Aerodynamic Leadership

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Aerodynamic Leadership Discovering Your Leadership Shape

Toby Edwards BS, CRA, RT(R)

Life is interaction

Everything living interacts

When something alive stops interacting

It ceases to be alive

From the largest

Macro-organism

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To the smallest

Micro-organism

Even life at the cellular level

Constantly interacts

Aerodynamic Leadership

Discovering Your

Leadership Shape

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For a great synopsis of this topic check out my article at

HealthManagement.org

The science of aerodynamics is the study of the resulting interaction between

an object and air.

OBJECT = Leaders

AIR = Members of your organization

So leaders who are aerodynamic possess a leadership shape that

minimizes disruptive interactions with their staff, and leaders who

have a counterdynamic shape produce choppy, chaotic

interactions with their staff.


Aerodynamic objects have two characteristics

that counterdynamic do not -

1. They have minimal “cross-sections” meaning they are low to the ground and not very tall

2. They have “thin” leading edges

meaning the edge that contacts the air is thin and narrow

http://www.simgrosys.com/computational-fluid-dynamics.html

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Laminar (Streamline) Flow is characterized by the movement of air

or fluid around an object in nearly straight lines.

Turbulent Flow is characterized by the movement of air or fluid around an object resulting in choppy or chaotic

flow.

Streamline Flow vs. Turbulent Flow

http://jyscience.wordpress.com/


Aerodynamic Objects

VS

Counterdynamic Objects

Aerodynamic Objects ARE:

Aerodynamic

Objects

Faster

More Stable

More Efficient

Able to Travel

Farther


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Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit

Range: 6,897 miles

Top Speed: 628 mph

Unit Cost: $737M

2013 Lotus E21 Formula One

Cost: about $9.4M

Speed: avg. 0-60 time of 1.9 seconds

Wally 118 Motor Yacht

Powerplant: three gas turbine engines

Horsepower/Speed: 17,000 at 65 knots

Price: $33M

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Oberto H1 Unlimited Hydroplane

Cost: Around $200K

HP/Top Speed: Around 3000/About 190mph on water

Engine: Lycoming T-55 L-7 turbine engine

Counterdynamic Objects ARE:

Counterdynamic Objects

Slower

Less Stable

Less Efficient

Unable to Travel Far


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1982 Volvo Coupe

Increased wind resistance = Lower gas mileage

1960 Volkswagen Transporter

Large leading edge = Increased wind resistance

1960-1970 Tractor Trailers

Incredibly large leading edge = even more increased wind resistance.

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http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/technology/1110/gallery.government_inventions/6.html

While the energy crisis raged in the early 1970’s, President Richard Nixon requested the help of all federal agencies in coming up with energy solutions to ease the crisis. A NASA engineer named Daniel Lockney was working on the future space shuttle and was also an avid biker who had been frequently jostled about by passing semi-trucks, received President Nixon’s blessing to take his team of NASA aerodynamics engineers to Edwards Air Force Base to design a better, more aerodynamic semi-truck. When his team completed their research, the results were passed along to semi-truck manufacturers. It is no accident that modern day semi-trucks look more like an aerodynamic space shuttle than a large shoe box moving inefficiently down the highway.

.

https://spinoff.nasa.gov/pdf/AIAA-2010-8885-305.pdf

The Airflow BulletTruck The BulletTruck has completely smooth contours – no hard edges.

Panels along the underside reduce drag caused by the wind colliding with the tires.

In 2012 the BulletTruck made a cross-country trek from

Connecticut to California. The BulletTruck, with a full load,

achieved an amazing 13.4 mpg compared with 4-6 mpg with

ordinary semi-trucks.

http://www.airflowtruck.com/Press_Releases.html

Aerodynamic Objects have “minimal” cross-sections and “thin” leading edges

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Non-Aerodynamic objects have thick cross-sections and wide, obstructive leading edges.

Aerodynamic vs. Counterdynamic

What is your

leadership

Shape?

Aerodynamic Leaders ARE:


Faster

More Efficient

More Stable

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Aerodynamic Leaders ARE:


Faster –

Aerodynamic Leaders accomplish tasks quicker.

Employees get very frustrated when tasks go untended to by their leaders. Employees want movement on their problems, and fast answers to their unresolved questions.

More Efficient –

Aerodynamic Leaders work smarter.

Washing machines work hard. Working hard is rarely a prerequisite for success. Aerodynamic Leaders position themselves to function from their strengths.

More Stable –

Aerodynamic Leaders understand the immense value of consistency. Above all other leadership traits, consistency is the key to leadership success. Employees almost always know what great leaders will do next.

