Aviation Leadership
Aviation Leadership Principles and Traits
by Kent B. Lewis
(shamelessly adapted from the U. S. Marine Corps)
Aviation Leadership Principles
- Know yourself and seek self-improvement.
- Be technically and operationally proficient.
- Develop a sense of responsibility among your team mates (FSS, ATC, maintenance, crew, FSDO, AOPA, EAA).
- Make sound and timely decisions.
- Set the example.
- Know your team and look out for their welfare.
- Keep your team informed.
- Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.
- Ensure assigned tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished.
- Train as a team.
- Employ your command in accordance with its capabilities.
Aviation Leadership Traits
• Dependability
The certainty of proper performance of all duties.
• Bearing
Creating a favorable impression in carriage, appearance and personal conduct at all times.
• Courage
The mental and physical quality that recognizes fear of danger or criticism, but enables one to proceed (or not proceed) in the face of it with calmness and firmness.
• Decisiveness
Ability to make decisions promptly and to announce them in clear, forceful manner.
• Endurance
The mental and physical stamina measured by the ability to withstand pain, fatigue, stress and hardship.
• Enthusiasm
The display of sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of duties.
• Initiative
Taking action in the absence of orders or regulations.
• Integrity
Uprightness of character and soundness of moral principles; includes the qualities of truthfulness and honesty.
• Judgment
The ability to weigh facts and possible solutions on which to base sound decisions.
• Justice
Giving reward and punishment according to merits of the case in question. The ability to administer a system of rewards and punishments impartially and consistently.
• Knowledge
Understanding of a science or an art. The range of one’s information, including professional knowledge and an understanding of your craft.
• Loyalty
The quality of faithfulness to country, to one’s passengers and team.
• Tact
The ability to deal with others without creating offense.
• Unselfishness
Avoidance of providing for one’s own comfort and personal advancement at the expense of others.
For a fun time, compare these USMC principles with W. E. Deming’s 14 STEPS TO TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
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1. Create constancy of purpose for improvement of product and service.
2. Adopt the new philosophy.
3. Cease dependence on mass inspection.
4. End the practice of awarding business on price tag alone.
5. Improve constantly and forever the system of product and service.
6. Institute training and retraining.
7. Institute leadership.
8. Drive out fear.
9. Break down barriers between staff areas.
10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the workforce.
11. Eliminate numerical quotas.
12. Remove barriers to pride of workmanship.
13. Institute a vigorous program of education and retraining.
14. Take action to accomplish the transformation.
or consider Stephen Covey’s 7 habits of Highly Effective People
1. Be proactive: Principles of Personal Vision
2. Begin with the end in mind
3. Put first things first: Principles of Personal Management
4. Think win/win: Principles of Interpersonal Leadership
5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood
6. Synergize Principles of Creative Communication
7. Sharpen the Saw: Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal
and this just in, the 8th habit..
8. From effectiveness to greatness
Contact info: kent@signalcharlie.net
Signal Charlie 
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