Leadership For the New Aviator
How Dealing With Your Issues Will Fast Track Your Career!
Lesson #1 The things that you’re hiding from will hurt you
- If you start out thinking you can’t do something, you’re right. A couple times along the timeline of my flying career, especially after a bad sim period, I thought maybe I had picked the wrong career!
- Now, 16000 + flight hours and 35 years as an Airline and Corporate Jet Captain
- I look back at how those times got fewer and farther between and
- How I progressed, slow but steady
Tip: Self doubt is normal but let it go.
Lesson #2 When in fear or doubt ask for help
- As a new airline pilot I didn’t want to ask questions because I thought that would make me look stupid
- But as I gained confidence I reached out for help
- From my classmates, my sim instructors, my fellow pilots
- Put your false pride aside and ask!
Tip: People are waiting to help; it makes their day…and yours!
Lesson #3 Don’t make excuses for who you are
- My flying career started out with an excuse that my eyesight wasn’t good enough
- That led to me to not apply for Navy flight training
- Fear keeps you from doing things that will prove you’re not good enough!
Tip: Do the thing you fear: “Eat the Frog!”
Lesson #4 Vulnerability doesn’t have to be painful but it might be
- Vulnerability means being honest about your “issues”
- When you’re honest, your issues diminish in importance
Tip: Warning: Be careful who you’re vulnerable with.
Lesson # 5: Use what is put in front of you to progress
- The aviation industry slowed down long enough for me to learn that when
- I was frozen in the flight engineer seat for 10 years
- That gave me time to
- Do other things like
- Go to graduate school
- But you can’t count on something like that
Tip: Scout out opportunities and seize them! (Carpe Diem!)
Lesson # 6 When you look for help you will find it
- Reach out to people you trust
- When you find them build trust slowly
You can do this; just look back and see what you’ve already accomplished.
Today is a great day to start over if you have doubts.
