Be Honest, Communicate Clearly, and Take Responsibility

In October I had the opportunity to lead a graduate level class of future aeronautical engineers at the University of Virginia. It was great to be back in the classroom. We warmed up the engines by first talking about the results of a recent Cavaliers football game, but the gears really started turning as we transitioned to a discussion about leadership, ethics, and their future careers.

We reviewed the case of how Boeing’s leadership, historically an engineer-led company, has managed the recent issues related to the door plugs blowing out in mid flight. Questions about how much to report (honesty) and what will be done (integrity), and the leadership implications related to each, were discussed and debated.

We ended in a rapid-fire debrief segment where the students realized that leadership challenges are neither simple nor easily resolved and there is a significant responsibility when designing machines that fly humans through the sky. We agreed on this: Be honest, communicate clearly, and take responsibility.