In 1903, a nationwide race was underway. The winner would be the first to fly a plane successfully. There were several competitors, but the front-runners were Samuel Langley, the secretary of the Smithsonian, and Orville and Wilbur Wright. The hurdles they faced were threefold: lift, balance, and power.
The Wright brothers found three solutions to those problems and flew into the history books as airplane pioneers. It is awe-inspiring to think about those who dream and accomplish the impossible. I came across a brief synopsis of the Wright brothers’ achievement and paused on the three areas that stood between Orville and Wilbur, and an unimaginable achievement.
Leadership, like flight, is a delicate process. It takes the right combination of various combustible forces to harness the energy necessary to fly gracefully. Any incongruence and disaster are highly probable. It is also a great way to view leadership. Leaders who want to take flight must harness lift, balance, and power to soar gracefully to new heights.
Lift is the force that directly opposes the weight of an object. It overcomes the opposing forces of gravity and inertia. Leaders face oppositional forces from many sources. The fear of change, jealousy among teammates, confusion within the ranks, and an exhausted workforce are just a short list of the opposing forces. Lift for a leader is creating clarity about the mission (what are we doing?), casting a compelling vision (how will we do it?), and daily, consistent motivation (why are we doing it?). As a pilot at your organization, have you solved the lift problem?
Balance for a plane includes the length of the wings, the amount of weight, and the placement of the weight relative to its center. The subtle balancing of these things provides balance and stability. Leaders have to be experts in balancing things. Your team will have needs as diverse as their makeup, and in many instances, those desires will compete against each other. Leaders help their teams focus on the essential things, giving them the balance they need to push forward when the atmosphere gets bumpy. Reminding the team of the mission, providing timely insights on larger objectives, and modeling sacrifice are ways a leader can help a team embrace the need for balance. As a pilot at your organization, have you solved the balance problem?
Power for a plane means consistent thrust moving a plane along at the sustained speed necessary for flight. The thrust requires the most explosive and dangerous components of a plane. Power for a leader presents the same explosive danger. Power can be understood as the combination of personality, physical presence, and position. Words sound heavier when power is in play. Suggestions feel like demands and facial expressions look like scowls. A leader must be self-aware and use their power dynamic carefully if an organization is to fly.
The Wright brothers figured out how to harness lift, balance, and power to do what few thought possible. I’m sure we can learn to do the same as leaders of our people.
Keep on, keepin’ on, friends.
Bite Down and Don’t Let Go is a collection of writings on relentlessly leading yourself and others well. Read about it more here. You can listen to the Bite Down and Don't Let Go podcast here!
Dr. Chris Hobbs is an educational leader with more than two decades of experience. He’s earned a few degrees and won some awards. He’s happily married to his high school sweetheart, and they have three children. Life is messy and complicated most of the time. You can follow him on Twitter for inspirational thoughts and good laughs.
Comments
Post a Comment