🔒Why leaders ought to become ‘parachute packers’

I love to tell stories, not just mine but others as well.

I love the way a story can weave connections and present an idea or concept that might otherwise be missed.

One of my favorite stories is about Chuck Plumb.

Plumb was a Navy pilot flying off the Kitty Hawk in the Vietnam War when he was shot down. He spent time in the prison known as the “Hanoi Hilton,” but was eventually released.

When he retired from the Navy he became a motivational speaker. One evening when he and his wife were at a restaurant, he was approached by a man he did not recognize. “Are you Chuck Plumb, and did you fly off the Kitty Hawk in Vietnam?” Plumb answered, “Yes,” and then the man quickly said, “I packed your parachute.”

Plumb was shocked and mumbled thanks to him, telling him he saved his life with his care. But Plumb did not remember who this man was, and this tormented him. This unknown parachute packer, doing his job, played a critical role in Plumb succeeding in doing his. He realized we all need parachute packers who work tirelessly to advance an outcome but who neither accept nor need praise for what they do.

I would like to suggest that as leaders in our organizations and in our communities, we need and must become parachute packers ourselves.

Leading often means doing things that people do not always notice, but completing the action makes life a bit easier. Small and meaningful actions behind the scenes can and often do transform workplaces and communities. Negotiating for a raise for staff or making sure health benefits remain consistent won't win a Noble Peace Prize, but these actions help people achieve an organization's goals.

Leaders recognize that we all depend on parachute packers, and must not allow them to be forgotten. They grace our lives even though we often do not realize they are there. Being aware of who does what for us and the impact it has on our lives is just one aspect of enhanced awareness.

Too often we put our heads down and focus on our busy lives rather than on the people we meet or interact with on a daily basis. This heads-down attitude limits connections within workplaces, neighborhoods and families.

But how do we “grow” parachute packers in our organizations and in our communities? First, we agree that we must truly work together to nurture and develop all, regardless of how visible their role might be. We set goals that endorse true collaboration.

Parachute packers develop when our culture empowers people to help others and truly be focused on the best for all. It is time that organizations and communities consider what it means to value a true team orientation, to create an environment that works for everyone. When people are not worried about getting the glory, true parachute packers emerge, empowered to help each other, achieve common goals and share the success together.

We feed off each other's ideas and in the process become engaged; our culture truly focuses on the best for all employees and citizens, and our lives are exponentially enriched in the process.

The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tsu once said, “A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, 'we did it ourselves.' ” Perhaps that is what true leadership is: each of us packing parachutes for others and knowing that someone has packed ours.

Sandra Coyne is the director of the organizational leadership master's degree program at Goodwin College and a recent graduate of Leadership Greater Hartford's Executive Orientation Program.