When Overconfidence Blinds Leaders
A tragic plane crash — caused by ignored warnings and overconfidence —holds urgent lessons for leadership beyond aviation. When hierarchy silences dissent, disaster follows. By grounding leadership in humility, institutionalizing dissent and aligning actions with values, catastrophes can be avoided and the team can grow and thrive.
HUMANITARIAN LEADERSHIP
Makram Soua
8/9/20251 min read
I recently watched on National Geographic Society TV Channel the 𝘈𝘪𝘳 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 episode on First Air Flight 6560—a tragedy where an experienced crew, overwhelmed by navigational errors, missed critical cues to abort their landing. The investigation revealed a haunting detail: the first officer repeatedly voiced concerns, but the captain’s confidence in his own judgment overrode them. By the time they acted, it was too late.
This isn’t just a tragic aviation story. It’s a stark reminder of how hierarchy, overconfidence, and unheeded voices can cascade into disaster—especially in fields like humanitarian aid, where decisions directly impact lives.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 ‘𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻’𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁’ 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽
The crash underscores a dangerous trap: when leaders—especially seasoned ones—prioritize their own experience over collective input. The first officer’s warnings were clear, but:
• There was no procedural safety net to escalate dissent.
• The captain’s mental model ("I’ve got this") blinded him to alternative perspectives.
• The organization’s culture failed to close the gap between policy ("go around if unstable") and practice (no training to enforce it).
Sound familiar? In humanitarian work, I’ve seen similar gaps:
• "We’ve always done it this way" overriding community feedback.
• Seniority silencing junior staff who spot risks.
• Polished narratives on inclusive decision-making processes masking day-to-day power imbalances.
𝗙𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴) 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆
How do we ground leadership in humility? Three takeaways:
1. Institutionalize dissent. Like aviation’s "two-communication rule," create clear pathways for teams to challenge decisions—without fear. Example: Pre-mortems ("What if we’re wrong?") or designated "devil’s advocates."
2. Bridge the policy-practice gap. If your SOPs say "listen to beneficiaries" but staff lack time/tools to do so, you’re flying on a broken compass. Audit where rhetoric and reality diverge.
3. Reward ‘ego-free’ leadership. Celebrate leaders who publicly course-correct after feedback—it gives others permission to speak up.
𝗔 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁
The humanitarian sector can’t afford crashes—literal or moral. Ask yourself: 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶?
Credit to aviation safety for teaching us that the most experienced person in the room isn’t always the most aware. The question is: 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯?
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
