Pop Quiz

We ask a group of aviation leaders: How do you maintain perspective, stay on top of rapidly changing trends, and keep your focus in the midst of deadlines, demands, and change? In other words: How do you see the forest for the trees?

Phil BoyerPhil Boyer
President, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, USA
My very plain and simple answer: reading. Not necessarily books on business trends, but periodicals, newsletters, and (believe it or not) e-mails. In the rapidly changing aviation environment, keeping abreast of trends is extremely important, but staying abreast of the trends of the pilot members of the association that I head is most important. Using their feedback with the relatively new communication tool of e-mail provides a fantastic opportunity to spot trends, get anecdotal information, and address their concerns. All of us, no matter what our business, are successful when we satisfy our customers. The same applies to a membership association. In a flat marketplace of pilots, success can be measured by the number of members who annually renew. Yes, I heavily use other sources to spot trends that can aid in communicating or advocating with my “customers,” but knowing what they want, how they want it, and how to solve it most often comes from their own e-mail messages.

Marion BlakeyMarion Blakey
Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, USA
I wouldn’t say there is any one “secret” to staying on top of business trends, but the approach I use has worked for many of the transportation leaders I respect and admire. I put a tremendous value on building strong relationships and fostering open communications with employees and with the industry. This helps the agency maintain a perspective from the front lines. There is nothing secretive, or magical for that matter, in surrounding yourself with strong, talented, and capable people. Every day they help me answer the question, “What must we do to be more flexible to respond to change?” Talking with them, listening to them, and valuing their perspective helps me stay on top of my game. But sometimes, to know what’s really going on in the field, I have to get out there and experience it for myself. To really understand some of the new developments in aviation, it’s important to get up close, to see them, to touch them. These “secrets” may seem obvious, but it’s the best way I’ve learned to truly understand whether industry and government are working toward the same basic goals and, if that’s not happening, how we can realign our paths.

James CoyneJames Coyne
President, National Air Transportation Association, USA
Success in my sphere of business depends on how well you acquire information, analyze your alternatives, and then advocate persuasively for a specific course of action. Maybe the easiest way to improve your skills in these “3 A’s” is by watching and listening to others who are doing the same thing – in other words, by finding good examples or mentors. In my life, I’ve found that the best place to meet these kinds of role models is by joining an association. The National Air Transportation Association, of course, is the professional and intellectual home for the leaders of nearly two thousand aviation businesses. Other valuable associations represent corporate and commercial pilots, aircraft manufacturers, maintenance professionals, and many other individual components of our industry. Joining an association is also a good way to stay alert to impending regulatory changes, to be active on committees that decide important industry policies, and to meet others who will show you how they acquire, analyze, and advocate.

Nicolette WiesmannNicolette Wiesmann
Aviation Consultant, Switzerland
Information! Try to predict change before it takes place. Position yourself to expect it. Listen – Rumors and events may reveal part of a beginning change. Read - Identify quality information and trusted sources which have depth and importance. I look through newspapers from several countries, in various languages. They express different views and allow me to get a more comprehensive picture of the state of affairs worldwide. What happens in one country may impact changes elsewhere. If I find time I glance through weekly magazines such as the Economist, Business Week and Aviation Week, but also National Geographic. I got rid of my television to have more time to read. The value of the Internet is immense, too. A good set-up, with immediate access to specific websites, professional networks, specialized databases, and Google provide useful information and is crucial today to stay on top of things. Think – I love statistics and look at them critically. They show or hide the truth and may display trends. How will the future look? I try to find my own answer. Being prepared for change is critical. Talk and discuss – Dialogue and discussions with friends, colleagues, and people from different fields, backgrounds, and countries can help round your own picture of the future.

Benno HoffmannBenno Hoffmann
Managing Director, German Airport Consulting Ltd. and Hamburg Airport Ltd., and Executive Vice President, Hamburg Airport, Germany
Theorists and practitioners globally emphasize relevance and importance of implementing and institutionalizing the following elements of change-oriented management and leadership: customer orientation, innovation and productivity. This has turned out to be the contemporary mainstream approach. These elements are necessary conditions for successful business orientation. However, are these elements, carved in stone with blood sweat and tears in almost all corporate mission statements, sufficient prerequisites? Are these components of state-of-the-art leadership and management the key cutting-edge strengths that make the difference? My clear answer: No, not at all. No doubt, according to Peter F. Drucker, it’s the customer who defines your business. He also said: “Strategy is nothing until it degenerates into work.” There is no secret wrapped in an enigma why leaders succeed in driving their companies to the 3-P front (performance-productivity-profit). I tend to condense the recipe into four simple slogan-like imperatives:

  • Hire bright, loyal and change-minded people
  • Empower your frontline people
  • Give people adequate scope of discretion
  • Keep task, responsibility and competence in congruence

Chuck SumaChuck Suma
President and CEO, The New Piper Aircraft Inc., USA
Staying on top of rapidly changing business trends requires a true commitment to staying in touch with the key factors that govern change. In our industry, certain things go without saying. You stay in touch with your customers. You stay in touch with your employees. You read all the important aviation publications. You read the premier business publications. You stay current with your colleagues through organizations like the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. You talk with people who run the FBOs. Those are all givens, and they speak to the importance of getting out and about – staying in touch. In addition, I place great emphasis on keeping in close contact with our Piper dealers. We meet face to face with them on a quarterly basis. They are the face of our company and have the most contact with our customers. Our dealers keep us in touch with what our customers want and need. They keep us up to speed on developing trends.