We used to smoke on airplanes!

My best tips to for successful leadership teams

Quick lesson on jet engines.

Part of how these engines work to make planes fly is through a process called combustion.  

Combustion is when compressed air is sprayed with fuel into combustion chambers, where an electric spark ignites the mixture. The burning gasses expand rapidly.

We also, as late as the year 2000, used to let folks sitting on these planes take out little sticks, filled with tobacco, and a lighter and then use the fire from the lighter to burn the end of the cigarette.

Given the combustion of the engines, allowing fire within the plane itself doesn’t seem wise, does it?

And what used to be commonplace, smoking on airplanes, it stopped and the new normal of NOT smoking on airplanes took hold.

Dramatic change can take place and it can happen quickly.

And what once was a totally accepted (bad) idea, can be flipped on its head.

This is perhaps the best reminder we can all take with us into the new school year.

Any place on our team, in our schools, within the norms of how we communicate and show up with each other, that there is something at play that doesn’t work, that thing can be transformed.

Bad ideas can be let go of.

Team dysfunction can be healed and transformed.

We can stop smoking on airplanes.

Your coach in life and leadership,

Maggie

PS - I’ve made a guide of the Five Rules Effective Leadership Teams Follow.  This guide details five, straightforward ways teams can up their game of effective leadership.