Command & Crashes

US Airways flight 1549 was carrying 155 people when just minutes after takeoff, a flock of geese struck the plane and damaged the engines. Forced to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River, the pilot took control and calmly landed the plane. Sully Sullenberger (you know the name!) became an American hero and was later played in the movie about the emergency landing by Tom Hanks.

Sully of course wasn’t the only hero that day. It took a team effort to keep everyone safe. In an interview with People magazine, Sully told the reporter:

“I couldn’t have done the whole thing by myself. It took many to save every life,” he says, crediting co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles, other crew members, first responders and New York Waterway, “whose ferry pulled us from the frigid Hudson,” he adds.

People who are exceptionally talented in Command can take control of a situation. They have the presence of mind to step up when it counts and take on the leadership when needed to make a decision. Like Sully, Command doesn’t mean we go at it alone. But when the plane is going down we don’t always have the time to call a meeting and brainstorm the best path forward.

Barrier Labels

Command is a good talent theme to talk about “Barrier Labels” with. Barrier labels are those negative inferences, biases or stereotypes that are sometimes ascribed to an employee based on their talents. As human beings, we have natural biases and assumptions that we often apply to others on a team. Command sometimes gets misinterpreted as inflexible or stubborn. A person willing to take control might come across as being dominating, absent an awareness of ones talent.

We need members of our team who are direct and unafraid of confrontation. If conflict is healthy and appropriately communicated, it can aid productivity. People might actually be drawn to you if you turn this talent into a strength and are clear with your approach.

How to Strengthen Your Command Talent

When Command is your talent then you need to put yourself in trying situations in order to develop it into your superpower. Sully Sullenberger was an experienced pilot with thousands of hours of experience and training. In the 80’s movie Airplane (one of my all-time favorites), Ted Striker was a former pilot who was convinced to take control of a situation when the pilot became incapacitated.

Listen, if you haven’t seen Airplane then please go watch it and then come back to this blog to avoid a spoiler.

Long story short, Ted lands the plane but not as smoothly as Sully did. His ex-girlfriend is one of the flight attendants. He’s neurotic and dealing with all sorts of trauma and personal demons. But with the help of an eccentric air-traffic controller and his former commander, he gets the job done.

If you have Command, ask to take the controls. Get those flight hours in. And keep seeking out those experiences as you never know when it’s your turn to land the plane.