There is a growing consensus among many that AA’s leadership just isn’t making the grade.  Most recently, Leeham News and Commentary made a post summarizing, once again, the story of failed leadership at AA since Robert Crandall retired.  It’s a story I’ve told and many others out there have too.

It’s my personal observation that leadership doesn’t look or feel like what it is portrayed as in Hollywood.  There is some kind of belief that a strong leader runs around and says “My way!  I’m in charge! You don’t know, I know!”  This is what I would refer to as the Alexander Haig model.  Many of you may know how well that went.

It seems to me that the very best leaders in business, politics or elsewhere have some common attributes.  One of them is a certain amount of humility.  A humility that takes the form of that person not seeing himself as greater than any other individual.  In fact, that quality is often expressed in the way the leader or leaders see themselves in the service of those they actually lead.

They also learn how to change directions when circumstances call for it.  They are not married to a process that has been outgrown or which no longer fits the circumstances.

They learn to bring in new blood and adopt best practices from other businesses.

They may be tough but they aren’t imperious and they aren’t greedy.  They make decisions based upon what is right for all stakeholders and not just those whose interests are financially aligned with their own.

Sounds a lot like Bethune and Crandall, no?

What it doesn’t sound like is Carty or Arpey or Horton.  And that’s the point that all of us are making now.  Pilots and other labor groups hate the current leadership for both objective and emotional reasons.  I get that.

But this isn’t about hate.  It’s about failure to lead and the body of evidence says its time for other parties to lead.

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