Recipe for Success: Behavioral Ingredients for Superior Performing Leaders

Abstract

Verbatim from Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons. Not paraphrased, not summarized.

The aviation and aerospace business is a complex adaptive system that includes emerging technologies, competitors, government policies, cost demands, globalization, and talent constraints. To effectively lead in the chaos of constant demands and disruptive and unpredictable external environments, having deep and broad functional expertise is not enough. Superior performing leaders require further broadening and deepening of selected behavioral competencies in order to succeed (Smith, 2000). Particular to aviation and aerospace, understanding the types of leaders needed to be successful is especially important since baby boomer employees will soon retire and the middle managers that will likely replace them lack the required behaviors. Worsening this is a scarcity of talent available. Velocci (2009) revealed that how organizations respond to this would shape the future of the industry’s landscape. McKee, Boyatzis, & Johnson (2008) argued that behavioral competencies, not IQ or technical experience, are the most important factors in distinguishing great leadership. Findings from an unprecedented study of 112 leaders in eight aviation and aerospace organizations will shed light on the specific behavioral competencies that differentiate superior performing leaders and serves to fill a tremendous void with respect to aviation and aerospace human capital. This work contributes by supporting organizations to more effectively select, develop, and promote those aviation and aerospace leaders that can positively affect organizational performance. As such, organizations can experience improved candidate selections, enhanced professional development and promotion decisions, increased employee engagement and productivity, as well as decreased turnover.

Author

• Pittenger, Linda M. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Keywords

• behavioral competencies
• performance
• leaders
• aviation and aerospace
• Business Administration, Management, and Operations
• Human Resources Management
• Leadership Studies
• Organizational Behavior and Theory
• Organization Development
• Performance Management
• Training and Development