Source: Linkedin
The before-takeoff checklist is one of the most important steps meant to be completed by pilot before take off. In addition, equally important is to ensure that the pilot and co-pilot are physically fit and psychologically able to safely perform their duties. Thankfully, there’s also a checklist for that. It doesn’t really matter if it’s a 30 minutes or a 10 hours flight.
Given the complexity of our today business environment I wonder if anyone does a “before landing checklist” to ensure the leadership of the organisation they intend to join is physically and mentally fit to run the business. Over that past 20 years, I have experienced several leadership styles from different cultural and religious backgrounds. However, the main concern in leading an organisation is how fit the leadership is and if they are able to fly the organisation during rough weather.
There are many physiological and psychological factors that could impair a leader’s ability to drive a business and make a correct judgment, including physical illness, medication, stress, alcohol and emotion. In my opinion, stress and emotion could impair the leader ability to see the reality of business environment and competition.
You may ask how we can find out if the leader is fit before landing into your new role. Well, all it takes is to have a face to face talk with the person that you are going to report to and ask some questions to assess your feelings before getting on board. Even before you meet your potential boss, you can learn a lot about how a company is run by its gatekeepers. These are people who you first come in contact with, from the human resources manager to a company’s receptionist.
Remember it takes two to tango and you need to trust the leader as it’s vital for your career and is your job to make sure you are the right fit for the company and you will both be winners.