There were no blueprints. No budget. Just barrels, pallets, and rope.
The temporary footbridge over Broomfield stream wasn’t supposed to last more than 12 hours. It ended up staying in place for six weeks.
Engineers on-site solved the problem with speed and instinct.
They were tired, muddy, and cold. But they were also highly collaborative.
You might say this kind of fix isn’t scalable. That it doesn’t fit a compliance manual.
You’d be right. But it worked.
What happened?
A delivery lorry jackknifed on the only access road into a temporary energy site.
The crew needed to get equipment across a steep-sided stream. Fast. No one had signal. The site engineer made a decision. Build a bridge.
They found:
- Two 45-gallon drums
- Five timber pallets
- Nylon rope from the rigging kits
The solution was simple. Not safe in the traditional sense. But better than halting the project for 48 hours.
The manager backed the call. No one got hurt. Everyone got to work.
Why are we telling you this?
Because every team you manage will one day have a Broomfield moment. No time. No resources. No rules.
In those moments, people fall back on what they know:
- Their instinct
- Their culture
- Their confidence to make a call
And that’s where leadership makes the difference.
Are you equipping your teams to:
- Act without full information?
- Communicate under pressure?
- Adapt roles and responsibilities instantly?
Because if not, you’re setting them up to fail.
Not every crisis is a bridge.
Some are digital.
Some are logistical.
Some are interpersonal.
But the traits that carry people through are the same:
- Fast trust
- Clear values
- Psychological safety
What would you have done?
Would you have built the bridge?
Or waited?
Would your team trust you to act?
Would you back them if they did?
Problem solving isn’t about tools. It’s about culture.
Want to build it before you need it?
We can help.
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