Leadership and Air Traffic Control

This is an analogy I've use in many senior level engegements in the past.  It works for me because it suggests a basic skill set for leaders that we don't often take time to contemplate.  This skill set has nothing to do with communication skills, direction setting, building commitment or any of those other great things leaders need to have in their kit bag or portfolio of tools to manage the multi-dimensional and complex business scenarios they have to deal with every day.

 I say great leadership is a bit like air traffic control.  Imagine the context and what is required in performance terms.  Our experienced and qualified air traffic controller starts her shift and takes over a very large screen full of binking dots and flight numbers.  What does successful performance look like  for our air traffic controller?  Well, priority number one is to have a safe shift.  To get every flight to where they are heading safely.  There are several factors at play here.  First of all, in order to avoid any mid air catastrophes, we hope that our experienced air traffic controller has her screen switched on AND that she is paying close attention to the blinking dots (representing many lives in her hands).  She's going to be paying close attention to where each dot is on her screen, height, speed of travel and direction.  She will also be paying close attention to each dot in relation to other dots on the screen.  But in order to do so and have a successful shift, she also has to make sure that her screen is given a factual representation of what's really going on.  She has to ensure that her screen is tuned in to the individual radar signal of each and every dot blinking in front of her.  Only then, safe in the knowledge that her radar is switched on, the frequency is fine tuned and she pays close attention to the interplay of each aircraft as it proceeds to its final goal ( a safe landing), can she say she is doing her job properly and be 'successful'.

I think in business leadership is a bit like this scenario.  A leader has to get on with their tasks, head down and deliver.  But leadership is not a remote, indvidualistic activity.  In order to succeed with the team in their charge, they have to make sure their own 'radar' or 'antennae' is switched on; that he or she takes a moment to scan what's actually happening with the team, both as a group and how they inter-relate to one another, and as individuals with their own requirements, needs and aspirations. If a leader forgets, or doesn't operate as an air traffic controller from time to time, to lift their head up from the task and to scan the scope of what's infront of them, they fail to take the opportunity to make those little adjustments that are required from time to time in helping their people deliver and achieve their goals in executing the business strategy.

 How often have leaders been so preccupied with the immediate task at hand that they have failed to notice the numbers of people in front of them that are dependent on their leadership skills to enable them to navigate a safe and successful 'landing'?  While the consequences might not be as dramatic as an air traffic control accident, the 'tragedy' for the team, its individual members and ultimately for the business can be as impactful without these observational and 'fine-tune' people skills needed by a leader.  Without the 'equipment' and skills of the air traffic controller, a leader limits the range of possible options available to them in order to avoid a 'mid-air accident'.  Leaders, I propose, therefore need to be a bit like air traffic controllers and pay close attention to what's going on in front of them as well as the final results.