Aerodynamic Leaders Possess:


Minimal Cross-Sections

Thin Leading Edges

Professional Characteristics That

Create Streamline Flow

Aerodynamic Leaders Possess:


Minimal Cross Sections –

Aerodynamic Leaders promote LIFT.

Airplane wings, by design, promote lift. Subsequently, Aerodynamic leaders, by design, seek to elevate those on the journey with them.

Thin Leading Edges –

Aerodynamic Leaders do not have to be the center of attention.

Their employees, like air across an aerodynamic shape, flow easily around them. Their presence, while firm, promotes easy interactions.

Professional Characteristics that promote streamline flow –

Aerodynamic Leaders create smooth not chaotic flow.

Efficient leaders possess vision. Their decisions are well thought out, well-timed, and produce a peaceable atmosphere. Calm assurance is the norm when an Aerodynamic Leader leads.

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Counterdynamic Leaders ARE:


Slower

Less Efficient

Less Stable

Counterdynamic Leaders ARE:


Slower –

Counterdynamic Leaders function at a pace that hinders confidence.

When tasks that normally take one day to complete start to take one week to complete staff begin to lose confidence in their leader.

Less Efficient –

Counterdynamic Leaders focus on quantity of work instead of the quality of work.

Being a results-oriented leader is a far harder task than working long hours. Being responsible for outcomes is much more difficult than requiring constant activity.

Less Stable –

Counterdynamic Leaders prefer operational and administrative prerogatives.

Executive privilege can be important to successful leadership, but only in rare occasions. Staff need to see that their leader can follow his/her own rules as regularly as they are asked to.

Counterdynamic Leaders Possess:


LARGE Cross-Sections

THICK Leading Edges

Professional Characteristics That Create TURBULENT Flow

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Counterdynamic Leaders Possess:


LARGE Cross Sections –

Counterdynamic Leaders promote DRAG.

Their leadership style asks the question “What advantages can my title or authority offer me?” instead of “What advantages can my title or authority offer my staff?”

THICK Leading Edges –

Counterdynamic Leaders need their employee’s attention.

Interactions with counterdynamic leaders are more focused on them than the employee, so employees often tire quickly. It takes much more energy for an employee to approach you than for you to approach them. It is beneficial to follow this idea.

Professional characteristics that promote turbulent flow –

Counterdynamic Leaders create choppy, chaotic flow.

Counterdynamic leaders rarely prepare. They often shoot from the hip. They try to use charisma, the strength of their personality, their experience, what they’ve heard from other leaders etc. to get from Point A to Point B. Without true preparation what could be great is only marginally acceptable. Without clarity there is often chaos.

Here are some Aerodynamic Leadership tips to assist you with your organization.

We now know what Aerodynamic Leaders look like. How can we put these principles

into practical use?

Conveniently, Aerodynamic Leaders are metaphorically similar to a wise and seasoned airline pilot.


Aerodynamic Leadership Principle #1

Your passengers (members of your organization) cannot see what you see or hear what you hear.


Aerodynamic Leaders should remember that they are the only ones in their organization with a direct view ahead. Because of the position of your passengers they cannot see what is happening. Their vision is limited to the periphery while their primary view is obstructed. This is very important to remember – Your people, who are your customers, depend on you to compensate for their lack of vision.

Additionally, your team members will not hear what you hear either. When the tower calls to re-direct your flight, your passengers are not privy to that conversation.

An aerodynamic leader will communicate just enough to bring understanding.

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Be Informative Early


My mentor taught me many things, but he was fond of saying, “Delivery is as important as content!” If your organization must climb to avoid a storm or divert to a different destination due to mechanical issues, it is best known earlier than later.

People are naturally controlling which means that they are especially sensitive when they have no control. Your people need to feel that their pilot is in control so that their personal lack of control is under control.

Communicating change with a good amount of lead time makes for a more rational and prepared group of passengers.


Be Economical in Your Speech


One of two things happens when someone uses too many words, but does not arrive at a conclusion: the hearer tunes them out or watches and waits for the speaker to crash and burn. When a pilot cannot get to the point quickly it makes his passengers very nervous.

Pilots who explain themselves confidently are respected – pilots who explain themselves confidently and economically are aerodynamic!


Know What Your Flight Attendants Know


Flight attendants are found among the passengers not locked away in the cockpit, therefore they see what the pilot cannot. Flight attendants can best describe the mood of the passengers, see potential problems brewing, and are ideally positioned to improve their passenger’s flight experience.

Aerodynamic Leaders know what their flight attendants know, and as a result they know what is going on in their aircraft.

