Getting Started: Ranking In Extremis Leadership Competencies

One of the simplest yet inherently scientific ways to learn about the nature of leadership in dangerous contexts is to directly compare in extremis leaders who are actively engaged in dangerous activity with more ordinary leaders who are not operating at risk. One group that I interviewed included the most experienced members of the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) sport parachute team, who at the time were parachuting six days a week and served in leadership roles on the team. I then compared what I learned from these interviews with identical interviews that I conducted with senior athletes on other USMA sports teams. The athletes I talked to fell into one of three categories: team sport athletes, individual sport athletes, or competition parachute team members. I was most interested in comparing high- and low-risk sports teams. The rank-ordering of the leadership competencies was intended to represent the athletes’ personal strengths in the context of their particular sport.

This simple comparison revealed powerful findings about the characteristics of good in extremis leaders. During the interviews, I asked the West Point athletes, who were mostly team captains and other leaders, to rank-order nine leadership competencies that are endorsed by the Army in its leadership doctrine, as shown in Exhibit 1.1. The rest of this chapter describes the results of this survey, which are substantiated by interviews with people working in other high-risk situations.

Exhibit 1.1. Leadership Competencies Ranked in the USMA Survey

Communicating: The leader displays good oral, written, and listening skills for individuals and groups.

Decision making: The leader employs sound judgment and logical reasoning, and uses resources wisely.

Motivating: The leader inspires, motivates, and guides others toward goals and objectives.

Planning: The leader develops detailed, executable plans that are feasible, acceptable, and suitable.

Executing: The leader shows proficiency, meets standards, and takes care of people and resources.


Assessing: The leader uses assessment and evaluation tools to facilitate consistent improvement.

Assessing: The leader invests adequate time and effort to develop individual followers as leaders.


Building: The leader spends time and resources improving teams, groups, and units and fosters ethical climate.

Learning: The leader seeks self-improvement and organizational growth and envisions, adapts to, and leads change.