Leader/Follower Interacting Skills

Dr. Maureen Pettitt and Mr. Joseph Dunlap of Western Michigan University have identified several "interacting skills" that both effective Leaders and followers applied as necessary to ensure task accomplishment.

A description of each skill and behaviour representative of the skill is described below:

• Initiative – begins an action, without external direction, to overcome a perceived deficiency



• Influence – obtains commitment from others to ideas or actions using effective interpersonal skills, styles and methods



• Adaptability – adjusts to changing environments, ambiguity, and abnormal situations



• Receptiveness – encourages, pays attention to, and conveys understanding of another's ideas, comments or questions



• Modelling – exhibits behaviour consistent with the company's highest technical and ethical standards



• Envisioning – creates and articulates a picture of the future or a desired state

If you, as the Captain, foster these “interacting skills” by displaying them yourself and encouraging and allowing your First Officer and other followers in your team to utilise them, then you have displayed good Leadership. In doing so you have reduced the risks involved and as a result, have increased safety and efficiency.

These interacting skills are especially critical in our airline operations because of the constantly changing composition of Cockpit (and Cabin) crews and the shifting cockpit roles due to the rotation of PF/PM (and with the addition of Releif First Officers and Second Officers on Long Haul flights).

So encourage and display these 6 Interacting skills.