PEOPLE “WORKING TOGETHER”© TO PRODUCE THE PREFERRED BOEING 777 AIRPLANE FAMILY

Abstract

McArthur (Leader to Leader’s Editor-in-Chief) joins Mulally (who served as executive vice president of the Boeing Company, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and president of Boeing Information, Space and Defense Systems from 1969 to 2006), and six other co-authors who were also key executives at Boeing to describe in detail the creation of the Boeing 777 Airplane Family. As they write, “Alan’s ‘Working Together’ five elements – the Principles and Practices, the Governance Process, the Leadership Team, the Creating Value Roadmap, and the Business Plan Review – was a system and culture that had never been implemented before.” They explain the corporate history of the company that formed the basis for this unheard-of achievement, and write about the decisions and visionary work of the many executives involved. This involved the design and building of the airplanes, as well as corporate culture, goals, and timelines. They write that the creation of the airplane family is “above all a story of what people can achieve when we combine the power of our minds, hearts, and hands working together towards a common cause.” The “Working Together”© Leadership and Management System was later applied by Alan at Boeing Commercial Airplanes and in saving/transforming Ford Motor Company, when he was CEO from 2006 to 2014.