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Leadership Moments from NASA: Achieving the Impossible
The NASA way: lessons on leadership, teamwork, and corporate culture. How does NASA take on seemingly insurmountable challenges, recover from tragedy and continue to attract the best and brightest talent?
Space exploration is as much a story of leadership and teamwork as it is a story of exploration and discovery. Leadership Moments from NASA delves into the culture of the famed organization and examines the leadership styles and insights of NASA senior executives spanning five decades of human spaceflight to share the lessons they learned from critical moments. How did they prioritize? How did they resolve differences? How did they decide what to do when no one had done it before? How did they build highly competent teams? How did they build organizational resilience? How did they fight complacency and rebuild a culture of safety and innovation?
Through the use of NASA oral histories and interviews, this book shows how NASA recovered from tragedy and adversity, and how it developed a culture of competency that continues to attract the best and brightest.
Space exploration is as much a story of leadership and teamwork as it is a story of exploration and discovery. Leadership Moments from NASA delves into the culture of the famed organization and examines the leadership styles and insights of NASA senior executives spanning five decades of human spaceflight to share the lessons they learned from critical moments. How did they prioritize? How did they resolve differences? How did they decide what to do when no one had done it before? How did they build highly competent teams? How did they build organizational resilience? How did they fight complacency and rebuild a culture of safety and innovation?
Through the use of NASA oral histories and interviews, this book shows how NASA recovered from tragedy and adversity, and how it developed a culture of competency that continues to attract the best and brightest.
- GenresLeadership
328 pages, Hardcover
Published July 6, 2021
20 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Dave Williams
10 books13 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Dr. Dave Williams was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and moved to Beaconsfield, Quebec on the West Island of Montreal at an early age.
As a child, his favorite book was Tom Sawyer; his younger years were spent fishing, camping, and enjoying the outdoors. He dreamt of becoming an astronaut when he was 7 years old after watching Alan Shepard become the first American to travel in space. His passion for exploration took him underwater when he started scuba diving at age 12. His childhood heroes included Canada’s famous diving physician Dr. Joe MacInnis, Jacques Cousteau, and the astronauts of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs.
After graduating from Beaconsfield High School, he attended McGill University, pursuing a bachelor of science degree in neurobiology, a master of science degree in neurophysiology, followed by a doctorate of medicine and a master of surgery degree from the Faculty of Medicine, McGill University.
He completed a residency in family practice in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, followed by a fellowship in emergency medicine from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, after finishing a residency in emergency medicine at the University of Toronto. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
He worked at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre in Toronto as well as Grand River Hospital in Kitchener-Waterloo prior to joining the Canadian Space Agency in the second astronaut selection.
In April 1998, Dave Williams participated in his first spaceflight aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. During the 16-day flight, called Neurolab, the seven-person crew served as both experiment subjects and operators for 26 individual life science experiments. These experiments, dedicated to the advancement of neuroscience research, focused on the effects of microgravity on the brain and the nervous system.
After the Neurolab mission, Dave Williams held the position of Director of the Space and Life Sciences Directorate at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. With this appointment, he became the first non-American to hold a senior management position within NASA. He concurrently held a position as the first deputy associate administrator for crew health and safety in the Office of Space Flight at NASA Headquarters.
In October 2001, he became an aquanaut through his participation in the joint NASA-NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) undersea research mission, held in Aquarius, the world's only underwater research laboratory. During this seven-day NEEMO-1 mission, Williams became the first Canadian to have lived and worked in space and in the ocean.
In 2006, Dave Williams was assigned as the crew commander of the NEEMO-9 undersea research mission dedicated to assess new ways to deliver medical care to a remote location, as would be done in a long space flight. A year later, he flew on his second spaceflight STS-118 on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. During the mission, the crew successfully added a truss segment, a new gyroscope, and an external stowage platform to the station. The mission successfully activated a new system that enables docked shuttles to draw electrical power from the station to extend visits to the outpost. Dr. Williams took part in three of the four spacewalks, the highest number of spacewalks performed by a Canadian in a single mission. He spent 17 hours and 47 minutes outside the shuttle, a Canadian record.
