James Lovell Leadership Analysis

Leadership is an intangible quality that influences people and provides purpose. Whether they intend to or not, leaders leave a legacy that can significantly affect generations to follow. In this paper, I will discuss the legacy of perseverance and resiliency astronaut James Lovell left behind. James Lovell’s leadership attributes and competencies enabled him to turn an almost-certain catastrophe into his finest hour. I will also discuss how his legacy affects my own leadership philosophy and the lessons that I want to pass on to the next generation (U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, 2012). James Lovell had many attributes associated with leadership. His greatest strengths were his intellect and expertise (U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, 2012). James Lovell had degrees from the United States Naval Academy, the University of Southern California, and Harvard Business School. He was a test pilot at the Naval Air Test Center and served as Program Manager for the F4H "Phantom" Fighter. While there, he logged over 7000 hours of flight time. He served as backup …show more content…
These two attributes of leadership would later support the success of Apollo 13 (U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, 2012). Lovell and his crew trained rigorously for the mission and continued working essential maneuvers until they were perfect. When the flight surgeon quarantined his pilot due to a possible measles contraction, Lovell chose to continue the mission with the backup pilot. He placed the safety of the mission above his personal desire to keep the original pilot. After the explosion on Apollo 13, James Lovell put his trust in the leadership of Houston ground control. Lovell understood that leadership meant working as a team throughout all levels of an organization. Lovell noted that, "Leadership has to flow all the way through the organization, because that is the glue that forms teamwork (Wallace,