Recently, CAAL was asked to address the Connecticut SBIR and Global Trade conference on the subjects of leadership and innovation. In the process of preparing our remarks I reviewed the 2012 IBM CEO Survey. Titled “Leading Through Connections”, IBM identifies a number of business imperatives that are upper most of CEOs’ business concerns (IBM, 2012). Prominently on the list are: connections, engagement, collaboration, analytical competencies, partnerships, and tolerance for change. All of these subjects are [...]

We live in an era of complexity where inflection points are coming more rapidly. Future generations of leaders will need to cope with dramatically different environments than current leaders deal with. New industries are emerging that weren’t conceived of just a few years ago; conversely, some mature industries will be gone.

There are number of exceptional organizations that support aviation and aerospace manufacturers. Many come to mind quickly, the Aerospace Industries Association, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers are but a few. There are regional and local ones as well, including the public-private Manufacturing Extension Partnership. All of these organizations are generally well know. However, there is one that is a gem of a national resource for aviation and aerospace that [...]

Over two years ago, I got a phone call one afternoon from Dr. Robert Materna. He asked me if I wanted to be involved in something exciting. Knowing Robert as a serious person, I took him at his word and heard him out. Robert laid out an ambitious vision – of an organization dedicated to enhancing and building the competitive advantage of US aviation and aerospace on a global basis. The instrument would be an [...]

Just about every study that has been conducted on aerospace employment over the next twenty years indicates the U.S. will have a shortage of qualified aerospace workers.

It is clear that the past decade has been a challenge for most of the U.S. aviation and aerospace industry. 9/11, the financial crisis, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the global recession and current geopolitical situation have created an environment that makes it difficult to plan and execute traditional business strategies. Commercial aviation has struggled, general aviation has been devastated, the space program is in turmoil, and the future of military aviation is unclear. [...]

He needs to flip his mental mode to thinking in terms of becoming a trim tab instead of the rudder. What small sources of influence might he be able to develop and control that could change his level of effectiveness? For instance, maybe he could contribute to the company newsletter, become a union rep, or help with the boss’ pet project. The point is that small changes can have big impacts.

My wife, Liz, is a pilot for Southwest Airlines, and I jokingly tell my friends that although I do not fly actively today, I live vicariously through her, and her career at SWA. However, my own relationship with her employer dates back to 1995 when I was also hired by Southwest. Fresh out of the Air Force, I followed my friends to the place where ex-fighter pilots went to fly commercial airliners and tell stories [...]

At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Center for Aviation and Aerospace Leadership (CAAL), we have a team of experts whose focus is on keeping our industry and the companies and institutions within it abreast of the best ways to compete in the global marketplace.

Leadership discussions often focus on the subject of motivation. In traditional terms, leaders are somehow understood to be the “motivators.” They must create within the employees the driving force, the need, the rationale, the raison d’etre. It’s as if leadership must have some power to inject, to force feed, to create a sense of urgency in the employee. Years ago, as an Air Force Academy cadet, I spent multiple hours in the office of the [...]