Recipe for Success: Behavioral Ingredients for Superior Performing Leaders

Presenter Information

Linda M. Pittenger, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityFollow

Presenter Email

pittengl@erau.edu

Location

Jim W. Henderson Administration & Welcome Center (Bldg. #602)

Start Date

8-15-2017 1:15 PM

End Date

8-15-2017 2:15 PM

Submission Type

Presentation

Keywords

behavioral competencies, performance, leaders, aviation and aerospace

Abstract

The aviation and aerospace business is a complex adaptive system that includes emerging technologies, competitors, government policies, cost demands, globalization, and talent constraints. To effectively lead in the chaos of constant demands and disruptive and unpredictable external environments, having deep and broad functional expertise is not enough. Superior performing leaders require further broadening and deepening of selected behavioral competencies in order to succeed (Smith, 2000). Particular to aviation and aerospace, understanding the types of leaders needed to be successful is especially important since baby boomer employees will soon retire and the middle managers that will likely replace them lack the required behaviors. Worsening this is a scarcity of talent available. Velocci (2009) revealed that how organizations respond to this would shape the future of the industry’s landscape.

McKee, Boyatzis, & Johnson (2008) argued that behavioral competencies, not IQ or technical experience, are the most important factors in distinguishing great leadership. Findings from an unprecedented study of 112 leaders in eight aviation and aerospace organizations will shed light on the specific behavioral competencies that differentiate superior performing leaders and serves to fill a tremendous void with respect to aviation and aerospace human capital. This work contributes by supporting organizations to more effectively select, develop, and promote those aviation and aerospace leaders that can positively affect organizational performance. As such, organizations can experience improved candidate selections, enhanced professional development and promotion decisions, increased employee engagement and productivity, as well as decreased turnover.

Comments

Presented during Session 5: Leadership in Aviation

Presenter Biography

Dr. Linda M. Pittenger is recognized as a leading expert and thought leader on Human Capital. She has had a successful career as an executive in academic and large corporate environments, and conceptualized, launched and sold her business to a Fortune 100 company. Currently, Dr. Pittenger is a tenured Associate Professor of Organizational Leadership and Discipline Chair of Organizational Behavior at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and consults with executives of Global 100 companies.

Dr. Pittenger has been published in many industry and national publications and is a frequent speaker at major conferences. She is the recipient of many awards and has implemented several programs that exceeded benchmark standards. Her leadership directly impacted AT&T winning the Malcolm Baldrige Award and her transformation work at a global investment bank was the subject of a MIT case study. In 2011, IEEE recognized her research on the distinguishing competencies of superior performing IT professionals as a top 15 global technology management paper. Additionally, Dr. Pittenger served as a Commissioner for President Obama's Tech America initiative, REAL (Recommendations for Education and Advancement), recommending policy agenda for "Digital Promise”.

Previous to her appointment at Embry-Riddle, Dr. Pittenger was Associate Dean of Graduate Programs at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. At Stevens, she launched the first master’s program in Business Intelligence & Analytics in the tri-state area and the nation’s first master’s degree in Enterprise Project Management.

Until its bankruptcy, Dr. Pittenger was Managing Director, Global Head of HR at Lehman Brothers, responsible for Human Resources, Campus and Lateral Recruitment, and Training for the Global Technology organization. She assisted in the closure of the largest bankruptcy in corporate America. Previously, Linda was Founder, CEO and President of people³, the world’s leading authority on IT human capital. Securing $5M in venture capital, people³ delivered consulting, software solutions and industry-leading research focused on the people and organization issues of IT. Gartner (IT, NYSE) acquired people³ in June 2002. Dr. Pittenger retired from Gartner as President, Human Capital in June 2005.

Before starting her company, Dr. Pittenger was CIO, of AT&T’s Sales and Marketing Systems, responsible for ensuring technological superiority for the business long distance business delivering industry leading sales, marketing, and executive information systems for more than 22,000 sales and marketing personnel. She supported $35B in revenue, managing an expense and capital budget of over $400M. Linda also served as Vice President, HR for AT&T’s Network Services Division, managing strategic planning, policy and operations, labor relations, cultural transformation and technical training for 23,000 employees.

Dr. Pittenger received a Doctorate in Management from Case Western Reserve University. She attended Wharton’s Executive Management Program and earned a BS and MBA from Jacksonville University.

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