On the night of December 2, 1984, the city of Bhopal, India, became the epicenter of one of the deadliest industrial disasters in history. A toxic leak of methyl isocyanate gas from the Union Carbide pesticide plant led to the immediate deaths of thousands and left long-term devastation in its wake.
Bimal Julka, then the Additional Collector in Bhopal, was among the first government officials tasked with coordinating on-ground relief. Decades later, Julka views the tragedy not only as a humanitarian crisis—but as a case study in leadership failure and what modern enterprises must do to avoid similar catastrophes.
“Crisis is not an outlier—it is a certainty. What varies is your readiness to respond,” Julka says.
His experience on the ground in 1984 offers a sobering yet practical blueprint for today’s executives navigating an increasingly volatile world.
1. Crisis Preparedness Is Core Governance
Union Carbide’s downfall wasn’t just due to technical malfunction; it was a systemic failure of governance. Emergency systems didn’t trigger. Safety drills were inadequate. Lines of communication were confused and delayed.
“There were no standard operating procedures for a leak of this scale. But the real failure was the assumption that such a disaster would never happen,” recalls Julka.
C-suite Insight: Preparedness should not be treated as a compliance checkbox. Boards must mandate regular scenario planning, real-time risk dashboards, and ensure that crisis drills are as routine as earnings reviews.
“If leadership doesn’t own preparedness, the entire organization inherits vulnerability.”
2. Decentralized Execution Saves Time—and Lives
In the hours after the gas leak, there was no time to wait for top-down approvals. Julka and his team had to immediately mobilize relief: coordinating medical triage, temporary shelters, citizen communications, and body disposal.
“There was no command center. The city was the command center. You had to trust your people on the ground to make the right call.”
C-suite Insight: Corporate crisis frameworks must decentralize authority. Empower local teams with the tools, resources, and decision rights to act without bureaucratic delays.
“The instinct to control from the top must be replaced with the discipline to delegate beforehand.”
3. Reputation Is Built in the Worst Hour
Beyond the technical and humanitarian failure, Union Carbide’s crisis was worsened by its communication missteps. Public statements were slow, defensive, and opaque. The damage to the company’s reputation became irreversible.
“The silence was deafening. The people weren’t just suffering; they were left in the dark. That’s when trust breaks permanently,” says Julka.
C-suite Insight: In crisis, communication is not a secondary concern—it is the main act. Leaders must show up early, speak with transparency, and center empathy over legalese.
“Silence is never neutral. It tells people you don’t care.”
Final Word: The Leadership Imperative
For Julka, the Bhopal experience shaped not only his career but his philosophy of governance.
“Leadership in crisis isn’t about control—it’s about clarity, courage, and care.”
His message to today’s C-suite is clear: ESG isn’t a policy agenda—it’s a survival strategy.
“If you’re not embedding environment, safety, and governance into your core operating model, you’re not leading—you’re gambling.”
The legacy of Bhopal is not just a cautionary tale; it’s a call to arms for every boardroom. In an age of climate volatility, supply chain fragility, and reputational landmines, crisis readiness is no longer optional. It’s leadership, defined.
