This is an extract from a New York Times interview with
David Barger, president and chief executive of JetBlue.
Q. How do you talk about leadership within the company?
A. We teach principles of leadership on a regular basis, to
supervisors and above. The module I teach is, “Inspiring Greatness in Others,”
and we talk a lot about how we each have a silhouette that comes to life. And,
as the silhouette comes to life, it’s as much about what you’re doing, the body
language, as what you’re saying. There’s a lot of lessons to be learned by
watching others make a mistake. And I’ve certainly seen that, in the past. It
could be leaders coming in and the next thing you know they’re not visiting the
cockpit, they’re not saying hi in the galley, they’re not going to the baggage
service office, they’re not stopping by the ticket counter. It doesn’t take a
lot. People know you’re there. Go see them. Be present.
Q. What are some other takeaways from your session?
A. There are several,
but here’s a few more: Be mindful that there is incredible leadership all
around you. Go find it. Go tap it. Go mine it. And here’s a key question: would
you want to report to yourself? It’s little things, too. When you say hi to
somebody, do you mean it, or is it just a casual comment?
Q. Any leadership insights you’ve gained in the last couple
of years?
A. We have executive
coaches we’ve used over the last couple of years. The message was, enough consensus
building. When it’s time to make a decision and your team’s not making the
decision, make the decision. I don’t think I ever was reticent in terms of
making a decision. But, as I look back, there were plenty of examples where the
team was looking at an issue but not getting a final decision. I think it’s
probably the most formative feedback I’ve been given — that it’s fine to be the
consensus builder, and I know that’s where I lean in terms of my leadership
DNA, but now I am more comfortable saying, “This is what we’re going to do.
Next topic.”
For more, see: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/business/early-access-as-a-fast-track-to-learning.html?_r=1
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