Leadership takes many forms. Sometimes leadership is well thought out, planned, and executed over time, and yet in other cases, leadership is the act of being decisive, in the moment and on the spot. When I think of that latter part; that in-the-moment decision making where a leader is clearly defined, one particular event comes to mind. US Air flight 1549 and the actions of captain “Sully” Sullenberger.
Flight 1549 flew into a flock of birds while departing New York’s LaGuardia airport in January of 2009. The decisions that were taken immediately following takeoff saved the lives of the passengers and crew. They were based upon pure skill; the technical skill of flying and the skill of effective and decisive leadership.
With both engines out and in a major metro area, captain Sullenberger made the quick decision to ditch his airplane into the Hudson river. Some brief excerpts of the transcripts between the captain and the area control towers show just how harrowing an experience this was.
2027:36 AWE1549 “ah this is uh cactus fifteen thirty nine hit birds we lost thrust in both engines we’re turning back toward laguardia”
2027:49 L116 — tower stop your departures we got an emergency returning
2027:53 LGA — who is it
2027:54 L116 — it’s fifteen twenty nine he ah bird strike he lost all engines he lost the thrust in the engines he is returning immediately
2027:59 LGA — cactus fifteen twenty nine which engines
2028:01 L116 — he lost thrust in both engines he said
2028:05 L116 — cactus fifteen twenty nine if we can get it to you do you want to try land runway one-three
2028:36 L116 — okay what do you need to land
2028:46 L116 — cactus fifteen forty nine runway four is available if you want to make left traffic to runway four
2028:50 AWE1549 — I am not sure we can make any runway oh what’s over to our right anything in new jersey maybe teterboro
2028:55 L116 — okay yea off to your right side is teterboro airport
2029:02 L116 — do you want to try and go to teterboro
2029:03 AWE1549 — yes
2029:21 L116 — cactus fifteen twenty nine turn right two eight zero you can land runway one at teterboro
2029:25 AWE1549 — we can’t do it
2029:26 L116 — okay which runway would you like at teterboro
2029:28 AWE1549 — we’re gonna be in the hudson
2029:33 L116 — i’m sorry say again cactus
Transcripts Taken from the Wall Street Journal
In less than two minutes, captain Sullenberger assessed the situation, evaluated his aircrafts capabilities, and was decisive in finding an unorthodox place to land. With his position as flight captain, Mr. Sullenberger had assigned leadership and was in a position with power. According to Northouse (2013), being in a position of power gives a leader the “ability to affect others’ beliefs, attitudes, and courses of action,” and in this case the captain was able to rapidly accomplish all three in short order (p. 9). At no time did the control tower or first officer question captain Sullenberger’s decision, as risky or unusual as it might have been.
Captain Sullenberger used his experience in applying a skills based approach to his leadership actions. Northouse (2013) discusses how past experience can help leaders resolve complex problems, which in this case proved very effective as no one was harmed. “Problem-solving skills are a leader’s creative ability to solve new and unusual, ill-defined organization problems,” as per Northouse (p. 48). While the problem facing the flight crew of US1549 may not have been organization in nature (at least by the definition we’ve been studying), it did have an organizational impact as the result turned into a positive for the organization whereas a different (catastrophic) result would have brought major organizational consequences.
We tend to view leadership as the actions taken by people in charges of large groups, yet opportunities for leadership exist around us at all times. Fortunately for those onboard US1549, they had a person at the helm willing and capable to apply both a trait and skills based approach to the decisions being made that day.
References
Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership theory and practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Phillips, M. (2009, February 5). US Airways Flight 1549 Transcript Released. The Wall Street Journal retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2009/02/05/us-airways-flight-1549-transcript-released/
Anne Merideth Tressler says
This is a great example of leadership. Captain Sully was able to respond in a powerful way that saved hundreds of lives. When it came down to it, Captain Sully responded with quick, decisive actions and carried them out in a succinct manor. Often times leadership is a matter of using years of knowledge and skill to come through in a specific time of need. I doubt that Captain Sully ever thought of himself as a leader, but when it came to landing a plane in the Hudson River, he was able to show his leadership skills.
Ashley Rotell says
Not only do I fully agree with your reflection of the captains leadership being with the skills technique, because of how he had to change his way of thinking quickly to the situation at hand, but I also believe that he was able to show his power through his voice and actions when speaking with the control tower. I imagine he used a no non-sense tone which radiated through the tower to let everyone know that he is in charge in this situation.
By using his influence tactic, he was able to change the way at which the co-pilot and the crew on the plane, as well as the crew at tower control were thinking in order to get them up to speed and on the same page as him so they can get the plane down safely in the water with the most minimal of ill effects.
Not only do I believe this pilot exhibited an enormous amount of leadership at this time, but I also know that he is a true hero.
Online commentary, lesson 7