From Good To Nice: Constructing A Staff That Wins

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by Basic (Ret.) Elyezer Shkedy, writer of “ Who the F*ck is Michael?!: An Israeli Air Drive Chief’s Uncompromising Code for Attaining Greatness ”

It's customary to suppose that the excellence of a bunch is dependent upon the standard of its folks and the sources at its disposal.

After all, having wonderful folks and enough sources is an effective factor.

These are obligatory circumstances, however they aren't sufficient.

There are three extra conditions which can be pivotal for group excellence.

The primary situation is that the group actually features as a bunch.

We all know organizations which have nice folks and nice sources, however their persons are continuously busy justifying and explaining, in phrases or actions:

Why their job or occupation is a very powerful, Why the others are a lot much less necessary, Why when one thing succeeds it is just due to them, And why when one thing doesn’t pan out, everybody else is guilty…

Such a company, regardless of the skilled high quality of its personnel and regardless of its many sources, is not going to obtain collective excellence.

Then again, a company that features as a bunch, whose folks perceive the nice significance of collaborating and supporting one another, who share a standard purpose, who are usually not busy amplifying why every is extra important or extra necessary than the opposite, who've respect and true appreciation for the work of every member of the group — such a company is on the appropriate path. The paramount job of the group chief, of their messages and actions, is to make the group’s complete higher than the sum of its components.

The second situation is that the group chief should give his or her folks confidence, assist, and inspiration to allow them to categorical and understand their abilities and talents, encouraging them to provoke, act, take flight, and be fearless.

The chief’s messages and statements are of immense significance. “The successes are yours, the failure is mine,” is a dictum that's all the time necessary for me to convey and to say to my folks.

It’s wonderful to see what it does to folks — to their dedication, their power, their willingness to cost ahead, and their sense of pleasure.

Your biggest accomplishment as a frontrunner is that your folks really feel and know that the achievement is as a result of work of each one in every of them. Success is theirs.

The third situation is that the group chief believes in his or her folks and their joint capacity to succeed in the sky — and delivers this message in a wide range of methods. If that doesn’t occur, they simply gained’t get there.

If the group chief believes in his or her folks, shares a dream with them, and makes them consider within the concept, in themselves and the group, they'll cost ahead. There isn't any assure they’ll make it to the vacation spot, however they're already on their means.

•••

In early 1992, once we have been within the midst of creating the HaEmek Squadron as an F-16 squadron, the Skewer Competitors was held. On the time, it was thought of probably the most important competitors among the many IAF’s fighter squadrons. Once I obtained the message detailing the launch of the competitors, I used to be shocked to find that our squadron had not been invited to take part.

I instantly known as the pinnacle of the coaching division at Air Drive Headquarters, who was accountable for the difficulty, and requested him why we weren’t collaborating.

“As a result of you aren't an operational squadron,” he answered. “You’re a piece in progress. You’ve solely acquired eight planes, not even one to spare. I don’t know if you happen to even have munitions. So how would you take part? It doesn’t make sense to me. You’ll simply be embarrassed.”

I mentioned, “I request that we be allowed to take part. We'll compete towards everybody, below precisely the identical circumstances, regardless that we've got solely eight planes and none to spare, and regardless that we're not but an operational squadron. We'll cope.”

He sounded skeptical however someway agreed…

I known as the squadron’s technical officer, Yitzhak Nahum, an expert and a real chief.

I instructed him, “Nahum, I’ve determined we are going to compete, regardless of the chances. I’m asking you to do all the pieces, completely all the pieces, to ensure each aircraft we've got is practical. That they’ll take off, launch the munitions, that all the pieces will work a hundred percent, and that each one our bombs will blow up.”

Nahum checked out me with a decided glint in his eye and mentioned, “We’ll do what it takes.”

We ready for the competitors — each aircrew and technical personnel — like we have been coaching for the Olympics. Years later, Nahum instructed me what our folks within the technical part did to organize: how they checked each bomb, how they aligned all of the fins of the bombs with a degree, how they labored on and ready every jet as if it have been a very powerful aircraft on the planet, and so forth…

I keep in mind how we transported our planes from the HAS (hardened plane shelter) to the takeoff place with our technical crew driving in autos alongside us. I actually keep in mind the look of their eyes, as if watching their infants, guaranteeing nothing dangerous would occur.

All of the planes took off; all of the air missions have been carried out properly; all of the bombs have been launched, hit the targets, and exploded.

We beat the opposite IAF squadrons by an enormous margin. The distinction between us and second place was the identical as between second place and final place.

This victory was because of all of the members of the squadron, on the bottom and within the air, and because of the character, dedication, collaboration, and deep and true partnership amongst them.

“I’m relying on you.

“I consider in you.

“I’m satisfied of your capacity.

“And I’m happy with you, as regular…”

***

*excerpted from “ Who the F*ck is Michael?!: An Israeli Air Drive Chief’s Uncompromising Code for Attaining Greatness ” (Viva Editions, April 8, 2025)

Basic (Ret.) Elyezer Shkedy was the fifteenth commander of the Israeli Air Drive. Throughout his service, Shkedy commanded quite a few strategic operations, together with the now-famous Operation Orchard airstrike on the Syrian nuclear reactor. After retiring from lively obligation, Shkedy turned the CEO of the Israeli flag provider airline El Al — the most important airline within the nation. At this time, he volunteers as chairman and chief of over fifteen instructional and social non-governmental organizations, and is the president of I Belong Israel, the place he speaks concerning the significance of tolerance, management, and private values. His new e book is “ Who the F*ck is Michael?!: An Israeli Air Drive Chief’s Uncompromising Code for Attaining Greatness ”.