Did you know that the FAA and United States Air Force abandoned traditional leadership a long time ago.
The FAA found in the 80s and 90s that when flights crews were led as a totalitarian dictatorship with the Captain being revered as all knowing unquestioning leader it led to more planes crashing then with collaborative and servantstyle leadership.
Why?
Because leaders are humans too. And a managers position and experience does not automatically make them the all seeing, all knowing, omniscient infallible being.
What it does instead, as the FAA and USAF now call “crew management” puts the captain in a role of servant to the mission and people entrusted to them and facilitator of ideas, guide and mentor to people fulfilling their roles, focuser and aligned of mission and purpose.
We’re already moving this direction in other organizations but not quite fast enough. The majority of people still feel disconnected from their boss and organizations mission.
Let’s better equip our managers and leaders to be Collaborative Captains and not Totalitarian Dictators, even if their nice ones. The future of our organizations and people livelihoods and lives depend on it.
Devin Craig