When something breaks, a leader’s first question is “is everyone okay?” The robot can wait.

In the first seconds after something goes wrong, attention goes to the damage, because the damage is what is in front of you. Asking about people first is a deliberate correction of that instinct, and the order you choose gets noticed by everybody present. It tells them what you count as the real loss. Equipment can almost always be repaired or replaced, which is not true of the other thing.

Make the first question about people, out loud, even when you can see nobody is hurt. Deal with the wreckage second. Notice this week whether your reflex goes to the object or the person.