You’ve heard the expression, “it ain’t rocket science.” When it comes to being a long distance leader, we believe that’s true. But it got me thinking about rocket science and working remotely.
As the release of the updated Long-Distance Leader, Revised Rules for Remarkable Remote and Hybrid Leadership approaches, I’ve gone back and looked at some of what we said in the original. This quote always stood out to me:
In visiting with leaders from NASA (a.k.a. rocket scientists), Kevin asked
which was more complex—rocket science or leadership. The response was
swift and simple - leadership was the clear and decisive winner. The group
explained that in the world of building rockets, they can determine a right
answer; they know the equations and formulas. They explained that if they
put the right numbers into the right formulas at the right time (and check
their math), they will get the right answer.
This took me down a rabbit hole of great moments in astronomy and rocketry that took place on distributed teams:
- The James Webb Space Telescope sounds like one big thing, but in fact it involved locations in thirteen countries to get it built, and the sites that monitor it are in the US, Australia and Spain.
- The international space station has the ultimate hybrid team running it. The space station was not designed to be disassembled, and current interdependencies between each segment of the station prevent the U.S. Orbital Segment and Russian Segment from operating independently. There are control centers in Houston, Texas and Roscosmos in Moscow, Russia. Talk about communication challenges.
- NASA has 23 tracking stations around the world that have to work in harmony on space flights, satellite tracking, and other mission critical functions. You think your team is diverse? Try having offices in Shoe Cove Newfoundland, Antofagasta, Chile, and Tanarive, Madagascar.
What makes all these systems work (and forms the basis of rocket science) are two factors.
- There are facts grounded in mathematics that are immutable. Math is math, facts are facts, and there are things with absolute right (and wrong) answers.
- Communication, trust and relationships between people are imperfect but critical. Objective rocket science can’t happen without people, imperfect as they are.
Similarly, your team gets things done by having clear metrics, KPIs and goals. None of those things mean much if there isn’t trust, communication and engaged people.
You can learn more about our updated, revised version of The Long-Distance Leader, Revised Rules for Remarkable Remote and Hybrid Leadership by joining us at KevinEikenberry.com/LDL.
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