Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1212069
REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2020 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE I I-CONNECT007 85 capability of the eVTOL fleet would be 0.01% of the taxi fleet; therefore, it would not be a realistic proposition. The concept of driver- less cars presented an eth- ics dilemma: in an emer- gency situation, should the machine intelligence con- trolling the vehicle choose the lesser of two evils, such as killing two passengers or five pedestrians? Rutan asked whether a software writer should be ultimately responsible for making that ethical decision and left the audience to pon- der the question. From a practical point of view, the concept of the pilotless aircraft was easier than the driverless car, and the technol- ogy was already available, but in context, the proportionate cost of the pilot was relatively small, and the ethical questions remained. Listening to Burt Rutan was a truly educa- tional and motivational experience. He was an inspiration to those with a strong desire to accomplish a technical objective and the determination to achieve it, even if it meant bending the rules of convention more than a little. Rutan had strong views on building and running a successful business, especially one requiring scientific innovation, believing that the best ideas resulted from the collab- orative efforts of small closely-knit project teams working in an environment not restricted or confined by risk- aversity. He understood the value of seeking-out the experienced and learning from them, and was con- vinced that informal chats were far more effective than formal meetings. And when it came to managing innovators, his list continued: "Set difficult goals, reward the achieve- ment of a goal, let the innovators decide what risk to take, then leave them alone and keep others out." The tasks of the manager were to set the goal, communicate, and get fund- ing. It was important never to focus on just improving on "normal" because an easy goal would result in a useless success. The man- ager should learn from the historic examples of the most aggressive, courageous technical accomplishments, challenge the team to do what they think is not possi- ble, and define the difference between research and devel- opment (there are several definitions, but in general, it can be said that research is an open-ended investigation, a learning pro- cess, whereas development is work toward an end-product and deliverable). It helped if the manager had strong nerves and was not easily disturbed or upset. A pertinent quote that Rutan used in the context of inspirational leadership was attrib- uted to French journalist and pioneering avia- tor Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900–1944): "If you wish to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." No one in the audience could have failed to be impressed by Burt Rutan's enthusiasm for what individuals with vision can achieve. An appropriate subtitle for his presentation would be "Lessons in Motivational Management." S&T