6 tips from a fighter pilot on how to be a great leader

How to lead under pressure: 6 tips from a former fighter pilot

October 16, 2023 3:08 PM

While there are seemingly few similarities between working in the office and flying a military aircraft, retired Colonel and former fighter pilot Kim Campbell is confident business leaders could benefit from these worlds colliding.

After 24 years of service in the U.S. Air Force, Campbell took her military experiences to her updated line of work as a leadership coach. Campbell has led more than 1,000 military and civilian personnel throughout her career, and quickly realized teams across industries and disciplines crave the same attributes in their leaders: calm, communicative and caring.

"I have been through a lot of incredible challenges and hard things throughout my own leadership journey," says Campbell. "It's important for me to share those lessons and help others. We don't have to do this on our own."

Campbell teamed up with HR advice hub People Managing People to break down just what makes a great leader, even under pressure and constant change. Here are Campbell's six essential tips for anyone who wants to better show up for their team and their company.

Adopt a wingman culture

As a fighter pilot, Campbell knows firsthand the importance of being able to depend on someone to watch her back; that's the role of a wingman.

"The wingman is responsible for looking out for threats or things that could potentially cause trouble for the flight," says Campbell. "That allows the flight leader to look ahead and see the bigger picture because the wingman takes some of that stress and responsibility off the other person."

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Campbell warns leaders against trying to do everything on their own — a leader should be able to rely on their team members to handle their responsibilities and step up when others are overwhelmed. This means leaders should encourage a culture where workers look out for each other, and the leader allows their team to look out for them, underlines Campbell.

Communicate and prioritize

In order to avoid workers constantly feeling overwhelmed and overworked, leaders should know what efforts to prioritize and what tasks they can cut when big deadlines or unexpected obstacles come their way, says Campbell. When there's an emergency on an aircraft, Campbell knows maintaining control of the plane is the first priority before further assessing the situation and making the next move.

"A lot of times when you're pulled in that many different directions, it's hard to figure out what to prioritize," she says. "A leader has a critical role in making sure that we're saying 'no' to those things that don't align with our priorities and focusing on things that are most important. If a team understands what they need to prioritize, they're going to be less stressed."

And a team that isn't buried by stress and panic is more likely to be productive, emphasizes Campbell.

Don’t panic

Speaking of stress, Campbell reminds leaders that their team is watching how they react, especially in the face of bad news. While easier said than done, leaders need to remain calm.

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"The best thing we can do is just take a step back and really assess the situation," says Campbell. "That doesn't mean we're not honest with our feelings in the situation, but we can acknowledge and still make it clear we are going to get through it together."

Control what you can

Before falling into pits of stress and anxiety, it helps if leaders focus on what they can control, says Campbell. While leaders may have no control over external factors affecting their team members and their business, they can control their response.

"You can draw this out in a [circle], and in the center are the things you can control and take action on," she says. "Then further out, there are things you can influence. Then outside of that are the things that you can't control. Sometimes just putting it down or talking about it really helps us focus our efforts."

Strive for work-life balance

Campbell recalls when her husband, who also served in the Air Force, was deployed, and Campbell was left to care for their young kids and juggle work. Campbell knew she had to give herself more grace.

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"I realized very quickly that I needed to get more balance in my life," she says. "And part of that was asking for help, and getting help when I needed it. The other part of that is just recognizing that sometimes we cannot be everywhere at once."

Campbell notes that some days will prioritize family, and other days will be more dedicated to work — it can't always be a 50-50 split. But leaders need to recognize the importance of prioritizing their personal lives, not just for themselves but their team, says Campbell.

Recognize when someone needs help

Campbell admits she has a hard time asking for help, but that doesn't mean she should suffer in silence. A good leader knows the signs of a team member who is overwhelmed, acknowledges it and tries to ease the burden, says Campell.

"The more we connect with our team, the more we create an environment where people feel safe, then people are more likely to acknowledge those things," she says. "But it also starts with the leader setting the example."