What leaders and managers can learn from airline pilots

As we approach the summer, no doubt many readers will be wishing away the remaining weeks of the term and anticipating boarding a plane and jetting off for a week or two of sun, sea and suspending the diet. As we board the aircraft, many of us will, no doubt, be focused on the destination, not the plane or its crew, and certainly not what we, as leaders, might learn from the people sitting in the cockpit. The reality, however, is that long before you board the aircraft, the airline staff and pilots have been working towards ensuring that your flight proceeds safely and efficiently to its destination. So, what can leaders and managers learn from those who sit behind the controls?

A CLEAR PLAN, WHICH CONSIDERS ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

Pilots have a clear plan for their flight. This must consider the timing of the flight, which runway to take off and land on, and what route to take. They also need to note any weather conditions that need to be avoided, any restrictions on altitude which might be in place, and the maintenance of a safe distance from other aircraft.

It also considers how much fuel will be needed for the flight, any time spent holding while waiting for a landing slot, and any possible diversion required to an alternative destination airport. It considers how long it will take to ascend and descend and how fast the plane will fly at each stage of the journey.

waypoints; the flight plan specifies each SID, STAR, airway and waypoint which will be used to navigate.

As leaders and managers, having a clear plan is also essential. Our plan needs to consider our environmental factors, any ‘weather’ we may experience or want to navigate around, any restrictions on how or when we can do certain things and the avoidance of catastrophic events. Overall strategies need to be broken down into practical ‘waypoints’ that help us stay on track, and let us know when we have reached certain milestones. We also need to know how much resource we are going to use - we can think of this like an aircraft’s fuel. Good planning also considers contingency, and resources should be planned accordingly.

CLEAR COMMUNICATION OF THE PLAN WITH EVERYONE WHO NEEDS TO KNOW

Once the flight plan is completed, it is filed with the relevant aviation authorities; this ensures that there are no conflicts between the plan and other flights, but also allows the various airports and air traffic control points along the route to plan for the volume of traffic and when to expect the arrival of each flight into their airspace.

The cockpit crew also go through an in-depth briefing at the airport prior to the flight, and they update the plan if weather conditions or other factors have changed since it was filed. At this stage, new details such as which ‘stand’ the aircraft is on at the departure airport become available and are communicated.

Once in the aircraft, the communication continues between the cockpit crew, with a flight briefing to check that the two or more officers fully know where they are going and how they are getting there.

It goes without saying that, as leaders and managers, strong communication is essential but communication is not just about telling people things - it is also about checking, understanding, and listening for their input. So often, as leaders, we are excellent at the first part but forget to do the checking and listening.

As an executive coach, I often remind people that there is not one version of reality; every individual has their own interpretation of that reality. No matter how clear you think you have been, it seems there is always someone who has misunderstood, so it’s better to check. Ensuring information is shared with all parties is crucial to success.

Like pilots, we also need to continually communicate as new information comes to light, or as we make changes to our plan. It also goes without saying that the flight plan is physically printed out and shared with the various parties - written communication can, if done correctly, remove ambiguity.

A Visual Inspection

Before every flight, a member of the flight crew visually inspects the plane. This is to check for damage sustained in flight, anything which looks misaligned, and the conditions of things like the tyres to ensure they will not explode on landing.

This principle holds true in leadership and management. While you need to trust that the things people tell you are true until the evidence proves otherwise, you also need to verify this by seeing them for yourself. Quality assuring work that is undertaken, and ongoing monitoring of the physical aspects of that work, provides concrete reassurance.

It is also true we need to be constantly aware of the condition of our organisation. Those in our immediate teams may appear in great condition, but what about their subordinates? We need to speak to, and observe, people at all levels to get an accurate picture of the health of our organisations. This has become ever more important as the number of millennials and Gen Z workers have joined our workforce - and, of course, we also need to inspect the physical condition of our buildings and physical resources to ensure that they are safe and fit for purpose.

All the above takes place prior to firing up the engines to take off. Often, leaders and managers can be impatient to fire up the engines, but getting our plan right, communicating it effectively and having hands-on knowledge of our organisations is crucial to success.

In part two, I will explore what we can learn from pilots once they have left the ground!

David is a serving school business professional and managing director of Carneval Creative Limited, an executive coaching company. He will be back in our July edition with Part 2 of his insights into the crossover between pilots and school leaders and managers.