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Avoid Actions That Hinder Your Aerodynamic Ability


An Aerodynamic Leader would never drop their flaps or landing gear while traveling 500 mph at an altitude of 50,000 feet. It would greatly disrupt the aerodynamic ability of the aircraft and imperil the passengers, but inappropriate words or behaviors by a leader effectively does the same thing.

Unfortunately, inappropriate actions of one in leadership almost always adversely affects the many that they lead.


Every Aspect of Leadership is a Customer Service Event


Aerodynamic Leaders understand that their every decision, interaction, announcement, policy change, etc. is a customer service event. Their work is about benefitting their employees and the organization.

Aerodynamic Leaders avoid decisions that bring drag or resistance to their flight except when those elements are necessary.

All things being equal – aerodynamic things use less energy, are more efficient, and can move faster that things that are not.


Know the “sound” and “feel” of your aircraft.


Every organization, like every aircraft, has it’s own unique identity that is expressed in very different ways. I have managed Radiology departments inside of large, research-driven academic medical centers to small, rural community hospital departments and the two are vastly different. For-profit, non-profit, physician-owned, specialty and surgical hospitals, and public/county-owned facilities all create unique operational “sounds” and each produces a different “feel”.

An aerodynamic leader knows the “sound” and “feel” of their aircraft, and is therefore ready to take action when those dynamics change.

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Manage with the full understanding that not ALL of your passengers are going to enjoy their flight!


There was a time recently in my career that I managed a department with the BEST employee and customer satisfaction scores of any department in my hospital, but, at the same time, I had most of my full time staff interviewed by HR because of one formal complaint. The complaint was unsubstantiated, but it changed the attitude and culture of my department for months.

I had one unhappy passenger – ONE. Never forget that an unhappy passenger is really just an unhappy person who stepped on YOUR plane!!


Stay Current Professionally!


Read professional journals, subscribe to daily industry emails, attend CE seminars and really listen, go to industry shows because tech-driven fields like ours change constantly. It is easy as administrators and managers to focus more on the organizations we manage and less on the field we work in, but this will serve to undermine and lessen your leadership value. Staying current professionally, especially in regulatory affairs, will elevate your standing in any organization you work in. Knowledge is power, and to understand industry trends and to know which way your industry winds are blowing, will cause your opinion to be sought after.


ENJOY the view!


An airline pilot’s days, like the days of any administrator, are filled with important responsibilities. Pre-flight checklists, post-flight checklists, operational routines, navigation, communications, inclement weather, and many, many other things, so it is easy to forget to enjoy the view – DON’T!

One of the great privileges of being a leader is being able to view the growth, development and satisfaction of your employees from the vantage point of leadership!

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SO…..The real question you have to ask yourself is:


Which picture best exemplifies my leadership

shape?



Or do my leadership decisions look like this?

Is this what my leadership decisions look like?



Or this type of leadership vehicle?

Do my employees perceive me to be this type of leadership vehicle?

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Or this type of leadership vehicle?

Do my employee satisfaction scores reflect

this kind of leadership vehicle?

Finally – What kind of leadership flow do I create?


Or do they find choppy chaos in my leadership

wake?

Do my employees seamlessly pass over my

leadership?

http://jyscience.wordpress.com/

Whatever your current leadership shape, you now possess the knowledge to evaluate that shape and

improve the aerodynamics of it!

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Changing Your

Leadership Shape QUESTIONS?

BIBLIOGRAPHY: CHICK/DAVID (2014) Breaker Breaker: Airflow Truck Company Pioneers Trucking Innovations [Online] Available from: http://www.airflowtruck.com/Press_Releases.html [Accessed: 18th June 2015] GEORGE/PATRICK E. (2015) How Stuff Works [Online] Available from: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-economy/aerodynamics.htm [Accessed: 21st June 2015] JYSCIENCE. (2012) Moving Through Fluid [Online] Available from: https://jyscience.wordpress.com/ [Accessed: 22nd June 2015] MONEY.CNN.COM. (2011) 7 Great Government-Backed Inventions [Online] Available from: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/technology/1110/gallery.government_inventions/6.html [Accessed: 23rd June 2015] NASA.COM (2013) What is Aerodynamics? [Online] Available from: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/what-is-aerodynamics-k4.html#.VYmeQ3nbK70 [Accessed: 26th June 2015] SYNONYM.COM. (2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.synonym.com/antonyms/aerodynamic/ [Accessed: 18th June 2015] THESAURUS.COM. (2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/aerodynamic?s=t [Accessed: 18th June 2015]

Aerodynamic Leadership

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