We’ve all heard the flight attendant’s compulsory safety announcement regarding oxygen masks. Personally, I’ve grown pretty numb to the whole safety monologue. Not a good thing.

During a relatively recent trip on a Southwest flight there was a refreshing twist to the typically sober announcement.

It went something like this, “In the event of a sudden loss in cabin pressure, oxygen masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with two small children, decide now which one you love more.” Pretty funny.

But, the truth is there’s a reason that the parent (or guardian) should don the mask first and then attend to his or her charges. The parent needs to maintain his mental and physical faculties so that he can effectively take care of others. This is not self-serving.

This leads (surprise, surprise) to a lean metaphor: Lean leaders need to put on the oxygen mask first.

The “oxygen” here is lean competency.

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