Leadership in Aviation

The concept of leadership is particularly prominent nowadays, as we constantly encounter it in business environments and from the flood of influencers on social media who aim to teach us how to achieve professional goals. Generally, one of the essential characteristics for achieving professional development and reaching the highest levels is having leadership skills.

Leadership can be defined in many ways. A simple definition is the ability of an individual to influence others in such a way that they can unite a group and inspire each person to bring out the best in themselves to achieve a common goal.

If we apply this concept to the aviation sector, it is undoubtedly a highly desirable trait in any crew member. Recruiters will certainly look for indicators during an interview that suggest a candidate has at least the potential to become a future leader. This is due to the natural progression within the sector. A co-pilot will one day become a captain. A flight attendant will one day become a purser.

When courses are developed to train these professionals for their promotion to captain, purser, or any other position of responsibility, the vision of leadership that is presented tends to be somewhat superficial. The courses are often quite general, offering vague theories. Typically, the classic types of leadership are studied, and the desirable leadership traits for teamwork are explained: a person who listens, understands the group’s needs, remains focused on achieving objectives, knows how to bring out the best in each individual, and involves team members in decision-making.

There are many types of leadership, and after completing a typical course, the only clear takeaway is that authoritarian leadership is entirely undesirable. The idea of a cold leader who makes unilateral decisions, believes they alone can solve problems, and imposes their experience and knowledge over (often flawed) input from other team members, particularly in critical situations, is rejected.

Beyond these classifications and labels that attempt to define leadership, I prefer a simpler model promoted by Daniel Goleman: resonant leaders and dissonant leaders. The resonant leader has strong emotional management skills, understands their team’s needs, and creates a positive environment. In contrast, the dissonant leader is not attuned to the emotional needs of the team and focuses solely on achieving the goal.

Evidence from psychology and emotional management studies shows that a dissonant leadership style is unsustainable in the long term, as it generates a negative environment, demotivation, and frustration among team members. However, in certain situations, it can prove effective in the short term, particularly when achieving objectives is critical. This is often the case in a struggling company that needs a “savior” to take decisive action, regardless of whether those measures are popular or foster a positive environment, because the sole focus is on achieving the goal.

The nature of aviation operations requires both types of leadership. The general management of commercial operations calls for a resonant leader, someone who motivates their team daily and inspires each person to perform at their best throughout the workday. However, during a flight, there are many situations that require quick decision-making, where the leader’s experience is crucial to prevent escalation and ensure safety. A good aviation leader must know how to pivot between the two types of leadership to optimize results in all situations.