Five things CEO’s look for in their Wingmen

I can imagine the ambitious among us asking, Why not be a CEO? Why be a Wingman*?

That's because I believe that in most cases, it's important to be the CEOs wingman at one stage in life so as to become a good CEO in the future. So this article is for all current and aspiring Wingmen of the CEO.

Fans of the movie “Top Gun” probably remember the term “Wingman,” however for those of us not conversant, the Oxford Dictionary defines the term commonly used across most Air Forces as

“A pilot whose aircraft is positioned behind and outside the leading aircraft in a formation

OR

A man who helps or supports another man; a friend or close associate."

Both those definitions are correct for this article, but we will need a little more background before we dive in.

In my previous article, I had written about the "Red Arrows" and formation flying in peacetime.

However formation flying has a more strategic purpose than peace time aerobatic flying, and as I highlight a few below, you will notice a similarity between the advantages of formation flying and business strategy in the corporate sector.

• Single Radar signature: Although radar technology today has got more sophisticated, so has Stealth technology and it is still possible for a close formation to fool the enemy into thinking that a formation is just one aircraft, thereby maintaining the element of surprise and a more effective attack.
• Force Multiplier: A formation of fighters or bombers has a compounding effect on the enemy, in terms of multiplied firepower as well as the psychological impact of the enemy seeing a formation of jet fighters or bombers versus being attacked by a single aircraft.
• Interdependency & Mutual Protection: A formation utilises the skills of other pilots in the formation in terms of Navigation, Target Strike, Threat awareness, Response etc. thereby making it more effective. It also means that the pilots watch each other's backs and warn each other in case of undetected threats.

For the CEO (in this case the Flight Leader), the Wingmen are his/her leadership team, and the term "enemy" could be replaced with organisational challenges like Leading Innovation, Increasing market Share, Improving Profitability, etc.

So lets see what are some of the things that could get you to be the CEO's Wingman

1. Business Competence: This is probably the most basic requirement for the wingman and I am assuming that if one has reached the point to be vying for the position of the CEO's wingman, that the person is highly competent in their core area of expertise in addition to being a Leader in his/ her own right. This is where Interdependency is born, with varied skills and expertise complementing the formation.
2. Attitude and Commitment to Teamwork: As mentioned above the wingman is already the expert in his/her area, and the next milestone can only be achieved by collaborating with the other wingmen in formation - this is the Force Multiplier.

We have all seen the best results coming when we can challenge each other's businesses and functions and give feedback, especially covering the blind spots which we have got accustomed to due to legacy.

"From my experience as an HR Leader, some of the best solutions have been arrived at when I have been challenged by my peers who are from outside the function"

3. Communication: This becomes critical when communicating to the rest of the organisation and to stakeholders outside the organisation in one voice - this is the Single Radar Signature.

"Good teams speak in their own language".

We have all experienced instances when someone you are close to understands your message simply by your glance or body language. Just as pilots use "call signs" and communication protocol, similarly strong teams develop an unspoken code which drastically simplifies the collaboration. The wingman should have the ability to communicate via the "language" not only with his CEO but also with the other wingmen.

4. Delivery: This is the wingman's mark of competence and execution. In a fast paced business, the CEO expects commitments to be delivered without the need for cross checks and follow ups and similar to pilots who report back once the mission has been accomplished so is the expectation that the loop is closed on delivery. The consistent delivery leads to reliability and trust.

5. Trust: This is probably the most important aspect and trumps all the above. Very often business leaders ask me how do they make a choice between two stellar candidates who have both got equal skills and experience and my response to them is simple

"Close your eyes and imagine you are going into battle with bullets flying around you, which one of them would you take?"

In 95% of the cases, when they open their eyes, they have the answer they are looking for. This is the level of trust expected from a wingman and the confidence that they will be able to deliver results under challenging conditions.

With loyalty comes trust, the CEO is not perfect, similar to any leader, and will make mistakes. The expectation is that the wingman is there to identify it and share it confidentially and not shift loyalties. Remember loyalty is a two-way street, this is the Mutual Protection.

It is very common for a new CEO to bring along his/her earlier team to the new organization ... still wondering why?

As CEO's, leaders and wingmen, please feel free to share your experiences, add your observations, comments, and share this article if you please.

* The term "Wingman" in this article includes both Wingmen and Wingwomen and the term Wingman is used to be consistent with the Air Force Parlance.

The author is a Human Resources Leader with over 20 years of experience in the Middle East, Russia, Africa and Asia Pacific.

Credits: 

• Photographs: Official Website of the Indian Air Force. Aircraft in Formation -Top: Chetak's (Alouette III), Middle: Cheetah's (SA 315B Lama), Bottom: Jaguars
• Reference: "The Business of Excellence – Building High-performance teams and organisations" by Justin Hughes (Managing Director of Mission Excellence)
• Reference: "Never Fly Solo" by Lt. Col Rob "Waldo" Waldman.