I recently wrote about letting your team fail, and how that can be really hard—especially if you have to find the patience for them to learn a lesson that you’ve already learned. But sometimes we need to learn by doing things ourselves rather than by having someone tell us the best way to do something, right?

There’s a concept known as providing air cover for your team. It’s a military reference for when a plane flies over the enemy while ground forces are carrying out a mission. Less violently, providing air cover for your team means creating some safe space for your team to do their experimenting and learning—and failing!—while you hover nearby (not like a helicopter parent—more like a coach), protecting them from the judgments of others. 

Providing air cover looks like telling your boss that your team has got a project under control when you know that from the outside your team looks like they’re feeling in the dark. That’s okay—as long as you trust that they’re on the right path and that your guidance will steer them clear of royally messing up. 

Providing air cover can be involving your team in a project that was given to you so that they can practice new skills and be exposed to higher level work. You know how you’d like the finished product to look but you’re willing to give your team some flexibility with how they get to that finished product.

Finally, providing air cover is necessary when your team member has an idea that appeals to you—even though there is some risk involved. It means owning up should the plan go wrong—as the more senior person, the risk is on you. However, if your employee makes you shine, it’s because of your sound judgment to let her take the risk.

Do you have examples of providing air cover or being provided with air cover? Share them in the comments below.