After retiring from the space program in 2008, Dr. Williams returned to healthcare. He is currently President and CEO of Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario. Recipient of 4 honorary degrees, the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario, he is passionate about sharing his experiences through his speaking activities and is very excited about inspiring the next generation to pursue their drea
Dr. Dave Williams was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and moved to Beaconsfield, Quebec on the West Island of Montreal at an early age.
As a child, his favorite book was Tom Sawyer; his younger years were spent fishing, camping, and enjoying the outdoors. He dreamt of becoming an astronaut when he was 7 years old after watching Alan Shepard become the first American to travel in space. His passion for exploration took him underwater when he started scuba diving at age 12. His childhood heroes included Canada’s famous diving physician Dr. Joe MacInnis, Jacques Cousteau, and the astronauts of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs.
After graduating from Beaconsfield High School, he attended McGill University, pursuing a bachelor of science degree in neurobiology, a master of science degree in neurophysiology, followed by a doctorate of medicine and a master of surgery degree from the Faculty of Medicine, McGill University.
He completed a residency in family practice in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, followed by a fellowship in emergency medicine from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, after finishing a residency in emergency medicine at the University of Toronto. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
He worked at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre in Toronto as well as Grand River Hospital in Kitchener-Waterloo prior to joining the Canadian Space Agency in the second astronaut selection.
In April 1998, Dave Williams participated in his first spaceflight aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. During the 16-day flight, called Neurolab, the seven-person crew served as both experiment subjects and operators for 26 individual life science experiments. These experiments, dedicated to the advancement of neuroscience research, focused on the effects of microgravity on the brain and the nervous system.
After the Neurolab mission, Dave Williams held the position of Director of the Space and Life Sciences Directorate at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. With this appointment, he became the first non-American to hold a senior management position within NASA. He concurrently held a position as the first deputy associate administrator for crew health and safety in the Office of Space Flight at NASA Headquarters.
In October 2001, he became an aquanaut through his participation in the joint NASA-NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) undersea research mission, held in Aquarius, the world's only underwater research laboratory. During this seven-day NEEMO-1 mission, Williams became the first Canadian to have lived and worked in space and in the ocean.
In 2006, Dave Williams was assigned as the crew commander of the NEEMO-9 undersea research mission dedicated to assess new ways to deliver medical care to a remote location, as would be done in a long space flight. A year later, he flew on his second spaceflight STS-118 on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. During the mission, the crew successfully added a truss segment, a new gyroscope, and an external stowage platform to the station. The mission successfully activated a new system that enables docked shuttles to draw electrical power from the station to extend visits to the outpost. Dr. Williams took part in three of the four spacewalks, the highest number of spacewalks performed by a Canadian in a single mission. He spent 17 hours and 47 minutes outside the shuttle, a Canadian record.
After retiring from the space program in 2008, Dr. Williams returned to healthcare. He is currently President and CEO of Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario. Recipient of 4 honorary degrees, the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario, he is passionate about sharing his experiences through his speaking activities and is very excited about inspiring the next generation to pursue their drea
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October 3, 2024A history of success stories from NASA, showcasing how the agency benefitted from a leadership team that demonstrated respect for the mastery, autonomy and skillset of its proficient engineering team, demonstrated agility during rapidly developing emergencies, demonstrated resilience and vision as well as salesmanship and practicality during fiscal climates of austerity, and demonstrated leadership by examply by possessing a depth of knowledge of their own technical craft, as well as a deep devotion to the cause of space exploration.
June 25, 2021
Such an interesting and informative book for lovers of the space race.
I really enjoyed the leadership insights at the end of each chapter.
this would be a great book for those who are interested in an inside view of the history of NASA as well as tips and motivation to overcome adversity, take on a leadership role, and the importance of team work.
I really enjoyed the leadership insights at the end of each chapter.
this would be a great book for those who are interested in an inside view of the history of NASA as well as tips and motivation to overcome adversity, take on a leadership role, and the importance of team work.
