It was interesting, in those first few days of Katrina, to listen to the reporters describing the reactions residents had to the need for leadership, control and guidance. There was one reportage that reminded me of the recruiting industry's scream for finding "qualified talent."

Now "qualified talent" means certain things. Certain elements are there and must be there before the candidate (one who is qualified for the position and is being considered for it) is considered qualifed. They have the basic education, which means they have the Bachelor's degree or whatever level of educational attainment is required -- and then some. They dress appropriately. They have good communication skills.  That is, they speak the King's/Queen's English and understand it. They can convey an idea cogently. They have good reasoning skills. They can plan and follow through. They know more than the basics of the job. They are highly skilled and knowledgeable.

Now, one Katrina reporter talked about a neighborhood where he began shooting his story. He arrived and there was one man running around keeping things organized while everyone else hung back and waited to be instructed. The reporter described the man as by appearance could have been any one of the looters who were being rounded up by the police. But the man was not a looter. He was the sole voice of reason and organizer. He instructed the reporter to point the camera first in this direction, then in that. He told the reporter that there was a story over here and he needed to go there in order to get it. He told the reporter what the population needed and organized to gain those supplies.

The organizer and leader was dressed like any of the looters in the city, yet he was not. Could it be that under ordinary circumstances he was an executive and a leader in his company? He was the only cool head in a land of chaos. Could it be he was actually a lawyer or a disaster relief worker now turned into would-be victim? Could this man, under other circumstances, have been considered "qualified talent?"

Just because we're out of our "uniform" for the moment does not change what we are inside. It doesn't transform our brainwaves or sum total of knowledge. Even if the man was employed as the sewage worker, could he not be considered a critical part of the workforce and an essential leader?

He certainly was on that day in New Orleans. From my perch, he looked like he showed that he was more than just qualified talent.