When a video of an American Airlines pilot scolding his passengers during a pre-flight announcement went viral, some people deemed it patronizing.
Others, including a Harvard University expert, are hailing the pilot’s speech as an example of strong leadership — at a time when passengers desperately need it.
“I say bravo to the American Airlines pilot. He has every right to do that. He’s the captain of the flight, and he’s in charge of what happens,” Bill George, an executive fellow at Harvard Business School and author of “True North: Emerging Leader Edition,” tells CNBC Make It.
“If something goes wrong, he has the obligation to go back to the nearest airport and land … and no passenger likes that.”