Speaking up
- Phil D'Adamo
- Jan 19
- 2 min read
โ๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐.โ
Those words were spoken by Brian Russell in a post-disaster reflection. He was one of five engineers who tried to stop the Challenger space shuttle launch 40 years ago. I was a teenager at the time. Revisiting the case through this linked article brought it back into focus for me.
They failed.
The shuttle launched.
Seven people died.
The Challenger disaster is a familiar leadership case study, yet it remains deeply relevant because the conditions that led to it still exist today.
Translated into a modern leadership context, it might look like this:
โข Your expert team warns you to pause the project.ย
โข Pressure to deliver is intense.ย
โข Critical risk information arrives too late to communicate effectively and credibly.
โข Budget constraints drive compromise, reuse, and repair of worn infrastructure and ageing technology.
โข An MVP becomes โgood enoughโ when it clearly isnโt.
โข Past success dulls risk awareness.
โข You decide to overrule your experts.
โข You proceed, and it goes wrong.
Now put yourself in the position of Robert Lund, the Head of Engineering at the time, caught between leaders saying โgoโ and a team of experts saying โdonโtโ.
Speak to any leader and theyโll tell you these conditions arenโt far-fetched. This is where executive leadership is seriously tested.
I intend to use this case study in executive coaching.ย It raises powerful questions and reflections like:
โข How do you create a culture where itโs genuinely safe to speak up, especially when delivering bad news?
โข How do you know when to slow down in a project and really listen to expert advice before making a big call?
โข How do you recognise when past success is creating blind spots in risk judgement,ย for you and your stakeholders?
โข How do you hold firm when the right decision is unpopular and pressure is coming from above, outside or everywhere at once?
โข How do you build support when doing the right thing cuts across expectations, KPIs and even risks your role?
From experience, these are not theoretical questions. Iโve seen them surface in major tech and infrastructure projects. I have experienced this kind of pressure.ย While the consequences may not be lives lost, the damage is real.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ค๐๐, ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐?ย ย ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐?
DM me if youโd like a private conversation to share your experience or talk about executive coaching support.
