Establish behavior norms and expectations to foster collaboration and alignment in large teams.
Solicit and listen to feedback on past situations to identify areas of improvement and resolve disagreements.
Deep dives
Bringing Together Stakeholders for Success
Leadership in complex projects involving multiple stakeholders requires effective collaboration and alignment. Tom Burbage, former general manager of the F-35 fighter jet program, shares insights on how to bring together diverse teams to achieve common goals. The F-35 program involved replacing multiple aircraft across the U.S. military branches and engaging nine partner nations, resulting in extraordinary complexity. To foster collaboration, team members were encouraged to identify as part of the F-35 program rather than their individual companies. Clear communication, shared objectives, and a common set of behavioral norms were established to create one team focused on a shared vision.
Managing Complexity and Overcoming Challenges
The F-35 program faced significant complexity and challenges, such as designing different variants of the aircraft for different operating environments while ensuring a unified user experience. Adding to the complexity was collaborating with nine partner countries, multiple government departments, and different prime contractors. Overcoming business-as-usual mentalities and internal competitions among companies and managing inter-service rivalries were additional hurdles. The Marine Corps variant of the aircraft presented technical challenges as it required a delicate balance of propulsion and weight. However, through leadership, support, and close alignment with stakeholders, the program successfully navigated these challenges.
Effective Onboarding and Team Integration
The F-35 program faced rapid personnel ramp-up, hiring thousands of employees within a short period. To address this, an onboarding process was established, including a multi-day program, to ensure new employees understood their roles, the program's objectives, and the collaborative culture. The emphasis was on integrating teams, creating a common identity, and sharing responsibility beyond individual companies. Mentoring programs, with experienced 'Wizards' and regular interactions between senior engineers and younger staff, fostered knowledge transfer and development of a learning environment. The program's success lay in its ability to integrate teams effectively and make individuals productive quickly.
Fostering Collaboration and Shaping Future Outcomes
The F-35 program emphasized collaboration and teamwork by promoting a shared sense of purpose and a one-team mindset. Regular off-site sessions included key stakeholders, including the government, to address challenges and seek cross-functional insights. Open conversations, including insights from previous program leaders, helped anticipate obstacles and facilitated learning from past experiences. The program placed an emphasis on controlling its own destiny, shaping future outcomes, and establishing a common vision of success. Strong leadership, clear communication, and alignment across teams and organizations were essential to steer the program through complexity and achieve its goals.
Tom Burbage: F-35
Tom Burbage retired from the Lockheed Martin Corporation in 2013. He was the President of the Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems Company and the Executive VP/GM for both the USAF F-22 Raptor and the multi-service, allied next generation fighter, the F-35. Prior to joining Lockheed, Tom was a Naval Aviator, completing the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School in 1975. He has accumulated more than 3,000 hours in 38 different types of military aircraft. As a reservist he retired as a Navy Captain in 1994.
Tom has received numerous industry awards, including the U.S. Naval Academy/Harvard Business Review Award for Ethical Leadership; the Aerospace Industry Personality of the Year; the Society of Automotive Engineers Leadership in Aerospace Award; and many others. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in the United Kingdom. He is co-author along with Betsy Clark and Adrian Pitman of the book F-35: The Inside Story of the Lightning II.
Sometimes we find ourselves leading a very large team that isn’t used to working together. That happened to Tom who was the general manager of the F-35 fighter jet. In this conversation, we explore how to bring together many stakeholders in order to do something bigger than any one of them could do alone.
Key Points
Solicit and listen to feedback on what didn’t work in past situations.
Establish behavior norms and expectations and continue coming back to them. When disagreements happen, resolve them in the context of these norms.
Consider including customers in major meetings, so struggles are shared transparently with all stakeholders.
Behavior norms and expectations were established globally and referenced in most formal interactions. When flare ups happened, they were often settled quickly in the spirit of the norms.
A “one team” concept was used to unify people from formerly competing organizations to align them to the nobler motive.
Resources Mentioned
F-35: The Inside Story of the Lightning II* by Tom Burbage, Betsy Clark, and Adrian Pitman
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
How to Create Team Guidelines, with Susan Gerke (episode 192)
How to Build a Coaching Culture, with Andrea Wanerstrand (episode 501)
How Top Leaders Influence Great Teamwork, with Scott Keller (episode 585)
How to Lead Better Through Complexity, with Jennifer Garvey Berger (episode 613)
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