Wanted: Space Leaders
Reimagining leadership, if we could start all over
We’re all watching and dreaming about how technology might get us into space. We’re driven by different needs in that respect: Frustration with complexity of everyday life here on Earth. Romanticizing the idea of frontiering — the thought of scrapping it all and starting over. Curiosity about the inevitability of what today we call Digital Technology becoming more integrated into core human experience.
But not many of us are thinking about Phase 2 in the grand project of space habitation: What happens once we’re on, say, Mars? What of our current frames and ways should go with us? Which should be entirely rethought? What kind of leaders will we become and show up as?
Let’s delight for a moment in imagining…
What would make a great space leader?
Disconnected and unencumbered by capitalism and its expectations, social policy, political platforms, and history, we have a chance to lead our next frontier in a powerful new way. This is a rare moment to bring forward the best of our learnings and declare our beliefs about this new world and new model of leadership. Vulnerability. Charisma. Great Storytelling. Mindfulness. Inclusion. We can cast this type of leadership now and create systems and organizations that make this real in space.
What behaviors would we leave behind, and what new ones will we activate?
We should look at where we were careless on the planet and with each other — the environment, inequity, exclusion, violence, mental health — and consider what we need to do to drive better outcomes. What would we change about leadership and vulnerability — sharing our truths sooner and more clearly? Being honest and increasingly open in all moments of decision? How might we bring mindfulness to this new place — heightening our awareness of the present moment, enabling us to unlock more creative ideas and build more meaningful relationships? And we should look at the unique challenges we’ve never solved before and be deliberate about what’s required — for example, designing new transportation systems, businesses, and communities from scratch. We should ensure our best behaviors and beliefs about leadership are aligned with the unique problems we’ll experience in space.
How would we build teams and encourage cooperation? How will we wrestle with creativity and conflict?
In this radically new environment, we’ll depend on each other more than ever. Leadership and teamwork will be more vital than ever, ensuring we don’t drift off into space without each other. We have to design teams that include every critical pillar of creativity — social science, liberal arts, technology. We know design tools and methods are critical to solving our toughest problems. We know diverse teams are smarter teams. We know data provides new levels of insight and impact to our work. How can we build all of that in from the start? We’d have the chance to propose models of working that are both fast, like sprints and agile, and also modes that let us zoom out and think longer term. We will hold ourselves to measure and impact that are increasingly tangible but also intentional, wasting nothing, caring more deeply about the impression and foundation of work we’re creating in space.
How would we employ technology and master cohabitation with robots?Rather than begin with fear of automation and robotic intelligence, let’s start by looking at the tasks and the strength of technology in this new world. There will be obvious relationships that we can identify now, such as manufacturing machines, surgical devices, and services that simply don’t require much human intervention. And then there will be activities that must be championed and led by people, us. The intellectual debate of our policies, the strategic decision making, the empathy we require in designing organizations and developing people, civil development and the caring of environment. We can program humanity first and get the absolute most of each machine we bring with us.
What else do we need to consider as we plan for space leadership? What are we missing?
Agriculture. Healthcare. Social Policy. Education. None of what we do now here on amazing Earth has to go forward. We can leave it all, borrow only the best, or invent from new. Our choice. Your choice.
And as we break ground on this new interplanetary society, let’s not forget what we left back on Earth. Perhaps our greatest accomplishment will be applying what we learn up there, back down here. Often we build upon the past, making the same mistakes. We inform future behavior by past outcomes. We get stuck. But this time, we can design an ideal state, bring forward only our best sense of leadership, and then watch and learn. This rare moment of feedback and observation is perfect for us to be better here, there, and everywhere else.
With more than 20 years of experience in the design and technology industry, Caleb Rabinowitz leads business development for SYPartners in San Francisco, and previously led consulting engagements as a Principal with leadership teams from Apple, AT&T, IBM, and many others. Prior to SYPartners, Caleb spent 14 years at Intel leading concept development and marketing programs.
