An Analogy of Space Travel

Growing within large corporations, and even in smaller ones with highly hierarchical structures, can be a titanic goal—so immense that, proportionately, for some, it's as challenging as reaching the moon. Nevertheless, just as the moon landing was, this is an achievable goal that demands perseverance, determination, and above all, willpower. Taking inspiration from John F. Kennedy's words, "We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone."

Everyone is familiar with the story of Apollo 11 and the first manned mission to the moon. The crew—Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins—along with a handful of NASA pioneers, took on the historic challenge of conquering space. They solved two of the greatest engineering challenges that space missions had to face:

1. Developing a propulsion mechanism capable of providing the power needed to escape Earth's gravity.
2. Designing and building a shield strong enough to withstand atmospheric friction, yet light enough to minimally affect the propulsion system's performance.

These colossal obstacles were overcome through the refinement of two key elements we will explore in this analogy: the thrusters and the shield.

Thrusters are responsible for guiding the spacecraft to its destination, providing thrust by transforming potential energy into kinetic energy. When we think about this specific function, we realize how similar it is to the role played by teams in organizations. Human talent, especially at the grassroots level, is at the rear of the spacecraft, pushing with all their might in the direction indicated by the spacecraft, for as long as we can provide the necessary fuel.

On the other hand, the shield protects the thrusters from external agents, ensuring security against friction, contributing the necessary aerodynamic coefficient to make the fuel efficient, and facilitating the spacecraft to maintain its course. It becomes clear which element the shield resembles within institutions—the leaders. Leaders play the vital role of ensuring the safety in the mobility of their teams, guiding and collaborating in the efficient management of the fuel they possess.

There is a clear bilateral relationship; a shield will go nowhere without a good propulsion system, just as even the best propulsion system will not overcome atmospheric friction without an appropriate shield.

The dynamic between these two pieces goes beyond mutual dependence; it is, in fact, symbiotic. If we move away from the mechanical origin of our analogy and delve into the true object of our interest—the dynamic between the leader and their team.

A leader will not be able to achieve their objectives without the right team, collaborating directly to overcome inertia. Regardless of the strength of the shield, a spacecraft needs thrusters to fulfill its purpose. An efficient propulsion system alone is not enough, as a too-heavy shield will compromise the efficiency of the thrusters. Similarly, a controlling leader can quickly deplete the energy of their team. Imperfections in the leader's character, as in the structure of the shield, compromise the spacecraft's route, highlighting the leader's importance in ensuring the right course for the mission.

But this metaphor can go even further. If you've ever watched a movie about any of the Apollo missions, you'll remember that as soon as the spacecraft escapes Earth's orbit, it sheds the first set of rockets. This practice allows us to delve into one of the types of leadership—when leaders use their team members to reach their destination but leave them behind. This approach was popular in the early days of space exploration, as well as in corporate leadership in the last century. However, the problem with this practice is that it is not sustainable. While Apollo 11 did reach the moon, it was only able to do so once. The same goes for this type of leadership; they lose the trust of the rest of the team and new members, ultimately leading to stagnation.

In contrast, let's look at the future of space exploration. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is the first of its kind, capable of returning to Earth with its propulsion system intact—an essential aspect for the sustainability of its mission program. Leaders who, like the Falcon 9, can achieve their goals while bringing their team with them not only benefit from an efficient structure but also instill the necessary confidence in team members. This confidence allows them to refuel and continue propelling toward new individual and collective objectives. This is the secret of the future, not only of space exploration but also of the work dynamics in corporate structures.

Author: René Bártoli