Transparency Through Turbulence: A Pilot’s Lesson in the Power of Authenticity
We were ready to board a flight from Barcelona to London Heathrow that was scheduled to depart in 35 minutes. Just then, the captain stepped off the plane, walked right past the flight crew and approached us. In his perfectly pressed suit and neatly placed cap, he waved our group of waiting passengers into a huddle around him and introduced himself.
“Although it is a beautiful day here in Barcelona, and I am sure you have been enjoying this sunny weather, it is not quite so lovely at Heathrow Airport,” he told us. “There are strong gusts of winds that are causing a lot of disturbing air turbulence.”
A tense silence fell over us. He continued: “There’s no need to be worried. This is not a dangerous situation. The effect that it does have is that all incoming flights have been reduced to around 30% to 35% of normal flow, for all airlines, including this British Airways flight.”
The pilot informed us that we were looking at a likely delay of about 1 hour and 20 minutes, but that the flight crew was trying to negotiate an earlier takeoff slot.
“To be able to do that, I would like to ask something of you,” he said. “I would like to have you board the plane now, in full knowledge that we may be sitting at our current boarding dock for the entire 1 hour and 20 minutes.”
He explained that if we were already on the plane with the doors closed, we would be able to accept a takeoff slot if one became available, but we would forfeit that chance if we were not already boarded and ready. And he explained why he had decided to share the news with us in person.
“The reason I came out here to talk to you about this is that I don’t want you to feel surprised when I come onto the loudspeaker in the cabin to make the announcement, which I will also need to do,” he said.
Of course we all nodded our heads in complete agreement with his request. You could literally feel the tension subside in the boarding area. We calmly filed aboard the plane and took our respective seats as instructed.
Once we were on board, I approached the cockpit and asked permission to enter. The captain welcomed me and introduced himself as Johnny. I told him why I had come.
“You know Johnny, I fly around 300,000 miles per year and I have never seen anything like that before.”
He looked at me in bewilderment, and I continued: “The way that you approached us, calling us into a huddle, and so genuinely explained the situation put everyone at ease.”
Then Captain Johnny turned toward me in his seat and shared a confession:
“You know what? The only thing I could think when I saw all of you gathered around me was, ‘my gosh, I really wish I had taken some kind of public speaking course at some point in my life’. I was terrified!”
I reassured him that he did a great job and did not even appear nervous. I told him his action had helped us avoid the frustration and uncertainty we would have felt if we had heard the delay announced immediately after we had boarded.
Thinking about it later, I realized it was Captain Johnny’s genuine authenticity that made the difference. He was courageous enough to just be himself standing in front of more than 80 uncertain passengers.
As leaders, we also can make a difference by practicing this kind of authenticity. Demonstrating openness, transparency and even vulnerability helps us better engage with our colleagues, staff, employees, partners, providers, clients and customers. And it just feels good!
The next time you face a turbulent situation, think about Captain Johnny.
When you demonstrate genuine authenticity, you can have a powerful effect on those around you, and on your own feelings of balance and well-being.
By the way, Captain Johnny did negotiate an earlier slot and we took off with only a 20-minute delay. Thanks to his forthcoming frankness, we learned a lesson about the power of authenticity that day.
