Have you ever seen a leader that has incredible vision, but just can’t seem to link that vision to success in the day-to-day execution? Or have you ever had a manager that ensured ‘the numbers are made’ each month, yet no one is sure why or inspired to follow that person?
After 30+ years in the military and serving across the world in both high-tempo flying operations and office environments alike, I’ve had my fair share of thoughts on leadership and management. To be fair, being trained with a military mindset, the default in most conversations on this topic was “leadership.” The word “manager” was not necessarily a key talking point in our professional development schools. However, the longer I served and observed operations (whether in the skies or the boardroom), I gained an appreciation for the role of both leadership and management. I noticed that the best ‘visionary’ leaders understood and utilized great managers and managerial skills….and I also witnessed the best ‘process’ managers effectively led their teams to great success. No surprise there, though what I noticed along the way is that the best organizations had leaders who demonstrated a style that recognized and enhanced both leadership and necessary day-to-day management. With that in mind, I draw from my experience in the military flying community and offer that our best leaders in that dynamic environment embrace a style of being “Humble, Credible, Approachable.” In this article, we’ll discuss this style and how it can serve as a smart, productive way of engaging with your team as a leader AND manager to truly elevate and enhance outcomes.
Whether I was flying fighters, training student pilots, or coordinating major air logistics efforts – the necessity of both leadership and management was on full display. In the flying business, most of the focus was on mission “management” as you executed a detailed plan. All along the way of preparation, from planning phase to a briefing phase, the great flight leads balanced that management with strong leadership to keep the team focused and moving to execution. With flying execution, a challenge would arise (as with most military or business operations) and the planned execution would hit a roadblock. Great flight leads showed their ability to adapt and re-focus the team on the mission, inspiring those around them to follow and perform well above their capabilities. Later in my career, I would find that the same leadership and management balancing act from flying applied to running office operations and for overseeing large complex organizations. The best leaders within the flight environment followed and demonstrated key behaviors that stood out and helped them understand and appreciate the management aspects of flying and then armed them well for when leadership focus was required.
Now there are plenty of definitions (let alone entire courses) on leadership and management. Fundamentally, “vision” is most closely associated with leadership, with a leader having the ability to define the future of an organization and inspire people to make a vision happen in the face of adversity. Management is most closely associated with “process” and the ability of the manager to plan, budget, and organize people to efficiently run processes within an organization. So where is the conflict? In practice, the understanding and necessity of both narratives is essential to an organization and to anyone who aspires to run a company or achieve a mission. I would submit that leaders who can bring a leadership ethos to the table, while also understanding and empowering good management across their organization are the most effective.
So how can this work for you? What are some key steps or ways to raise awareness within your company or operation for leadership AND management to work together best? Again, I offer a flying community mantra of striving to be “Humble, Credible, Approachable.” No cliché acronym, just those three attributes that reflect an approach to operations that is a hallmark of our best - I’m talking about Air Force Weapons School and Navy TOPGUN graduates. Top pilot skills were assumed, and then those who embodied a humble, credible, approachable style elevated their ability to manage and lead and, in doing so, elevated those around them and their organization.
Here's what I mean….
Humble – Yes, pilots are not generally known for being ‘humble’ – though it is easy to see that the best ones remain intellectually curious and are constantly striving to learn – to get better! We all know the folks who act like they know it all – no one wants to be managed by that person or follow that leader. In the flying world, debriefing our missions was an absolute priority. This was where much of the real learning happened after intense missions. Despite flying bravado, the best leaders were the ones who quickly admitted and highlighted their own points of failure and then worked hard to dissect how to improve the next time. In the office, that same humble, learning attitude can be seen by leaders asking thoughtful questions in meetings. You’ve seen a leader cut people off with a comment that they ‘already know that’ even though the person speaking is trying to communicate an idea with the entire team. That shuts people down. On the other hand, we’ve all been there when some complex or even a simple acronym is used in a meeting – no one knows what it means, but people are afraid to look dumb in asking. When the leader at the head of the table is humble (and not afraid) to ask, it is amazing how the culture of inquiry and learning is enhanced. Bottom line, when it is recognized that the boss is willing to learn, it encourages subordinates to speak the truth when a problem arises and spurs innovation across your workforce.
Credible – Flying is inherently dangerous with little room for error. It was always important to study, learn, focus and improve all aspects of daily flight operations. As we would say, ‘you’re only as good as your last flight.’ In other words, one must continue to show up ready to execute your best from all your training and be ready to continue learning. In many ways from flying in the sky to managing an office, this translates into being known for understanding your organization’s management processes and being committed to improvement and its mission. This does not mean being perfect, or an expert on all aspects of a complex organization. However, it does mean you study and work to understand your company’s operations, teams, and processes. If you made your way from factory floor to boardroom, perhaps you have a fundamental sense or background. If not, put the work in to learn. This is a perfect time to manage by ‘walking around’ or setting up a time to shadow different parts of your company. It provides the opportunity to show your team that you want to learn (remember, humble) and then arms you better to understand and communicate – essentially to be ‘credible’ when you’re talking inside your team and when you’re representing your organization to others.
Approachable - During mission planning for flights and during the briefing and execution of a flight, if a question arises, you ask it to ensure clarity and understanding by all. We can joke about ‘dumb questions,’ and you certainly need to know your environment, but in a professional environment, there are truly no dumb questions as the complexity is assumed and questions are encouraged. This is particularly important while flight planning and briefing to save time or tragic miscommunication later. In the office environment, we’ve all had the boss who stays locked in the front office, or the manager who bites your head off if you ask a question or when less than stellar news is delivered. As we talked about the first two attributes of being humble and credible, those steps alone lend themselves to creating a more open and approachable environment. In addition, take opportunities to connect with peers and subordinates beyond just boardroom or operations meetings. Again, management by ‘walking around’ is a great tool to show your willingness to learn and be approached. Likewise, be thoughtful and considerate when someone does bring you bad news – how you handle those moments, if handled well, can set a good precedent. Your people will be more candid in assessments, which can help your decision making and inform your business’ bottom line. It will also allow for more creative and innovative thought without fear of being dismissed or ridiculed.
Leadership and Management – leveraging the best of both and keeping your teams on course and excelling is the goal. No doubt, there will be limitless studies and attributes to consider for both skillsets – the idea here is bringing a style to enhance both and make you a more effective leader writ large.
Humble, Credible, Approachable -- hope it helps!
Authored By: Chris Craige, Managing Director