Living Leadership: Leading Under Pressure

Gene Kranz

Mission Control Flight Director, NASA

Gene Kranz, legendary NASA Flight Director, shares how leading Mission Control through the most high-stakes moments in space exploration shaped a philosophy of leadership rooted in being tough and competent. Listen as he talks with Professor Christopher Myers about directing missions across NASA’s Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs—including Apollo 11 and the crisis of Apollo 13—and what those moments reveal about decision-making under extreme pressure. He explores how trust, shared identity, and uncompromising standards enable teams to perform when failure is not an option, offering timeless lessons for leaders navigating uncertainty, complexity, and high-stakes moments in any organization.