Sir Baz North OBE - Making unpopular decisions and embracing change

Nottingham Business School Business Leaders

Air Marshal Sir Baz North faced one of his greatest challenges in the aftermath of the Mull of Kintyre Helicopter Disaster when a Chinook flew into a hillside killing all 25 security officers on board.

It was the biggest peacetime loss of life in the history of the RAF.

And Sir Baz – who was a Chinook Special Unit Commander in Northern Ireland, where the helicopter was based – tells the NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast that dealing with the tragedy taught him a lot.

“The challenge I had was ensuring the other operations we had going on elsewhere were successfully conducted… while ensuring right was done to the families of those bereaved,” he says.

“One learned about handling one’s own feelings.”

During a 35-year career with the RAF, Sir Baz took on a huge array of leadership roles, from commanding helicopter squadrons in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan – to leading flood relief operations in Mozambique.

He tells Visiting Honorary Professor Mike Sassi he threw himself into every job.

“You only get one life and you’ve got to put as much into it as you can,” he says. “If you’re not enjoying it, you’re not putting enough in.

“My first role as a pilot was flying Wessex helicopters, but I wanted to know more… to get a better understanding of what I wanted to do.

“So, I spent time beyond my contracted hours learning more. If you have a passion for wanting to do your best, it doesn’t matter what your contract says, you’ll get stuck in – to amass knowledge.”

Sir Baz also stresses the importance of team-building. He says good leaders must always be compassionate – and good team members supportive.

But the Air Vice Marshal talks about “the loneliness of command”.

He says: “Never be afraid of making unpopular decisions. Making the right decision is the thing to do.

“Whether a decision is popular or not is not very interesting.

“But mitigating unpopularity by explaining to one’s team the reason why… that brings them into a recognition of… ok… we don’t like it, but we’ve got to do it!”

Sir Baz – who was seven years a member of the Air Force Board, until his retirement in 2016 – says would-be leaders must, above everything, embrace change.

“Change is the only constant we’ve got in life – and that’s a thing that quite a few people can’t accept,” he says.

“Get comfortable with change. Exploit it for the betterment of your own organisation and your own people.

“Where there is change to be delivered there will be people who are resistant. So, move swiftly and exploit the ambiguity.”

@ Sir Baz North is a member of the Nottingham Business School Advisory Board. In 2018 he was presented with an Honorary Doctorate by Nottingham Trent University. The ceremony and Sir Baz’s acceptance speech are HERE (between 43:45 and 55:00)