Roger That: What Air-Crash Investigations Can Teach Leaders About Better Communication

We were on a routine video call with the in-laws in Vancouver. Talk turned to an unconfirmed medical appointment—a small thing, just an admin frustration. But no one confirmed anything, and no one was clear on the next step. An open loop. 

My father-in-law, a retired pilot, said something that reframed the moment: “In the cockpit, if a message isn’t confirmed, it’s like it was never said.”

In business, communication failures can derail projects, damage trust, and waste enormous amounts of time and money. But, when it comes to airplane crashes the repercussions are catastrophic.

It’s both horrifying and fascinating that so many disasters result from communication mishaps.  Enormous effort is put into understanding the cause of the misunderstandings and creating new ways of working to avoid repeat disasters.  There are lessons to be gleaned.

Leaders often incorrectly assume that they have been understood. But then things unravel and everyone is frustrated.  It turns out that we are often vague, obtuse or incomplete in our messaging.

It helps to remember that communication is two-way. It is up to the speaker to deliver their message in a way that cuts through the noise.

Sometimes we leave out critical information and skip over details. We soften difficult points in case it makes us unpopular. We make too many assumptions and we don’t tailor our communication to the moment.

And the people we’re speaking to? They’re distracted, overloaded, and reading between the lines based on their own biases and experiences.

In 1997, Korea Air Flight 801 crashed on approach to Guam. The co-pilot knew something was wrong but failed to speak up forcefully. The captain insisted he knew where he was going.  Cultural deference to authority—combined with a tone that lacked the force the situation demanded—contributed to a fatal mistake.

This same dynamic plays out in boardrooms, project teams, and executive meetings. Team members sense trouble but don’t challenge the leader. Junior staff defer to those more senior. Feedback is softened to the point of uselessness.

The solution is to create a culture where it’s safe to speak up.  A set of rules and expected behaviours where dissent is ok. Feedback needs to be invited and protected. When dissent is punished or ignored a voice is silenced. And with it goes valuable insight, perspective, and sometimes, the truth.

In 1990, Avianca Flight 52 ran out of fuel and crashed outside New York. The crew had been circling for too long. They hinted at urgency to air traffic control but never explicitly declared an emergency. They were intimidated by the brusque style of the ATCs so they did not make themselves heard amidst the noise in a high pressure scenario.

They assumed their concern was obvious. It wasn’t.

This happens in organisations all the time. A team hints that something’s going wrong. A manager flags an issue in vague terms. A critical risk is mentioned, once, in passing. No one calls it out clearly—so nothing changes.

The lesson is to say the thing. Name the issue. Declare the emergency. Closed-loop communication—used in aviation—means giving a clear message and requiring confirmation in return. It’s not overkill; it’s how you ensure understanding.

The trick is to identify the moments that matter most.  If everything is important then nothing is important.  Save your emphatic language for the critical situations where you must grab attention.

In aviation, there’s a rule: below 10,000 feet, only operational talk is allowed. It’s called the ‘Sterile Cockpit Rule’. No small talk. No distractions. The idea is simple: when things are most critical, focus must be absolute.

Now think about the last high-stakes meeting you were in. Was everyone fully present? Or were phones out, tabs open, people mentally juggling a dozen things?

Leaders should design moments of focused communication. Call out when attention is needed. Set expectations. Use verbal signposts: “This part is crucial,” “Here’s the decision we need to make,” or “I need you with me here.”

Communication isn’t just about delivering a message. It’s about making sure it lands—fully, clearly, and with shared understanding.

Pilots train for this. They rehearse it. They treat communication as life-critical, because it is.

We don’t all need to communicate like pilots, but there are some crucial lessons we can adopt. Confirm. Clarify. Repeat back. Create space for dissent. Cut distractions when it counts. And always assume your message was not properly received—until someone tells you that it was.

Written by Monica Lunin.
Have you read?
The World’s Best Medical Schools.
The World’s Best Universities.
The World’s Best International High Schools.
The World’s Best Business Schools.
The World’s Best Fashion Schools.
The World’s Best Hospitality And Hotel Management Schools.