When fear stopped the world, people in a little town called Gander, answered with love. – N. Anderson

September 11 is forever embedded in my mind.  I remember where I was. I remember who I was with. I remember the confusion, the disbelief, and the fear. I’m sure you do too. It was truly was a day of darkness.

As we mark the 25th anniversary of September 11, I’m reminded of a play I saw last year, Come From Away.

Come From Away tells another story from that day. One I knew nothing about until I saw the musical.

A Place Called Gander

On September 11, 2001, U.S. airspace closed, and 38 planes carrying nearly 7,000 passengers were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, a small Canadian town whose population essentially doubled overnight.
These passengers arrived frightened, exhausted, and with no idea where they were or why they there. Many didn’t speak English.

As the planes landed, the residents of Gander never gave a second thought about doing what they could to help these new arrivals.
Without hesitation, they turned schools and community buildings into shelters. They gathered food, blankets, clothing, and toiletries. They opened their homes. They cared for animals trapped aboard the planes. They gave rides. They comforted complete strangers.

As I watched the goodness of so many (the acting was phenomenal) I couldn’t help but think: This is Love-Led Leadership® in action.

Not because anyone had orchestrated a brilliant strategy for how to help all these people, but because people throughout Gander stepped in and stepped up.
They didn’t care where someone was from, what they believed, or whether they had anything in common. They saw frightened, confused human beings, and did what they could to make them feel welcome and safe.

For me, that is what makes the story so powerful, especially 25 years later.

How Will We Show Up?

September 11 showed us the devastating consequences of hatred and division. But amid that tragedy, Gander showed us something else:
The incredible power of people coming together and caring for one another, without expectation.

I remember the sense of unity following September 11. Our differences weren’t important. People checked in on one another. We all felt connected in a way we hadn’t felt before, not in my lifetime anyway.

Twenty-five years later, it can feel like we’ve lost all of that.

Maybe that’s why Come From Away stuck with me.

Every day we get to choose how we’ll respond to those in front of us. How will we show up?

When fear shook the world, people in a little town called Gander, answered with love. In one of our darkest moments, a small town showed us what humanity can look like at its best.

Here’s to leading with love,

Nicki