Chris Hadfield
Who Is He? Brief Introduction
Chris Hadfield, 55 year old former astronaut for the CSA (Canadian Space Agency) and Pilot/engineer for the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air force). Chris was born on the 29th of August 1959 in Sarnia, Ontario and was inspired to be an astronaut after watching the landing of Apollo 11 on the moon and since then, from the age of 9 always dreamed of walking in space and in April 2001 his dreams came true when he became the Canadian to walk freely in space out of the shuttle as well as installing the Canadarm2.
What Made Him A Leader
Commander Chris Hadfield led 2 space shuttle missions and served as his commander in the ISS (International Space Station) when installing the candarm2 which is a large robotic arm used to move supply equipment onto space shuttles. He also left his space shuttle and walked freely in space twice in his career.
Leadership Roles
Being an astronaut is the dream job for 9 year olds all over the globe, but it’s surprisingly much harder than it seems. Being hundreds of kilometers outside of the earth’s atmosphere travelling at the speeds of 8km a seconds leaves a little margin for error which is a lot of pressure on the crew and even more so on their leader. In these situations only the greatest leaders can take command and Cmdr. Hadfield led 2 pf these space shuttle missions as well as leader of the instillation of Candarm2, which is very useful apparatus and would now have been possible to install without the guidance of a great leader.
Actions Taken That Show Leadership
Chris Hadfield was also the second Canadian to serve a long term mission abort the ISS and the first to command one. He was the leader of the installation of the Candram2 as well as the NEEMO 14 which was an undersea mission by NASA.
Hadfield’s Leadership Traits
Chis Hadfield was a great leader, and her shows this through concealing his efforts in the face of his crew as well as through his altruism towards his crew mated and through his consciousness of the lessons of leadership, commander Hadfield portrays his understanding of courage being the ability to inspire others to move past fear when he says “Sweat sweat.” By saying this Chris shows that he know that hats more important than not ‘sweating’ or rather struggling or fearing is that you cannot let anyone else on your team know of your struggles and efforts to inspire them to move past theirs. Chis sure wasn’t leaving his base behind when he says “It’s not enough to shelve your own competitive streak. You have to try, consciously , to help others succeed.” Chris’s selfless acts are proof of his loyalty and commitment to his crew or base as Mandela put it. Last but certainly not least, his teamwork, what makes Hadfield such a great leader is that he is always aware of the importance of teamwork and this is evident when he says “The exercise really had a lot less to do with water survival than with deliberate teamwork” referring to his NEEMO 14 mission undersea.
Conclusion
In conclusion, commander Chis Hadfield is a great example of a Canadian Leader that follows the 8 lessons of leadership though his adventurous excursions into outer space.
Work Cited
“Biography of Chris Hadfield.” Canadian Space Agency Website. Web. 26 April. 2015.
“Chis Hadfield Quotes.” Chris Hadfield quotes (Author of An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth) (page 2 of 3). Web. 26 April. 2015
“Chris Hadfield.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia foundation. Web. 26 April. 2015.
“Former Astronaut Chris Hadfield Headline Speaker at Leadership Conference.” Former Astronaut Chris Hadfield Headline Speaker at Leadership Conference. Web. 26 April. 2015
“The Globe and Mail.” The Globe and Mail. Web. 26 April. 2015