Do Deliberate Leadership Values Matter?

For the success of our programs and projects and the safety of our people, it is essential that the lessons of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia guide our actions every day. It’s also important that we set aside time every year to remember those lost in these tragic accidents; this year’s Day of Remembrance is Feb. 7, 2019. One way we can learn from these accidents is to share not only NASA’s lessons learned, but also our personal lessons learned. 

This month, an inspirational TED Talk by former NASA Director of Mission Operations Paul Hill reminds us as managers and leaders to be “deliberate.” This means to be thorough when balancing our management of cost, schedule, technical and safety risk. He discusses the role leadership, values and culture have in enabling NASA to meet our mission, and what happens when we lose sight of those values and allow our culture to drift. It’s necessary to use the same commitment to excellence that we used as employees before becoming managers and inspire the organization to commit to the values that make it great.