To the Moon . . . and Beyond?

It was in July, 1969 that Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on to the surface of the moon. An estimated 500 million around the globe watched as he stepped off the ladder of the Lunar Exploration Module and utter his now famous words: “That’s one small step for (a) man; one giant leap for mankind.” Everyone seemed to think that this was a significant moment in human history and Armstrong’s words seemed to echo that sentiment.

There was one small problem; no one heard him say “a man.” After much background debate the newspapers reported what they and everyone else had heard, even though it was obvious what he had meant to say. It could not have been both a small step and a giant leap for the same individual, man and mankind being synonymous. For his part, Armstrong said he had been misquoted.

There was so much debate and confusion over the difference between what he said and what he meant to say that we never had the chance to consider the meaning and significance of his message. Not just the literal meaning of his words but the much deeper meaning of his message.

Most people agree that the purpose of the statement was to link the action of one man with the monumental achievement of humanity, but our scholars and academicians never made any attempt, as far as I can tell, to help us understand what it should mean for us as a species. It is almost as if they were happy to be diverted by the confusion over the apparent flub.

Today, anyone with a connection to the internet can view a clip of that historic moment. They can watch as Armstrong takes several more “small” steps on the moon that day, along with Buzz Aldrin who joined him on the surface of the moon. “One small step by a man” is easy to grasp, but in what way did humanity make a giant leap? What does it mean for a group of several billion people to make a giant leap? Are there other leaps we should have been making since that historic day? Have we made any of those leaps?

More importantly, what about leadership? The Apollo 11 mission was a NASA undertaking that was executed under the leadership of the President of the United States and the many administrators at NASA. Who is providing the leadership to humanity as we make these leaps? Whose responsibility is it to ensure that we make those leaps? What relationship is there between the exercise of leadership in humanity and the exercise of leadership in our groups and organizations?

These and other questions were not addressed forty-two years ago. As we move into another era of space exploration with the suspension of the successful shuttle program maybe it is time to begin exploring the answers.