08/28/2024

What JFK Learned about Leadership from a NASA Janitor

How a presidential encounter with a leaf-sweeper got the psychology of human motivation right

Establishing a sense of direction, even a specific destination, has the potential to align people with a leader and develop a shared commitment that is equally important to everyone. It is the articulation of a vision that has the potential to differentiate one leader and one organization from the next. With so many companies competing in overlapping markets, with similar products and services, this direction and specific destiny might be the only things that make you distinct.

Strong direction at the leadership level of an organization builds cohesion toward a future state. This attracts people who don’t work in organizations just because of compensation or to fulfill some technical or experiential need. They do it because they believe in what the organization stands for and is trying to achieve. Their work has real meaning. It is the role of leaders to encourage and develop this.

When President John F. Kennedy visited NASA at Cape Canaveral in 1962, he noticed a worker clearing leaves with a broom. Never one to miss an opportunity, he went to the employee and introduced himself with a question: "Hey, I'm Jack Kennedy. What are you doing?" Anyone who works in aviation will tell you that the presence of debris in the vicinity of accelerating aircraft can be destructive. The backdraft from engine thrust can suck the debris into the engines and cause catastrophic failure. This was the most obvious and logical answer to the president’s question, but the employee looked back at Kennedy and said, "I'm part of the team that’s going to put a man on the moon."

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