Five Leadership Secrets of an Aviator

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Mike Friesen

In military flying, studying and training on emergency procedures (EPs) was

constant. Quick thinking and disciplined responses were expected as a minimum
standard to succeed in a military aviation career.

EPs raise emotion. EPs tax the most skilled pilot in

spite of any outward bravado. The idea behind
repetition and difficulty in training was to make the
real thing seem relatively easy and to greatly
increase the chances of a successful conclusion.
Although I despised EP simulator flights (EP sims)
as much as the next pilot, they were invaluable
preparation for emergencies that invariably
occurred in the real airplane.

Here are a few lessons from EP sims and flying in general that relate to the study
and practice of leadership.

Keep Flying

When a pilot encounters any type of emergency situation, the natural tendency is
to focus too much attention on the emergency. There is more than one story of an
aviator too distracted with a problem to fly safely. As a beginning Air Force pilot,
I will never forget a sim ride where I became so distracted from basic flying I ran
into a mountain. The instructor’s admonition of, “You would be dead right now if
you had been in an airplane” was very sobering.

In the business setting, most of us do not have the

privilege of shutting down the machine to redesign
and rebuild it to meet the latest marketplace needs.
The company must continue operating as we do our
respective leadership work. A practical leader will
continue directing what should be accomplished today
while honoring timeless principles and continuous
improvement.

The real leader will constantly evaluate if the current movement aligns with
mission objectives. This is not about feel-good but about results. This is about
meeting competitive demands in our very fast-paced economy, regardless of the
organization type. It takes courage but it is a critical skill for the leader to do the
right things.

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Think Long-Term

If an airplane is in trouble, it is common

sense for the pilot to land as soon as practical.
Despite the urgency, there are questions to
consider that will make or break the outcome.
What is my fuel state? What is the nearest
field that can appropriately handle the
aircraft emergency? How far to the ideal
airport? What is the weather like at the
intended landing airport?

So often, it is easy to be too caught up with

the urgent priorities of the present while all
but forgetting the long-term. Executing a flawed business plan perfectly will still
assure the eventual demise of any enterprise. Leaders must consider questions
like the following

• Where will our current organizational behavior lead?

• What changes are needed to arrive at the preferred destination?
• What business are we really in … long-term?
• How should the firm change to meet fickle consumer demands?
• How should we shape internal succession plans?
• How are we educating and growing the up-and-coming leaders to meet
their future challenges?

Of course, there are many more questions as well. The long-term may seem far
away but it is as or more important than the present for the leader. Chances are
that your employees do their best work in the present. It is your job as a leader to
devote sufficient time to future work.

Be Decisive

Prescribing a remedy for an aircraft emergency requires making consistent and

timely decisions. A pilot can only make decisions based on what is seen, heard
and felt (e.g., airframe vibrations, extra weight on the flight controls, etc.). In
many cases, a wingman can take a look at crippled airplane to give any additional
data. Otherwise, it is time to analyze the problem and move toward a solution.

Several years ago, when an engine fire indicator came on in the F-4 I was flying, I
immediately turned directly toward the home airport. This sounds basic and yet
many a student pilot has wasted precious minutes in a sim by working through
the checklist before turning the airplane toward a suitable landing patch.

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Decision-making is an obvious skill that any successful business person will

possess. A wise leadership instructor once said, “Intent counts for more than
technique.” His point was to make timely decisions for the good of the
organization. The only people who have 100% of the data for a decision are
historians (and that might even be debatable).
Do not overly labor over a decision: Make it. It
is guaranteed that you will learn something
from it if you are open. This is particularly true
if the choice turns out to be a blunder. If you are
not making very many decisions, you are likely
not learning much. Stay aligned with mission,
vision, and values but, by all means, make a
decision.

Be Flexible

Now this might seem to contradict the previous point but speaks to how things
can change without much warning. What if my plan does not work? One rainy
winter day, I landed an F-4 with the hook down because of a hydraulic failure.
(The Navy guys out there are laughing.) The firm touchdown went as planned but
the hook bounced over the cable. Fortunately, my Weapons System Officer (WSO
or backseater) and I had discussed this possibility and stayed on the runway to
catch the opposite end cable. Had we missed again, we would have ejected from
the aircraft.

One tongue-in-cheek saying in the Air Force is “flexibility is the key to airpower.”
Regardless of how pretty the strategic plan looks, you will have to improvise in
some way. This is where knowing and living principled values will pay big
dividends. Stick to decisions as much as practical but do not run your company
train over a cliff for sake of your personal ego. If the market needs change, adapt.
Make another decision. Be flexible.

Have An Out

An analogy here is related to formation

flying of two or more aircraft. One of
the staples of formation flying is the
rejoin where one airplane overtakes
another aircraft with speed, geometry
or both. Every good formation flier
always has an out in case the
unexpected happens.

In the military, there is always a

designated formation leader but the reality is that all pilots in the formation have
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basic responsibilities to keep everything safe. A nice rejoin concluding with a

mid-air collision will ruin anybody’s day, hence, the “what if.” No matter how the
rejoin may be going, a savvy aviator will be constantly assessing and adjusting not
only the rejoin maneuver but the Plan B should something go very wrong.
Fighting other airplanes requires more aggressive use of geometry although the
same basic rules of a rejoin apply.

I remember a time as a new F-4 driver when in the thick of a practice fight, there
were two of us unknowingly converging on the same target, belly to belly. I was
going to be a hero. Thankfully I had an experienced backseater who yelled, “Belly
check!” Upon rolling inverted and seeing the imminent mid-air, I wracked the
airplane in an opposite direction and we all lived to fight another day.

As the leader, you may or may not want to admit your Plan B publicly to risk
distracting or demoralizing your team members. You may not always have an
elegant or fully developed alternative. Be always thinking though. It may be an
out by phases or incrementally. This really is an extension on the flexibility theme
but this is the era we are in. Said another way, if all our grand schemes fall apart,
what will we do? How will we recover the keep the enterprise viable? How will we
rally the “troops” to pick up the pieces?

Nimbleness is a critical core competency and an effective leader will always be a

few steps ahead of those being lead. I am not suggesting you pursue goals half-
hearted; just be smart and ready to improve a good plan with great execution.

Keep flying …
Think long-term …
Be decisive …
Be flexible …
Have an out.

Simple yet helpful steps to making your leadership skills shine.

Picture Credits
F-38s and T-37 – Bundeswehr-Fotos on Flickr
Mountain – Faisal.Saeed on Flickr
Man and Child Walking – h.koppdelaney on Flickr
Single F-4 – TMWolf on Flickr
Six F-18s (Blue Angels) – MashleyMorgan on Flickr

Copyright  2010 Michael A. Friesen.