Business Professor Identifies Key Behaviors That Set Superior Aviation and Aerospace Leaders Apart

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Linda M. Pittenger, associate professor at the College of Business at Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University’s Worldwide Campus, has identified several “behavioral competencies” that distinguish superior performers in aviation and aerospace leadership roles.
No. 1 on the list? Passion.
“Superior performing leaders exhibited passion for their work, enthusiasm for their peers and subordinates, and excitement for the aviation and aerospace industry, while average performing leaders did not,” Pittenger says. “Superior performing leaders shared a deep commitment to their work and an obsession-like love for the aviation and/or aerospace industry.”
In her qualitative research study, Leadership Metamorphosis: Behavioral Competencies that Distinguish Superior Performing Leaders in Aviation and Aerospace, Pittenger also uncovered that superior performing leaders take the time to build relationships at all levels of the organization and also with key external influencers.
“For example, superior performing leaders relate well to their followers and are often seen as ‘one of them,’” she says. “They form close bonds with peers and those senior to them who can provide them with resources and opportunities. They develop and nurture a network of industry relationships who expose them to emerging trends and/or can provide solutions to technical or organizational issues.”
Pittenger’s findings are the result of a rigorous and systematic analysis of data collected from 112 one-hour, semi-structured interviews with average and superior performing leaders at Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue, Northrop Grumman, Rolls-Royce/American Airlines (formerly Texas Aero Engine Services), Bell Helicopter, FedEx and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
The study’s findings supported the prevailing conceptual model guiding the research, which recognized that job performance may be affected by a specific set or combination of behavioral competencies influenced by job demands, interpersonal relationships and organizational climate.
From C-Suite to Academia
Pittenger first became interested in behavioral competencies when she was chief information officer at AT&T.
“I wanted to know which ...

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