In that moment, I had a choice: hide behind excuses, or own my mistake. I chose the latter. I stood in front of the staff and apologized—truly apologized—for ignoring warnings, for my arrogance, and for putting their families at risk. That was the beginning of my deeper understanding of vulnerability as leadership.

From there, we mobilized. Teams found routes to get 200+ staff home through downed trees. We organized water deliveries. Leaders became “community wardens,” patching windows, checking in on families, and finding safe places to stay.

I learned something crucial:

• Authentic leadership isn’t about always being right.  
• It’s about owning when you’re wrong, putting people first, and building trust through action.

As Ragasa approaches, my hope is that we all stay safe and look out for one another. And for fellow leaders: may we keep practicing the kind of leadership that admits mistakes, learns from them, and helps communities weather the storms—both literal and figurative.

Stay safe, Macau.

💙#Macau #TyphoonRagasa