Leadership Lessons From a 17-Inch Snowfall
What the Metrodome Collapse Taught Me 15 Years Later
On December 12, 2010, at 5:00 a.m., Minnesota woke up to an unforgettable sight: the inflatable Teflon roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome had torn open and collapsed under the weight of a massive 17-inch snowstorm. Snow poured into the stadium like a waterfall. Footage of the roof sinking made national headlines.
To this day, I still feel a little jolt when I read stories about that storm. No, I wasn’t at the Metrodome, nor did I have anything to do with the collapse. But at the time, I was living in Minnesota and working at the Conagra Brands manufacturing facility in Maple Grove. Just like the Metrodome, we were facing the same historic storm, yet unlike the stadium, we kept operating.
I can’t argue with the operations decision; it was the right call for the business. What I now recognize as a missed opportunity was how we chose to handle staffing.
When Operations Continue but Conversations Don’t
The forecast had been clear: a heavy, potentially dangerous snow event was coming. Yet instead of gathering the team to discuss if, or how, we should continue operations, we simply posted a notice about the attendance policy and carried on as if it were just another weekend.
I was early in my career and still figuring out what leadership looked and felt like. At the time, I didn’t question the decision. But I remember an unmistakable nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. I didn’t have the language for it back then. I just knew we were missing…something.
Today, with fifteen additional years of experience and perspective, I know exactly what that feeling was.
The Leadership Style I Used Didn’t Fit the Moment
Without realizing it, I relied on a Telling leadership style, a high-direction, low-support approach. And it was the complete opposite of both my natural style and what the situation truly demanded.
In a moment when people were concerned about safety, weather, logistics, and whether they could even get to work, we defaulted to rules instead of relationships. Policies instead of partnership.
Looking back, it’s clear we had an opportunity to lead differently.
What the Moment Actually Called For: A Participating Style
The situation called for a Participating leadership style, low direction, high support. A style grounded in conversation, empathy, involvement, and shared decision-making.
We could have:
Pulled the team together to talk honestly about the storm.
Discussed safety considerations for travel and shifts.
Co-created a plan that balanced business needs with human reality.
Instead, we simply communicated expectations, not support.
The irony is that the Metrodome collapse itself was a symbol: even well-engineered structures buckle under pressure when weight exceeds capacity. Humans are no different.
What I Carry Forward Today
That experience, simple as it seemed at the time, became one of my earliest and most meaningful leadership lessons:
If you ignore the human impact of a decision, you’ve only done half the job of leading.
Leadership isn’t just about keeping operations running. It’s about creating space for people to be heard, especially when stakes are high.
It took me some time to realize that my discomfort wasn’t immaturity, it was intuition. I was sensing a mismatch between the style we used and what our team truly needed.
Today, I lead differently because of moments like that snowstorm weekend. I don’t ignore the nagging feeling. I pause and ask: What style does this situation actually call for?
Sometimes leadership is about knowing when to speak. Other times, it’s about knowing when to invite others to speak with you.
Bringing This Into Leader-C.A.R.E.
One of the reasons I built the Leader-C.A.R.E. program is because of moments exactly like this. We all have a natural leadership tendency. Knowing yours is the first step toward using the right style at the right time.
In Leader-CA..R.E., we help leaders:
Identify their default leadership style
Understand how that style serves them, and where it can unintentionally limit them
Practice shifting into the style a situation actually requires
That snowstorm taught me that good intentions aren’t enough. Awareness, adaptability, and care are what make leadership truly effective.
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