The Artemis II Crew Captivated The World. Here Are 3 Ways To Recreate The ‘Moon Joy’ Effect At Work

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They traveled farther from Earth than any humans had ever done in history--a record 252,000+ miles.

They were the first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years.

They made history with the first Black man (Victor Glover, pilot) and the first woman (Christina Koch, mission specialist) to go to the moon--and the farthest side of the moon that no human eye has ever seen for that matter.

And yet, for all these record-setting achievements, these were not the highlights on social media.

And these were not what Glover, Koch, Commander Reid Wiseman, or Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen wanted to be the core focus when they made their heartfelt speeches at the NASA welcome event in Houston yesterday.

On Threads, TikTok, and across the web, NASA’s Artemis II lunar mission garnered significant attention--but not because of the science. In fact, most social media users who were power-posting about the latest Artemis II developments as they unfolded, were total newbies to space exploration and “rocket science.”

The core theme that united all Artemis II fans is the sheer emotional intelligence and humanity of it all.

Like the moment Commander Wiseman named a crater on the moon after his late wife, Carroll, who battled cancer.

Or the repeated hugs that the team of four shared, almost spontaneously, and the genuine bond that felt unscripted.

Perhaps this stands out most strikingly because, right now, looking back at Earth, the world is battered with war, crime, dissension, politics, soaring inflation, and yes, even AI, making people feel uneasy and uncertain about their futures and careers.

And yet, here are four humans who single-handedly proved throughout their nine-day mission, that the best of us is still here, and that emotional intelligence in the midst of uncertainty is ultimately what wins.

NASA Makes Its Human-First Debut On Threads

NASA capitalized on this human energy and made its debut on the social media app, Threads, just yesterday, Saturday, April 11. Within hours, NASA racked up:

• Approximately 11.6 million followers (as of the time of writing)
• About 304,000 reactions and 11,600 comments to their first post, which cheekily remarked: “We heard you were looking for us on Threads,” with the eyeballs emoji.
• Collectively, almost half a million likes for their first five posts in less than 24 hours after launching their social media profile on Threads.

NASA’s initial Threads posts clearly struck the right chord, because, interestingly, the posts said nothing of the technology or engineering behind the Orion capsule or the numbers behind their perfectly executed “textbook splashdown.” All five of their first posts were pictures of the crew smiling together or reflections on…humanity.

What Artemis II Teaches About Leadership Right Now

The Artemis II mission has several takeaways for business leaders today, but the most critical lesson? Emotional intelligence.

But although emotional intelligence (EQ) is the most important skill for effective leaders, surprisingly, many leaders do not possess it or truly understand what it means.

As a result, today we have organizations with characteristics like:

• Heavy fragmentation, with everyone working in silos
• Poor team morale and engagement levels
• High staff turnover
• Lack of trust in leadership and management
• Fear, and lack of “psychological safety” as Simon Sinek refers to it in his book, Leaders Eat Last.

What Is Emotional Intelligence (EQ)?

Emotional intelligence is the ability to regulate one’s own emotions, adapt, and be in touch with oneself and with others.

The four astronauts on the Artemis II mission drew love, admiration, engagement, and support from all over the world, because, beyond the hard science and the record-breaking accomplishments, they:

• Allowed themselves to be vulnerable and show vulnerability
• Were not afraid to express exactly what they felt, in a relatable, storytelling way (like pilot Glover describing the solar corona during the solar eclipse as “baby hair” or Koch noting that the earth looked like a lifeboat)
• Embraced the shared humanity of the moment, recognizing that they, and the rest of Planet Earth, is a “crew,” (Koch notably said in her remarks at the Houston welcome home event yesterday)
• The shared experience was coined “moon joy” on social media--the catchphrase

This is what drives organizations forward today.

1. Organizations Are Human-First, Data And Tech After

Leaders would do well to remember that organizations are so much more than numbers and hard data, spreadsheets, cost lines, and technology.

Behind AI, behind all those profits and numbers, are real people--humans. Humans are your number one most important asset in an organization. “Even with AI still think our most valuable resource or opportunities people,” Dan Bulteel, start-up founder of Meet-Ting told me in a podcast interview a few weeks ago.

Being human-first also means that when doing reports and overviews of performance in meetings, for example, try to focus more on the human element, the impact, the stories that matter, more than the hardcore data. Bar charts and table graphics can be yawn-inducing especially when presented in a meeting that’s already crammed in-between several back-to-back meetings all sharing similar data.

But what makes you stand out as a leader is when you lean into your organization’s purpose and present from that angle.

Some questions that can help you:

• What are we doing this for?
• Who does our organization exist to serve?
• Why do these KPIs matter? What are the effects on others? How will this better serve humanity in the long term?
• Who are the direct and indirect dependents/recipients of our work?
• What does success look like, tangibly?

2. People Perform Best When They’re Psychologically Safe

If you really want to see team performance spike, innovation reach new heights, and revenue soar, look at the psychological environment you’re creating for your “crew.”

• Are you creating a safe space where your people can freely exchange ideas?
• Do your people feel a sense of ownership and pride in their work?
• Do your people have the space and culture freedom to speak up and challenge the status quo?
• Is there a sense of healthy team competition and a “crew” morale, where everyone feels like they’re winning together?
• Are you leading by example and empowering your teams to do their best work?

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3. Leaders Are Vulnerable, Too

Every human has a sense of vulnerability, even the leaders you admire. We all share the same needs--food, water, clothing, shelter--in the fight for survival. Beyond these basic needs, we all want to be liked and appreciated, are scared from time to time, wonder about the worst-case scenarios, and often, struggle to believe in ourselves.

The best thing your organization needs to see from you is that you’re not afraid to show your vulnerability.

Be honest about where you’ve struggled, what you’re learning in real time, and where you’re speechless or simply don’t have the answers.

From launch to the speeches at the welcome event yesterday, the four Artemis II astronauts allowed themselves to get vulnerable--and in so doing, it made them more relatable.

If it hadn’t been for scenes like:

• The floating “Rise” plush toy in space
• Continuous hugs aboard Orion and even on stage at Houston in between the speeches
• Commander Wiseman’s acknowledgement of missing their families
• Koch recalling the nurse from the ship who said “Ma’am, can I get a hug?”

The public wouldn’t have connected with the crew and maintained their engagement in the way they did.

And in a world heavily dominated by AI content which produces a sea of sameness and slop, this sense of humanity and genuine vulnerability was truly a breath of fresh air.

This is what makes you stand out as a leader and enables your teams to trust your leadership (even amidst layoffs) and remain engaged and committed to your vision--more than getting everything right and perfect or being AI-polished all the time.

Hansen wrapped up their remarks yesterday best:

“You haven’t heard us talk a lot about the science, the things we’ve learned. And that's because they're there and they're they're incredible. But it's the human experience that is extraordinary for us.”

By Rachel Wells, Senior Contributor