"The Airport Model™" Article #4 The Pilot (10% Influence): Why the Project Manager is Critical to Success Despite Limited Leverage?

Shlomi Ozalvo
Dec 29, 2025
3 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

The Pilot (Project Manager) Part in "The Airport Model™". — Project Manager (The Pilot) Part in "The Airport Model™".

Introduction: The Reality Behind the Numbers

In the previous article in this series, "The Systemic Split" (Article #2: The Hierarchy of Influence), we uncovered a statistic that many organizations find surprising: The Project Manager (The Pilot) accounts for only 10% of the influence on overall organizational delivery success. The vast majority of impact (70%) lies within the system’s responsibility—the Control Tower (PPM) and the Airport (The Organization).

This figure raises an inevitable question: If the Project Manager has "only" 10% influence, why is this role still fundamental to success?

The answer lies in understanding the model’s dynamics: these 10% represent the gap between planning and execution—the only place where strategy is transformed into results. Without a skilled pilot who knows how to maximize their 10%, the entire system collapses. The Pilot is the executive agent responsible for execution quality and the profitability of every unit of output in real-time.

1. Positioning in the Model: The Executor

The Pilot is on the front lines of execution. They are the human element connecting the machine (The Aircraft/Execution Platform) with the directives coming from above (The Control Tower).

Just as a pilot depends on the ground crew to prep the aircraft and the control tower to authorize a path, a project manager is entirely dependent on the resources and prioritization defined for them. Thus, their 10% represents the ability to maneuver within given constraints.

2. Boundaries of Responsibility: What Does the Pilot Truly Control?

To maximize the project manager's role, we must distinguish clearly between what is within their control and what lies beyond it. Attempting to "control everything" is a recipe for burnout and systemic failure.

Beyond the Pilot’s Control (The other 90%):

Air Traffic Volume: The Pilot does not decide how many projects run simultaneously (Responsibility of PPM).
Aircraft Quality: The Pilot does not determine the execution platform or organizational infrastructure (Responsibility of the $PMO$/Organization).
Team Availability: The Pilot does not decide on resource allocation across matrixed departments (Responsibility of the organization).

Within the Pilot’s Control (The critical 10%):

Accountability & Ownership: Personal responsibility for project completion and delivery quality.

Team Leadership: Creating focus and mobilizing the team despite organizational "background noise."

Tactical Risk Management: Early identification of "turbulence" and issues within the project’s boundaries.

Reporting Transparency: Reliable communication to the Control Tower (Real reporting vs. "Watermelon" reporting—green on the outside, red on the inside).

3. The Economic Significance: The 10% That Protects Profitability

While the Pilot’s direct influence on strategy is limited, their impact on profitability is dramatic. Poor tactical management within these 10% can turn a profitable project into a loss due to:

Delivery Delays: Dragging projects beyond the planned timeline erodes profit margins.
Resource Waste: A lack of team focus leading to redundancies or work on tasks that do not contribute to value.
Late Failure Identification: A pilot who fails to identify a "Zombie Project" (a project with no viability) prevents the organization from stopping the "budgetary bleeding" in time.

4. The Pilot’s Strategic Power: Data Reliability

The Control Tower (PPM), responsible for 40% of success, is "blind" without the data provided by the pilots. If pilots signal "all systems go" while the engines are on fire, the tower will continue to send more aircraft onto the runway, leading to a total system crash.

An outstanding project manager understands that their role isn't just to "check boxes," but to serve as the organization’s most reliable sensor. When a pilot reflects an accurate status, they enable the systemic 70% (Control Tower and Airport) to clear bottlenecks and make data-driven decisions.

Summary: From Task Management to Executive Leadership

Acknowledging that the project manager has only 10% influence should not be discouraging; it should be a focus. When the Pilot masters their 10% perfectly, they stabilize the flight and prevent the daily tactical failures that could jeopardize even the best strategic plan.

The Next Step: The Pilot’s Tool

However, for the Pilot to report reliably and manage the flight, they must be equipped with a functional aircraft. An elite pilot without a functioning plane cannot take off. In the next article, we will dive into "The Aircraft" (20%)—the tools and data that bridge the gap between field execution and leadership decisions.