An airplane pilot went viral for scolding his passengers—Harvard expert says it’s great leadership: ‘Bravo’

When a video of an American Airlines pilot scolding his passengers during a pre-flight announcement went viral, some people deemed it patronizing.

Others, including a Harvard University expert, are hailing the pilot’s speech as an example of strong leadership — at a time when passengers desperately need it.

“I say bravo to the American Airlines pilot. He has every right to do that. He’s the captain of the flight, and he’s in charge of what happens,” Bill George, an executive fellow at Harvard Business School and author of “True North: Emerging Leader Edition,” tells CNBC Make It. “If something goes wrong, he has the obligation to go back to the nearest airport and land … and no passenger likes that.”

In the video, which started circulating last week, the pilot set some ground rules for his passengers — including what they should expect from their flight attendants, and how they should treat each other during the journey.

“Remember, the flight attendants are here for your safety. After that they’re here to make your flight more enjoyable,” the pilot said. “They’re going to take care of you guys but you will listen to what they have to say because they represent my will in the cabin, and my will is what matters.”

The pilot added: “Be nice to each other. Be respectful to each other. I shouldn’t have to say that … But I have to say it every single flight, because people don’t. And they’re selfish and rude, and we won’t have it.”

He told passengers to store their bags properly, avoid leaning or falling asleep on other people, and use headphones instead of playing audio out loud on speakers.

Lastly, the pilot acknowledged the plight of the people in middle seats: “Middle seaters, I know it stinks to be in the middle … You own both armrests. That is my gift to you. Welcome on board our flight.”

A great example of leadership, but not a one-size-fits-all strategy
The speech — “a little bit of fatherhood,” as the pilot deemed it — serves as a counterpoint to a bevy of recent videos depicting outbursts aboard aircrafts. Airlines have seen a significant uptick in unruly passenger reports: nearly 2,500 last year and 6,000 in 2021, compared to roughly 1,200 in 2019 and less than 1,000 in years prior, according to Federal Aviation Administration data.

The FAA has referred more than 250 of those cases to the Federal Bureau of Investigations since 2021, a move reserved for particularly violent incidents, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.

Given that backdrop, George applauds the pilot, noting that commercial airline captains “have the right to do these things.”

It’s not a one-size-fits-all leadership approach, he adds: “In the office, it’s more nuanced. You’re not dealing with a situation that might put people in physical harm, or could be potentially dangerous.”

CEOs and bosses have “the right to set some standards of behavior,” but scolding lectures in that kind of setting typically only make employees feel undervalued and underappreciated, George says. That could contribute to staffers “quiet quitting” their jobs — or even actually quitting.

Instead, if you’re struggling with a respect-in-the-workplace problem, talk directly with the people involved to get their perspectives and craft a more personalized, empathic solution.

“Expressing genuine empathy for someone’s circumstance and being able to walk in their shoes is an essential quality of all leaders,” George said in a 2015 interview with psychologist Daniel Goleman. “It’s the key element.”

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