One hundred years ago today the Titanic sunk in the icy waters of the North Atlantic in a disaster that claimed the lives of 1,514 passengers.

It has been 19 years since the movie Titanic was released and of course has touched all our hearts. Though it is old, it has been the highest grossing film of all time and a blockbuster during 1997. Titanic will always remembered as one of the most romantic movies.

Those of us who studied the history or remember the movie would know that Titanic may know that it was not the iceberg that caused the disaster, it was actually failed leadership.

Expect the unexpected

As you know, it was said that the Titanic was unsinkable. The ship designers were so confident in their ship and they only had enough lifeboats for half the passengers.

As a leader, we must be ready and have alternative plans. When it comes to learning, we should not limit our learning curve, it should be greater if we need to succeed. The thinking that made us successful yesterday will cause us to fail tomorrow 

Technology makes a poor substitute for a reliable leadership 

When technology fails, it is a must that leadership must prevail. Years before the Titanic’s voyage Captain Smith said, “I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that.”

Many businesses today have placed the wrong people in charge. Technology in your company cannot replace the life experiences of employees within the organisation. Leaders have the responsibility to make difficult decisions all the time and these decisions are based on information and modern technology is used to making obtaining the information accurately and quickly. Ultimately, the final decision depends on how the leader interprets that information.

Train your employees

Titanic was sinking and crew members struggled with releasing the life boats. They were not given the training of emergency scenarios.

Employees must be given a proper orientation and training program. Employees are a company's greatest asset and should be afforded opportunities to be properly trained and to develop their skills to be more productive and promotable. If we fail in preparing and developing our employees, we fail our customers and everyone else who depends on our business to succeed.

Bigger is not better

Titanic was such a large ship that it took about 30 seconds to turn away from the iceberg, and many believe that delay in changing course was the biggest factor in its sinking. As a result, the iceberg ripped the ship’s hull.

The bigger an organisation grows, it becomes more inflexible. Large organisations soon grow into huge bureaucracies where rules, regulations, policies and procedures become a must. Your decisions must be wisely and strategically chosen.

Titanic has not been just a romantic movie to watch on a Valentine’s day but also a movie with lessons. Above are few lessons you can incorporate for the improvement of your organisations and yourself. The movie Titanic also evokes history!