Gregory Charles’ Post

What is affecting company's tangible results? Some reasons... a) Lack of mission's clarity: employees may not fully know the mission & how their individual roles contribute to the mission of the company. b) Misalignment of values: employees may have personal values that conflict with the company's mission or culture, as they grow in their positions. c) Communication breakdown: poor communication from top-to-bottom can result in misinformation, hindering (b) the alignment efforts by the company. d) Inconsistent leadership: when inconsistent leadership behaviors or actions "contradict the company's stated mission" this affects (a), (b) & (c). When leaders fail to embody the organization's values in actions, employees will become disillusioned & more likely to disassociate. This is not good for the company's overall performance. Here is an insightful article about this subject: "NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration vows to battle 'organizational silence' as problems arise amid Artemis delays" https://lnkd.in/efhVN4ai

When President John F. Kennedy visited the NASA HQ in the 1960s he asked a Janitor: “What are you doing here?” The janitor replied: “I am helping to put a man on a moon.” Powerful!!! This is a great example of what can be accomplished when every single member or an organization understands the mission. Alignment: Does every action taken within the organization contribute to mission success, or are some actions wasting energy? Vision: Have the leader(s) within the organization clearly articulated “where” they see the organization going? Purpose: Does the organization have a “Why” behind its existence and is it understood across the organization? Cohesion: Assuming that alignment, vision, and purpose are in place, does every member of the organization…. BELIEVE? Do they believe that their actions contribute to the cause? Are they willing to sacrifice personal agendas for the greater whole? Are the relationships within the organization tight-knit, effective, and well led? Lastly, does ego take a backseat to humble teamwork? Small anecdote with many lessons to learn.

Honored to meet former NASA Astronaut who has joined Space X and now an adviser @ Vast. Dr Garret Reismann is such a guru in his field as I listened in great respect to his speech. Here are some key takeaways from his talk: Size and Agility: Dr. Reisman highlighted the contrast between NASA and SpaceX. While NASA is a large organization with abundant resources, SpaceX started small with fewer than 30 employees. The smaller size allowed SpaceX to be more agile, innovative, and receptive to failures. This agility enabled them to deliver results quickly. Balancing Bureaucracy and Innovation: Maintaining agility and innovation while dealing with bureaucracy and processes is indeed a challenge. Organizations can learn from SpaceX’s approach by fostering a culture that encourages experimentation, risk-taking, and rapid decision-making. It’s essential to strike a balance between efficient processes and the flexibility needed for innovation. Continuous Learning: Organizations should continuously learn and adapt. Even as they grow, they can retain the spirit of a startup by encouraging cross-functional collaboration, empowering employees, and embracing change. At the end of the day, it tells me that it’s important to remember, it’s not about the size of the organization but the mindset and approach that drive success. As you expand your presence, consider how to maintain agility while navigating necessary processes. Happy mid week to all and I hope that this sharing gives you some insights of how we can make our company run more effectively..

Have you ever faced a project that seemed on the brink of disaster? As management professionals, staring down potential failure can be a daunting experience. But what if I told you the key to success lies not in avoiding missteps but in spectacularly learning from them? That's the core takeaway I gleaned from Gene Kranz's inspiring book, "Failure Is Not an Option." Kranz, a legendary NASA flight director, takes us on a thrilling ride through the American space program's triumphs and tribulations. We witness the early days, fraught with the "four-inch flight" and the devastating Apollo 1 fire. Yet, from the ashes rose a culture of relentless learning, technical mastery, and unwavering teamwork. Here are three key learnings that resonated with me, applicable to any manager's toolkit: Embrace the Power of Candor: Kranz fostered an environment where honest communication thrived. Problems weren't sugarcoated but dissected with brutal clarity. This transparency allowed for quicker identification and resolution of issues, ultimately propelling success. Never Stop Learning: The space race was a constant learning curve. Kranz emphasized the importance of analyzing every mission, success or failure, to glean valuable insights. This growth mindset is essential for managers to navigate the ever-evolving business landscape. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Putting a man on the moon wasn't a one-man show. Kranz's account highlights the unwavering trust and collaboration between flight directors, engineers, and astronauts. Building strong, cohesive teams remains paramount for achieving ambitious goals. Kranz's story isn't just about NASA's moon landing; it's a testament to the human spirit's ability to overcome adversity through continuous learning and unwavering teamwork. These timeless principles can be invaluable assets for any management professional navigating the complexities of today's business world. Not to forget, ever, Failure is not an Option. #leadership #management #failure #learning #space #NASA #GeneKranz

I love this. Alignment, Vision, Purpose and Cohesion. In any organization that is worth being a part of, there are always people that surprise you. Either they surprise you in the sense of how good they are at what they do, or they surprise you by the belief and trust they have in the organization. If your business climate is not in this shape, what would it take to get it there. If you are not constantly reinforcing to the team (top to bottom) the alignment, vision, and purpose of the efforts they make, you will lack in cohesion and efforts toward the final goal. Keep crushing it.

