4 Forces of Physics That Impact Leadership
This article is inspired by Richard Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations. As a former physics teacher, when I heard Rich present this model, it made sense to me. We want students and staff to be able to fly with their knowledge, skills and applications to solve real world issues. Yes, we have to deal with the day-to-day issues on the ground, whereas when we fly, we can see a bigger picture, which is even more expansive. Many times, our view is limited from the ground and we do not consider the destination. Ultimately, we need both an on the ground reality and a vision of what we are working toward.
Let’s look at each of the four forces on an airplane and how those apply as the four forces on cultures of learning.
Weight (Down) – This is the force of gravity. It tends to be the force of status quo. Newton’s first law is that a body remains at rest unless it is acted upon by an outside force. The good News is that bureaucracy can keep an organisation stable. We need centralised systems for payroll, benefits, building and grounds, etc. The bad news is that it can cause resistance to new ideas – new ideas that might unleash creativity and accelerated learning.
Lift (Up) – The air rushing over the wings provides lift. Consider lift as human energy, intellectual capital and creativity. Lift can help students and staff accomplish goals they may have not thought possible. A colleague, Jamie Crannell told me why he taught. “I want kids to do things they didn’t think they could do.” Put him on my Team.
Drag (Back) – What holds the individual, grade level, department, school or district from positive results? Many times, it is fear. Does the person or the system exhibit fear or trust? Trust unleashes energy and efficacy. Fear will decrease sharing of repertoire or may cause staff go to their rooms and work behind closed doors. Fear causes silence. Learning is NOT Las Vegas. What happens here should be told to everybody so we all learn.
Thrust (Forward) – Vision pulls, it doesn’t push. If the vision is aligned with individual values, motivation is less of a problem. If someone pushes you, how do you react? Most push back or hunker down. When your values and vision are the same as the system, going to work can release joy. Isn’t the purpose of schools and organisations LEARNING?
So, What?
In the present situation of COVID-19, things have and will continue to change. People will react differently depending upon their emotional and behavioural inner resources. Our organisational culture can help or hinder people and results.
Here are a couple of thoughts:
Weight – Several leaders see removing barriers as a primary function of reducing the downward static force of the organisation to make it easier to move. Streamlining systems, making the organisation more responsive will energise people and begin to gain momentum. In physics, momentum is the mass multiplied by the velocity. More movement, more momentum. Just make sure the movement is in the positive direction.
Lift – As the trajectory of the student and staff learning increases, the lift will increase. In math terms, x = y is a good direction. X = y2 is even better. Through Positive Deviance or ‘Hey Menlo’ processes, the learning can get better, faster and build collaboration.
Drag – There are several ways to reduce fear. Authenticity and transparency are the short answers. Keep in mind that trust is a combination of being trustworthy and trusting others. Again, Richard Sheridan in his publications identify transparency as a key in building trust in the organisation.
Thrust – What gets you to bring your best self to work that contributes to the organisation? In my experience, the more aligned personal values are with the organisation’s values, the better it feels getting higher contributions. When beliefs and values are aligned, a person’s identity is honoured.
In Dolly Chugh’s book, The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias, she makes a great analogy. “It takes as much as forty minutes longer to go from New York to Los Angeles than the other way around because when a plane is travelling west, it faces headwinds, which slows it down.”
People who have to overcome barriers to accomplish their goals contribute more for the organisation in the long run. “It means that they faced headwinds. I (Chugh) call them ‘Jets.’ They flew faster, harder and smarter than other kids. They are the type of people I want in my team, my organisation and my life.”
So a question you might ask is, why do I hire as many “jets” as possible? They have faced barriers, worked through (under or around) problems and have more confidence and competence as a result. Fly onward!