Rotary in Crisis: Leading with Humanity After Hurricane Melissa

Send us Fan MailThree months after Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica, the adrenaline has faded — but the real work has only just begun.In this deeply human conversation, host Rotarian Nerissa sits down with Lemar James, President of the Rotary Club of Montego Bay, to reflect on what leadership looks like after the storm. When the cameras leave. When the systems strain. When communities are left to rebuild — not just infrastructure, but trust, dignity, and hope.This episode goes beyond disaster response.Together, they explore:The unseen emotional toll of leadership in crisisSurvivor’s guilt, vulnerability, and the weight leaders quietly carryWhy leaving the disaster zone can sometimes be the most responsible actThe difference between having a circle — and having a networkHow equanimity becomes a leadership practice, not a philosophyFrom dark, unlit roads to silent bus rides back from devastated farming communities, this conversation captures the moments that don’t make official reports — but define the kind of leaders we become.This is a conversation about steadiness, humanity, and the kind of leadership that holds when certainty is gone.If you lead people, serve communities, or believe leadership is more than titles and plans — this episode is for you.