Neil Armstrong and Michael Jackson both initiated a moon walk. Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, died over the weekend.
His family called him “an unlikely American hero.” He was humble and low key. He did not bask in the spotlight of his fame. In fact, he shied away from it, returning to teaching and rarely giving interviews or talks.
Armstrong was focused on the mission and the big picture. He did not seek individual attention. It was a team effort involving everyone from his fellow astronauts to the people in mission control.
Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, talks about Level 5 leaders. Armstrong displayed these qualities. According to Collins, Level 5 leaders:
- Embody a paradoxical mix of personal humility and professional will. They are modest and understated. They are ambitious for the mission, not themselves.
- They set up their successors for even greater success in the next generation.
- They attribute success to reasons other than themselves. That said, they take full responsibility when things go poorly.
Collins says that “the good – to – great leaders seem to have come from Mars.” Fortunately for us, Neil Armstrong went to the moon and back.