This week’s Leadership Unlocked Newsletter explores how the introduction of a NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration strapline “Faster, Better, Cheaper’ contributed to the 2003 Columbia Space Shuttle disaster. It describes three critical factors which had a cumulative unintended consequence. These were: 1. Organisational Drift is the gradual, and apparently imperceptible, degradation of standards. This often happens after an extended run of positive results which creates an impression of invulnerability. This was the case after 88 successful shuttle flights prior to the Columbia tragedy. 2. Cultural Fences are the barriers to communication which can exist between different levels in a hierarchy. They create blindspots and prevent the necessary candour that keeps an organisation healthy. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board highlighted this in their findings. 3. Organisational unlearning refers to the discarding of old routines to make way for new ones, if any. Many of these old routines served to keep the organisation safe but their importance has been forgotten. Discarding people with organisational memory compounds this problem. Each of these phenomena can take place in any organisation.

Watch the CNN four part series “Space Shuttle Columbia- The Final Flight.” Many individual and organizational culture lessons to be learned from this fateful mission. We have all heard, safety is not just a poster. Chief Shuttle Structural Engineer sent an email stating “remember the NASA safety posters everywhere around site stating ‘If it’s not safe, say so?’ Yes it is that serious!” He did not send as he was afraid of his bosses and losing his job. So many lessons to be learned; psychological safety, normalization of deviance, mission vs vision pressures, and much more. Would make a great leadership course. Interested?

⚡⚡⚡ Executive Leadership Insights- Mindset Is Everything: How High Performers Transform Their Mindset & Redefine The Way They Think About Their Job & Careers! Thomas Zurbuchen, former Head of Science at NASA " My father was an evangelist pastor in a fundamentalist church. We hardly heard about science. I was taught all my youth that the whole universe was built in seven days. And then I went to one class. The teacher explained how science changed the trajectory of history. And I thought, "that's the job I want. I can do science, and through it, change the course of history!" (As narrated via the Netflix 2023 Documentary Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine) ********** As NASA’s Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, a Swiss-American Astrophysicist, was tasked with helping us answer some of humanity’s biggest questions: Where did we come from? Are we alone? How does the universe work? He presided over some of the NASA's biggest successes including launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. ********** Bio of Thomas Zurbuchen from the NASA website- https://lnkd.in/ds8zCwVC Netflix Documentary Link- https://lnkd.in/dRFc2zim #leadershipjourney #highperformers #executiveleadership #toptalent #mindsetiseverything

How do you think empowering leaders to own their budgets can impact organizational success? CFO Ashley Fieglein Johnson of Planet emphasizes long-term planning over immediate budgeting. The founders of Planet came from NASA and sought to modernize the approach to satellite technology. Innovative Approach: Instead of building billion-dollar satellites with long development cycles, Planet creates much less expensive satellites, costing around $300,000 each. This allows them to launch many satellites and scan the Earth's landmass daily. #StrategicPlanning #FinanceMindset" #Leadership #Finance"

🌟 Embracing Unity of Vision: A Lesson from NASA 🚀 There's a powerful story from NASA's early days that resonates deeply with me today. Legend has it that when a NASA janitor was asked what he was doing, he replied, "I'm sending a man to the moon." This simple yet profound statement encapsulates the essence of unity in vision that permeates great organizations. At NASA, from the engineers designing rockets to the janitors sweeping the floors, everyone understood and embraced the overarching goal of landing a man on the moon. Each person saw themselves as a crucial part of a larger mission, contributing their skills and dedication towards a shared objective. This story holds a mirror to today's dynamic organizations. In today's world of rapid change and complexity, maintaining unity of vision is more critical than ever. Organizations that succeed are those where every team member, from top management to frontline staff, understands the strategic direction and feels empowered to contribute towards it. Unity of vision fosters alignment, collaboration, and a sense of purpose among employees. It breaks down silos, enhances communication, and drives collective effort towards achieving ambitious goals. Just as every NASA employee, regardless of role, saw themselves as contributing to the moon landing, modern organizations thrive when each individual sees their role in advancing the organization's mission. As leaders and team members, let's remember the lesson from NASA's janitor. Let's strive to foster and maintain a clear, compelling vision that unites us all. By aligning our efforts towards a common purpose, we can achieve extraordinary results and propel our organizations towards new heights. #UnityOfVision #Teamwork #Leadership #OrganizationalSuccess #Inspiration