I first visited the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, during my honeymoon in January 2020. Since then, we've returned over a dozen times—drawn back again and again by its charm, history, and restorative peace.
But this past March, I finally did something I hadn't before: The Bunker Tour.
And boy, what an experience it was!
From the moment I stepped behind the blast door and descended into the dimly lit corridors, I felt the gravity of what had been hidden for decades. It was more than a marvel of engineering—it was a masterclass in leadership, a reminder of what it truly means to prepare, serve, and lead when everything is on the line.
It took me back—back to my military days as a fighter aircraft maintenance officer, back to alerts with our F-15s on Zulu alert, ready to launch within minutes, 24/7, from a dedicated alert facility at the end of the runway, back to the moment the Berlin Wall fell, and even to my siblings' childhood memories of "duck and cover" drills. And as I walked those halls, one truth came in loud and clear:
Crisis leadership lives beneath the surface.
Here are five powerful leadership truths that surfaced from 60 feet underground.
1. Preparedness Isn't Paranoia—It's Stewardship
The Greenbrier bunker wasn't built because someone wanted it. It was built because someone had to. Great leadership is never reactive; it's proactively responsible. It prepares for the worst while still hoping for the best.
In my doctoral research on follower self-efficacy in crisis leadership, I found that organizations can't survive turbulence unless leaders embed trust, clarity, and competence into their teams before a crisis even hits. A follower who believes in their leader and in their own ability to respond becomes an organizational force multiplier.
Preparedness isn't panic—it's love in action. It's leadership stewardship.
2. Hidden Leadership Is Often the Most Strategic
For decades, the bunker operated in silence. It was invisible, yet invaluable. The same is true of the best leaders I've seen—those who work behind the scenes to strengthen systems, build people, and create culture.
Leadership isn't always loud. Sometimes, the quietest investments—like investing in follower readiness, cultivating ethical decision-making, or modeling consistent values—anchor a team when everything else feels unmoored.
True leadership impact is measured not in volume but in depth.
3. Strength in Silence: The Power of Perception
My research includes a concept called Implicit Leadership Theory (ILT). It concerns how followers form internal ideas of what "good leadership" looks like. These beliefs begin early and are often shaped more by modeling than mission statements.
When crisis strikes, followers don't just evaluate what leaders do—they respond to what leaders represent. The bunker's quiet presence screamed confidence and continuity: We've thought ahead, we're ready, and we're still here.
The same must be true of us.
4. Sacrifice and Service: The High Cost of Leadership
The Greenbrier wasn't just a shelter—it was a sanctuary of service. In theory, it would have housed lawmakers who left their families behind to preserve the continuity of government. That's sobering.
Real leadership always costs something. Whether you wear a uniform or carry a boardroom badge, there are lonely moments, weary miles, and deeply personal decisions. The leaders we remember are the ones who stood their post when everyone else ran for cover.
Leadership is not about being first in comfort but last out of the fight.
5. Vision Beyond the Visible
Building a secret underground command center beneath a luxury resort sounds like fiction. But someone had a vision that was not limited to the visible. A leader looked past what was popular or practical and prepared for what might be.
That's the kind of vision we need today—not reactionary but revolutionary, not fear-based but faith-filled. As a follower of Christ, I believe deeply in building for the unseen. That's what faith is. And whether you're leading in a crisis or through calm, a vision rooted in wisdom—not wishful thinking—will always separate the tremendous from the timid.
Final Thought: The Bunker Within
Leadership in crisis isn't about knowing the right thing to say—it's about being the right kind of person long before the crisis comes. It's about building a "bunker" of trust, truth, and training into the hearts of your people—not a shelter of fear but a system of faith.
As I left that underground hallway and stepped back into the sunlight, I didn't just feel grateful. I felt challenged. Am I building in others what crisis will reveal?
I hope you are, too.
Let's lead beneath the surface—and rise above the storm.
