The heroic story of the Apollo 13 mission has gone down in history as one of the greatest triumphs in the face of imminent catastrophic failure. Could this amazing feat have been the product of luck? With the complexity of the situation and the crucial decisions needing to be made, simply luck itself would have stood no chance. Such extraordinary accomplishments are the work of effective leaders, which can be seen in the successful return of the Apollo 13. Gene Kranz was the flight director, but moreover, an effective leader as he used his abilities to foster collaboration and build relationships in order to achieve success. Kranz’s first strategy used to enable his crew was, how he modelled the way and set the example of what was needed (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). When the malfunctions began, many crew members were unaware of what the next steps needed were; however, Kranz set the example of what was necessary in order to achieve their goals. He knew that a complete group effort was the only way to have a chance, so Kranz asked purposeful questions …show more content…
Instead of accepting the probable lost due to unexpected outcomes on the Apollo ship, he decided to venture into the unknowns, against all the odds of success. Kouzes & Posner (2012) illustrate that leaders must take risks and search for new opportunities for those around them. Kranz did exactly that by scraping the initial flight plan and seeking new opportunities to better the situation. Furthermore, he knew that in order to have any chance of success and make something happen, he would need to take risks. By Kranz acknowledging that new options were needed and risks must be taken, he did not sugar coat the difficult situation they were in. This allowed others to build relationships with him and trust his actions, further promoting greater collaboration with everyone