3 Strategies for Effective Leadership, from a Former Astronaut

## 3 Strategies for Effective Leadership, from a Former Astronaut *By Joseph DeBrine | TED Ideas, December 4, 2023* What does leadership look like? While there are various approaches to leading a team, many of us land on common questions in the search for an effective leadership style: How can I be there for my team? Do I need to command respect, or earn it? And the most crucial question of all: How can I make sure that my team trusts me? Cady Coleman has been confronting these questions throughout her career as a chemist, engineer, Air Force colonel, and astronaut. In conversation with TED science curator David Biello, Coleman shared three strategies to establish — and maintain — trust as a leader. Whatever your career is, these tips can help you prepare your team to face any challenge — in outer space or here on Earth. --- ### 1. Be Brave Enough to Get to Know Your Team as Individuals People often say, "There's no 'I' in team" — but maybe there should be, says Coleman. Every member of your team is a whole person, and since so many of the problems we face at work are interdisciplinary, understanding who each individual is beyond the 9-to-5 is invaluable. Being vulnerable enough to get to know your team this way is an essential skill for any leader. When you are able to say, "I think your world is different from mine, and I'd like to understand more about it," you're not just building trust — you're opening a communication channel that teaches you more about your teammate's qualities. Once you know what everyone brings to the table, you can foster the growth of qualities that can lead the team to collective success. --- ### 2. Create a Culture That's Open to Everyone's Ideas While leaders have to guide their teams, it's equally important to let everyone know that they can advocate for themselves and bring their own ideas to the table. Coleman benefitted from such leadership at NASA when training to go to the space station. When faced with budget cuts that threatened to eliminate smaller space suits — and therefore her seat on the mission — Coleman didn't wait. By working directly with NASA's decision-makers, she was able to shift her training to accommodate the larger suits. Had she not felt the freedom to speak up, she might have waited a decade for the right opportunity. The takeaway: when you build a culture of openness, people find solutions you'd never imagine on your own. --- ### 3. Make Trust Your Mission Sometimes establishing trust in the workplace can be more difficult than you expect. Workplace dynamics are always changing — maybe a teammate's priorities have shifted, or a big mistake requires you all to work together under new pressures. Coleman reminds us to "always figure out the why and the what." Ask: why has this happened, why do they feel this way, and what can be done about it? Be open to different points of view, and don't give up if you don't break through at first. Connection is often found in the smaller things — talking about food or music, writing a note to compliment an idea and asking to hear more. Trust, Coleman reminds us, is both given and earned. If you model vulnerability, openness, and understanding for your team, the rewards will always be there. --- *Adapted from a LinkedIn Live conversation with Cady Coleman, former NASA Astronaut and author of **Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change**.* [Read the full article on TED Ideas →](https://ideas.ted.com/3-strategies-for-effective-leadership-from-a-former-astronaut/)