What Business Leaders Can Learn from Aviation’s Flat Team Structure
In commercial aviation, lives depend on decision-making that is timely, informed and unfiltered.
This is one reason why aviation has long embraced a flat communication structure – especially on the flight deck.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a captain with 15,000 flying hours or a first officer with a year of experience – if you see something, you speak up.
And crucially, you’re expected to be heard.
This philosophy, often called gradient authority, reduces risk and improves outcomes.
It empowers every voice and ensures that frontline insight reaches those making critical decisions.
So why haven’t more business organisations adopted this mindset?
Richard Nanton, former Vice President of Flight Operations at Qatar Airways and now Strategic Partner at The Sixsess Consultancy, argues that businesses are lagging behind aviation in how they structure teams and decision-making authority.
Drawing from over three decades in global aviation leadership – including as Director of Flight Operations at Thomas Cook and Chief Pilot at easyJet – Richard explains how traditional organisational hierarchies can inhibit transparency and slow down decision-making.
In his words:
“Business schools have yet to catch up with what’s long been standard in commercial aviation.
We’ve seen the benefits of removing hierarchy when it comes to information flow.
If businesses did the same, their ability to execute strategy and respond to change would radically improve.”
At The Sixsess Consultancy, we believe in translating this flat, responsive model into high-performance business environments – helping leadership teams listen better, act faster and lead more effectively.
Key Takeaways:
– Flat team structures encourage faster, more accurate decision-making
– Gradient authority enhances psychological safety and engagement
– Aviation offers a real-world, high-performance model that business can apply
– Organisational design impacts both culture and results
– Leaders must create environments where insight can move without friction