Lessons in leadership from the skies: The enduring legacy of The Wright Brothers
I’ve been fortunate to spend a few weeks with the family travelling down the East Coast of the US, starting in Boston down to NYC and onto Washington DC before heading inland to Chicago.
One of the highlights of the trip that I was looking forward to was the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. I wasn’t disappointed and had the privilege of seeing the Wright brother's flyer, which was stunning. It also reminded me of one of the most powerful stories of leadership I’ve heard in my years of employment and as relevant today as they were during the pioneering days of aviation.
I originally heard this story as part of Simon Sinek’s now renowned “Start with why” Ted talk, and he used it as a brilliant example of how against all the odds they managed to inspire and drive a team of people to change the world.
A tale of two visionaries
In 1903 the goal of manned powered flight was the equivalent of the dot com era, everyone was attempting to achieve what had, until then been impossible.
Many people would be unable to tell you who the man in the picture above is. This man is Samuel Pierpont Langley, one of the greatest minds of the time. He had a seat at the Smithsonian, he was Harvard educated and had been given a purse of $50,000 by the US government’s war department (now the Dept of Defense) to pay the best engineers and scientists to achieve manned-powered flight. On top of that the Wall Street Journal was following the story with much intrigue.
Orville and Wilbur Wright, on the other hand, were owners of a bike shop in Dayton Ohio, with no academic background and almost no funding other than the proceeds from their shop. But against all the odds they managed to achieve manned-powered flight ahead of many others. The history books tell of the Wright brothers and their merry band of volunteers taking five or six sets of spares with them each time they went out because that’s how many times they expected to crash. But on 17th December 1903, the Wright Flyer took flight for the first time, and no one was even there to see it, it took three days for the news to reach the mainstream press, and the era of flight had begun.
So why have we never heard of Samuel Pierpont Langley? Well, the day he heard the Wright Brothers had achieved the feat, he quit, he gave up. He was in it for the glory, he took pleasure in the spotlight shining on him, and his ego couldn’t handle the fact he’d been beaten to it. He could have taken what the Wright brothers had done and built on it improved it and become one of the pioneers of the era, but he wasn’t first, he didn’t win, he didn’t get the glory.
The Wright brothers on the other hand were driven by something much bigger, they believed that if they could figure out manned powered flight it would change the face of the world forever. They weren’t in it for the glory or the plaudits, they saw the wider ramifications of what it could and eventually would do.
And the team of people that worked with them to achieve this feat, worked with blood, sweat and tears, to see that vision realised. Because they believed in what the Wright brothers believed.
Timeless leadership lessons
So how is it that 120 years later such a simple concept is still so often missing in senior management? I’ve worked for some poor bosses in my time, I avoid calling them leaders as that couldn’t be further from the truth. From personal observations, ego and authority often eclipse the nurturing of work culture where leaders truly empower teams. At the same time, I’ve worked for some incredible, driven leaders whom I’ve watched empower teams and entire businesses to do amazing things. I’ve learned from both equally. Ironically, any of my old not so good bosses reading this will probably think they are the latter!
It’s easy to be a boss, but much more rewarding to be a leader, and I know which one I strive to be.
The legacy of the Wright brothers stretches beyond aviation; it’s cemented in the fundamental principles of effective leadership. Empowerment and working towards a shared vision aren’t just buzzwords—they’re the core tenets that drive today's work culture. Learn from the Wright brothers about true leadership and how fostering the right environment can elevate creative services.
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You can also connect with Ed, author of this blog and co founder of LOOP Agencies on LinkedIn.