This week's post was written by David Krahling.
Many years ago, I learned to fly and earned my private pilot
license. I was fascinated by the art of flying and drawn to the beauty of the endless
blue sky. It took some practice for me to become comfortable controlling airspeed
and elevators for take-off and climb, along with blending aileron and rudder to
execute a coordinated turn. However, like most student pilots, I mastered the
basics of climbing, descending, and turning fairly quickly. Interestingly, we
tend to use the expression “learn to fly” when describing this accomplishment. Yet,
learning to fly is relatively simple; mastering a safe landing is the real
challenge. Unlike flying, landing is an entirely different maneuver and there
is a much lower tolerance for error. Successful landings require a high degree
of skill and a great deal of practice. Nailing a perfect landing is challenging
enough in calm weather conditions, but throw in a crosswind and the difficulty
increases significantly. For an ideal landing, the pilot must reach stall speed
at the exact moment the wheels touch down with wings level and flight path perfectly
aligned to the center of the runway. Pilots refer to a perfect landing as,
“greasing the runway.”
Similar to the skill, focus, and practice required of a pilot,
athletes must also refine their skills to be safe and successful. The Rio
Olympics offered a wonderful opportunity to view some of the world’s greatest
athletes compete in various sports. There are many leadership lessons to be
found in the stories of the dedicated athletes whose strength, balance, and
courage allow them to push the limits of the human body. In gymnastics, for
example, there is extraordinary focus on the landing at the very end of the
routine. Commentators and spectators alike discuss, in great detail, whether or
not the gymnast “stuck the landing.” As I watched gymnasts demonstrate impressively
complex maneuvers on the vault, pommel horse, beam, rings and bars, I could
sense their disappointment when a landing was disturbed by a slight hop. The
path to a perfect ten is determined by the difficulty of the routine and point deductions.
Although a slight hop in the landing may seem insignificant, sticking the
landing is crucial.
If you hold a leadership role, at Interstates or elsewhere, successfully
completing a project may be just as critical as a pilot greasing the runway or
a gymnast sticking a landing. This is because how we complete a project can
have a significant impact on those we serve. The ending is typically the most
important part of a project for Interstates. At the end of a project, we strive
to create a memorable experience and positive, lasting impression for each of
our clients. This is why we invest a great deal in our check out commissioning
and start up processes; we too need to stick our landings. Other leadership
activities have a similar need for successful endings. A strong finish is
crucial when leading initiatives and executing strategic programs. As leaders,
it is often easier to start something new or get distracted in performing the
routine, while losing sight of the need to finish something well. Great leaders
understand the value of having enough energy to close out initiatives and
programs with a strong finish. Therefore, our challenge as leaders is to determine
how to get our teams to a successful ending. Some aspects of leadership don’t
always feature a clear ending, such as coaching our teams and developing our
company culture. These features are an ongoing process where leaders must work
to set us on a path in the direction of a strong finish so that eventually we
can stick our landing.
Continue leading the Interstates way!
David Krahling
