Viewing page 29 of 125
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
As presented by Sally Ride, Ph.D., President, space.com and the first American woman in space Dr. Sally Ride knows the true meaning of leadership, teamwork, and risk taking. She was one of the first female astronauts admitted into the NASA space shuttle program, and served on two Challenger missions, paving the way for the 31 female astronauts who have since followed her lead. And, last September, she became president of space.com, a website whose mission is to bring the adventure of space to the public. In her new role at space.com, Sally has applied the skills for success that she learned in the space program - skills which she believes are critical for all leaders, regardless of their profession: a willingness to take risks; the ability to manage crises; commitment to teamwork. Risk Taking According to Sally, being an astronaut is not as risky a proposition as many would suppose. The technical aspects of the space missions are tested and re-tested by skilled, trained experts. The astronauts are trained to handle in-flight problems. Risk does exist - but it is markedly reduced. Business leaders can adopt the principles of risk mitigation utilized by the space shuttle crews. Risk will always exist in business - particularly for the many new Internet businesses and the traditional businesses being threatened by new entrants. However, this risk can be minimized through diligent action on the part of both the business leaders and everyone else involved in the business. Risk needs to be evaluated in terms of the expected goals and outcomes. Business leaders must then make a judgement call as to whether the goals and outcomes are worth whatever risk may be present. Actions can then be based on this determination. Crisis Management Logically, it follows that the more risk a leader assumes, the more susceptible he or she is to crisis. In the space program, Sally served on the Presidential Commission that investigated the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. From this experience, she learned several important lessons about crisis management: take responsibility for the problem; act quickly by putting in place a credible system for investigating the problem; encourage any and all solutions to the problem be committed to implementing the recommended solution - think through all the possible problems and viable solutions so as to minimize any possible crises that should arise. Teamwork The space shuttle missions taught Sally the value of teamwork. A single shuttle mission involves thousands of individuals -- all with diverse skills and different responsibilities, all working toward one common goal. Every person is expected to perform their specific role, and perform it well, to accomplish the final goal. NASA deeply values teaming ability among its astronauts, considering it one of the most important traits of an astronaut.
