Sheldon Harris’ Post

If you fail to communicate about your business's problems, your lack of communication could create more turbulence than the problems themselves. Once, when I was on a flight from Vancouver to Seattle, the pilot abruptly announced: "Flight attendants, grab your seats and sit down now." The plane shook violently. I thought we were going down. It was the worst turbulence I've ever experienced—and the pilot never said another word, even after landing. It would have been so simple yet powerful for that pilot to tell us what was happening. His silence was a missed opportunity. Leaders, like that pilot, often fail to communicate during uncertain times. They strategize behind closed doors, ignoring calls and emails, leaving their teams to speculate and worry. Partner and Coach Sheldon Harris once put it this way: "The more you push the line of transparency, the more employees buy into you as a leader and align their efforts with your goals." Wise words from Sheldon. Transparency pays, especially in tough times. #MakeBIGHappen

Without transparent, effective communication, your employees, customers, and vendors will create their narrative. And I can assure you that you won’t like the one they create. Own the narrative for your company through frequent, effective, and transparent communication.

When it comes to worksite safety visible leadership is a top priority. You might be the ‘big boss’ but when you visit a live work site you listen to the safety briefing, follow the rules like everyone else, and celebrate the people who keep everyone else safe. So the next time you visit someone else’s work site make sure your visible leadership includes not asking for special treatment, opening up positive conversations about encouraging safe behaviours and making constructive intervention if you see something that doesn’t look safe. #safetyfirst

As a journalist, I covered Boeing's merger with McDonnell Douglas and the ethical and legal issues that sent two senior executives to jail and led to hefty government fines. The seeds of the company's problems today were planted -- and nurtured -- over decades. As the company and its board search for a new CEO, read my latest article in Fast Company about what qualities and experience this person needs. Thanks to Bill George, Stephen M. R. Covey, Hubert Joly and others who lent their insights to the story. For sure, this will be the hardest job in business. #aviation #leadership #CEOs

The Anatomy of a Failed Leader: …no narrative. Our failed leaders don't have a narrative, not a real narrative about themselves, anyway. Oh, they have a “self-narrative.”  Much of it is fabricated and cleverly disguised or written by someone else. But this self-narrative is isolated and doesn't connect with us, and it certainly doesn’t solve the problems we’re all facing. What’s missing is a narrative founded on actual truth and actual character and actual honor…remember those? The willingness to tell the truth about the actual terrain we’re in. The willingness to consider that terrain, select an objective, shoot an azimuth, and step off. True leadership, the kind that draws upon the consideration of the rest of us, is fading, and consequently, so is our national visibility and understanding of what’s important. As if a fog is settling in on our nation, our society is lost, waiting for someone to step up, identify which hill we're going up, set the path we're going to take, and issue an order we can all get behind. We all admire leaders whose narratives not only touch our own but who seem stronger, wiser, and smarter than we are. The leaders we admire are our inspirational peers, even those whose opinions and decisions don't align precisely with our own. The leaders we truly admire did the work. The first ingredient in the recipe for failure is to become a leader from any process other than this. Some have reached their position by simply memorizing the PowerPoint, and it's predictable that when it's third and ten, they won't cut it. Well, it's third and ten. To those who hold the keys right now…You may one day find yourself surrounded by people who feel as if they can do your job better than you might. Some of those people might even have a strong character built on pure intentions, but for better or worse, the crown has landed on your head. Perhaps they might do it better, but today, the job of leading is yours. Do it.

Leaders must be authentic to inspire action. Boeing's CEO choked when he talked about what would have happened to the person who may have been in the seat next to the hole in the plane. Way better than "quality escape". When things go wrong, the words coming out of a leader's mouth make all the difference. Unfortunately, they are often tone-deaf and may be written by lawyers, making them too complex to be understood by the layman. This is especially true for large companies like Boeing, which must protect themselves from lawsuits. This is what led to its CEO to use words like "quality escape" to describe the Alaska Airlines mishap in a recent media interview. However, he seemed a different person when addressing staff at Boeing's Renton factory this week, which manufactures the 737MAX. Here's how David Calhoun communicated authentically: [0:50] He expresses genuine gratitude to the pilots who safely landed the airplane. [1:29] talks about the struggles faced by Alaska Airlines leadership in grounding all MAX9s. [2:11] He looks at his notes for the first time - everything before seems to be heartfelt rather than written by lawyers. He highlights the focus on transparency in communications, cooperation and trust in the NTSB and introduces his Chief Safety Officer. I wish to see more authentic communication from leaders, especially during a crisis. There are very few who dare to. What do you think Jeff Chatterton Miles Kotay? Who comes to your mind when you think about leaders who communicate well when things go wrong? I can think of Alex Cruz Ed Sims Tony Fernandes and Andre Viljoen. #crisis #communications #leadership

The FoxATM weekly review is back after a holiday break, and there is a twist. The intro will now be a piece of opinion, or as they say now, "thought leadership". The list of news will still be part of it. Read this week's review under https://lnkd.in/dP8pbWpZ and subscribe to get it every week in your inbox: www.foxatm.com/newsletter What do I write about this week? Speculation and self-proclaimed experts.

The glass cliff is the sister concept to the glass ceiling. For anyone who hasn't heard of it before, the glass cliff is when a failing business or a company in crisis hires a woman to lead and turn the organisation around in a short time. The glass cliff can be a double-edged sword, giving woman leadership opportunities the glass ceiling might otherwise preclude, but at the same time pushing women to captain sinking ships. It's a high-risk, high-reward proposition. If she can right the ship, a woman can cement her career in leadership. However, if the gaping hole in the ship is too big to patch, she (and her executive career) will be the first to go overboard. Many men turn down these kinds of positions because the risk is just too high and they expect they can work their way into leadership without this level of risk. But can a woman wanting a chance at executive leadership afford to turn it down? In light of the troubled Boeing's recent female CEO appointment, the glass cliff is once more in the public spotlight although few news outlets are calling it out for what it is. If you want to learn more, I recommend giving this podcast episode a listen to hear what leadership experts have to say about the Boeing leadership shake-up - and glass cliffs in general. https://lnkd.in/g2qFRD4v

Learn how to unlock your upgraded brain 🧠 #aviationsafety #aviationsafety #pilottraining #navigatingleadership #firstclassleaders

To revitalize Boeing’s ethos, the new CEO must surround themselves with individuals who share a genuine passion for aviation and the company’s mission to craft exceptional airplanes. Executive discussions should transcend mere financial metrics, delving into the realm of product innovation, customer feedback, and, critically, safety imperatives. Authenticity is paramount; Boeing’s leadership must embody a sincere enthusiasm for their unique products. https://lnkd.in/g6gcRDDe