February 26, 2021
In LEADERSHIP MOMENTS FROM NASA, by Dr. Dave Williams and Elizabeth Howell, a close examination of critical moments in NASA's history provides clarity on how NASA made key choices in leadership that helped to maintain the high standards of work ethic and technological advancement that the country knows to be a huge part of who NASA is. The books posits that only through the proper leadership could NASA weather the monumental challenges it faces over the years, from waning public interest and unnecessary Cold War competition, to fatal accidents that forced everyone at NASA to reevaluate how everything is done.
The book digs deep into the major accidents in NASA history and looks to the leaders and leadership style that was implemented. The technical description of the events are complicated and difficult to comprehend for the layman, but I think the authors did a good job of breaking down the technical aspects so that the reader can accurately absorb the information. The people involved in these historic moments are really special and the book does an excellent job of look at those leaders and what they did to get NASA through challenging times. The book jumps back an forth in time some and while it made some sense from a storytelling standpoint, the key players and where they are in their careers is hard to keep up with. Time is spent talking about mentorship and lead positions changing hands, but when the book jumps out of linear progression, a difficulty arises about who in these leadership roles at the moment being discussed.
Overall, a fascinating book, especially for those of us interested in space travel. The authors know their stuff and I felt an urge to read more about certain people and events when I finished.
Thank you to ECW Press, Dr Dave Williams and Elizabeth Howard, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The book digs deep into the major accidents in NASA history and looks to the leaders and leadership style that was implemented. The technical description of the events are complicated and difficult to comprehend for the layman, but I think the authors did a good job of breaking down the technical aspects so that the reader can accurately absorb the information. The people involved in these historic moments are really special and the book does an excellent job of look at those leaders and what they did to get NASA through challenging times. The book jumps back an forth in time some and while it made some sense from a storytelling standpoint, the key players and where they are in their careers is hard to keep up with. Time is spent talking about mentorship and lead positions changing hands, but when the book jumps out of linear progression, a difficulty arises about who in these leadership roles at the moment being discussed.
Overall, a fascinating book, especially for those of us interested in space travel. The authors know their stuff and I felt an urge to read more about certain people and events when I finished.
Thank you to ECW Press, Dr Dave Williams and Elizabeth Howard, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
August 29, 2023
Williams and Howell provide a clear-minded account of NASA's unrivalled achievements punctuated by moments of self-inflicted tragedy. They apply the lens of leadership in the exploration of NASA's history, showing us how inspired leadership can achieve the impossible, and how tragedy that befell NASA can trace their roots to dysfunctional and disassociated leadership.
The thoroughly researched narrative is easy to follow and a pleasure to read, leaving the reader with clear insights how to translate NASA's approach to problem solving to our own work environments.
A highly recommended read.
The thoroughly researched narrative is easy to follow and a pleasure to read, leaving the reader with clear insights how to translate NASA's approach to problem solving to our own work environments.
A highly recommended read.
July 7, 2021
I received a copy from ECW Press in exchange for an honest review.
My knowledge of NASA prior to reading the book was almost nothing. The book is organized as a mostly chronological set of stories paired with lists of leadership lessons. I really enjoyed learning about the early history of NASA.
I'd recommend Leadership Moments from NASA to those who want a light, well-organized anthology of NASA history. I thought the leadership lesson sections were repetitive and sometimes trivial. The most useful insights into culture and organization at NASA came in the last few chapters.
My knowledge of NASA prior to reading the book was almost nothing. The book is organized as a mostly chronological set of stories paired with lists of leadership lessons. I really enjoyed learning about the early history of NASA.
I'd recommend Leadership Moments from NASA to those who want a light, well-organized anthology of NASA history. I thought the leadership lesson sections were repetitive and sometimes trivial. The most useful insights into culture and organization at NASA came in the last few chapters.
July 21, 2021
The stories are very interesting, though not surprisingly many have been told in plenty other NASA related books. The connections to leadership aren't poorly done, but at times feel so obvious that it can be awkward to have the author even mention them as opposed to letting the stories speak for themselves.
March 9, 2021
The stories were great - and the way leadership lessons were applied made a lot of sense. My only slight negative is that some of the stories seem to stretch on longer than they needed to, but that is totally a personal preference. It's a great book all around!
November 22, 2021
If you ever felt you worked on something hard, well… think again :)
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews