{"id":10010,"date":"2023-08-18T09:18:46","date_gmt":"2023-08-18T09:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/leadership\/f-35-lightning-ii-how-culture-tames-complexity\/"},"modified":"2023-08-18T09:18:47","modified_gmt":"2023-08-18T09:18:47","slug":"f-35-lightning-ii-how-culture-tames-complexity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10010","title":{"rendered":"F-35 Lightning II: How Culture Tames Complexity"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Simplicity is the goal of every design, but sometimes complexity is part of the puzzle.<\/p>\n

The design and delivery of the F-35 Lightning fighter aircraft is one such example. For starters, in addition to Lockheed, the lead contractor, there were two other prime contractors and scores of subcontractors. Multiple nations were involved, and because the fight was paid for with government funding, Congress and the parliaments of countries like the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Australia, among others, needed to be involved.<\/p>\n

Heading it was Tom Burbage, retired President of Lockheed Aircraft Systems and EVP for developing the F-35 and the F-22. He is the co-author of a new book about the project called, F-35: The Inside Story of the Lightning II<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In a recent interview, Burbage told me that partnering with many parties was like dealing with a Rubik\u2019s Cube. \u201cWe had many different interests. We had many different perspectives, many different countries, a huge industrial team, and we had to make all that come together into a pattern that actually worked.”<\/p>\n

Ongoing technological advances<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because the F-35 is a next-generation aircraft, Burbage, a former Navy aviator, was heading a team developing new technology never tried before. “I think every program that pushes technical barriers along the way is under threat of being canceled. There’s always another group or another interest community that wants to program to go a different direction or wants to take the budget and do something else with it. So you’re constantly in a little bit of trench warfare as you go through these extensive programs.<\/p>\n

<\/fbs-ad><\/p>\n

Getting the pattern correct was getting people to agree to a joint mission, or as Burbage put it, putting on the Joint Strike Fighter t-shirt. \u201cIt was a big, huge team of people, a lot of really good leaders, good strong government program managers, good strong industry side, and people that were willing to sort of take off their company badges and put on their J S F T-shirt,” says Burbage. “We’re no longer trying to husband your company interests. You’re now totally committed to making the J S F program what it needs to be.”<\/p>\n

Three-in-one aircraft<\/strong><\/p>\n

The F-35 is three different aircraft. One for the Air Force that uses long runway take-offs. One for the Navy using catapult launching short runways. And the third for the Marines, who needed the aircraft to take off and land vertically. “If I put the three airplanes in front of you\u2026 and sat in the cockpit, you wouldn’t know the difference. They’re, they’re identical.\u201d<\/p>\n

The goal was to create a fleet where the planes could fly and fight together regardless of their branch of service. \u201cIntegrating those technologies those differences into an airplane that’s supersonic and stealthy\u201d required the team to push the boundaries of physics.<\/p>\n

When designing leading-edge technology programs, there are two essential types of individuals. Innovators can integrate new technologies in ways that enable new performance capabilities. You then need leaders who are \u201creally good at managing teams.\u201d As the metaphor goes, everyone has a seat on the bus. The challenge is matching innovators with managers who can cooperate and collaborate for the betterment of the mission.<\/p>\n

Culture rules<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Fort Worth facility alone, there were 4000 employees. \u201cAnd every new employee that came on the program went through an onboarding process. Everyone got some of that \u2018pixie dust\u2019 sprinkled on them” to help them realize they were part of a team, not just the company that hired them. \u201cYou have to walk a thin line when you do that,\u201d says Burbage, \u201cbecause there are company interests that you have to respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team had to create a culture. \u201cWe had a common set of guiding principles. We had a common set of objectives.\u201d Burbage employed what he calls \u201cthe best athlete concept.\u201d That is selecting team leaders for their skills and abilities, not simply for the company that employed them.<\/p>\n

Three top executives were called \u201cThe Wizards,\u201d a nod to the Harry Potter series. \u201cI didn’t want the wizards in their office. I wanted them walking around and mentoring the young folks,\u201d says Burbage. The younger tech-savvy employees ended up “mentoring” their older colleagues.<\/p>\n

In turn, the veteran employees shared their experience and expertise. \u201cIt built this esprit d\u2019corps among the team during some very challenging days.” Working on such programs is always demanding, so it was imperative that the culture be rooted in respect for one another, explains Burbage. It helped to drive “superior performance.”<\/p>\n

Four leadership principles<\/strong><\/p>\n

Burbage told me that he gave his grandson, a recent graduate of the Naval Academy and now in flight training, some advice. His shared four principles are as relevant to aviators as leaders heading large teams. \u201cThe first is that enjoy every day, learn something new,\u201d says Burbage. Challenge yourself to do more than you can because you can.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe second [principle] is to realize that every person has a unique perspective on the world. And a new sailor turning a wrench on an airplane or, or a new employee just out of college can be a valuable contributor and you can learn from him or her.\u201d Get to know them. Advocate for them and remove barriers that prevent them from doing their best.<\/p>\n

\u201cThird, there’s no limit to what your team can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit. You know, give the credit where it’s deserved.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fourth principle is to understand the difference between management and leadership. \u201cManagement is the ability to look at data” to determine the project’s health. Leaders focus on another kind of health. \u201cLeaders inspire ordinary people to do extraordinary things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Getting the F-35 into service required the efforts of thousands of highly trained people and leaders who understood how to balance innovation, management, and budget with a culture that enabled everyone to do their best.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Simplicity is the goal of every design, but sometimes complexity is part of the puzzle. The design and delivery of the F-35 Lightning fighter aircraft is one such example. For starters, in addition to Lockheed, the lead contractor, there were two other prime contractors and scores of subcontractors. Multiple nations were involved, and because the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10010","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leadership"},"yoast_head":"\nF-35 Lightning II: How Culture Tames Complexity | Brandiary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Simplicity is the goal of every design, but sometimes complexity is part of the puzzle. 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