| The air conditioned briefing room felt as
cold as ice as I waited for the arrival of my instructor. I was a bundle of nerves. One
more 'busted' check ride would put me one flight away from washing out of Undergraduate
Pilot Training (UPT). My dream of becoming a fighter pilot hung by a thread. I began to
doubt myself.
What if I mess up again? What if I forget to call 'gear
down' on final approach or fail to apply the proper spin recovery procedures? I repeatedly
chair flew the maneuvers over and over and knew what needed to be done but kept re-playing
the previous flights I failed in my head. I second guessed myself and my confidence
dwindled. The sweat poured down my back.
In walked the instructor who would decide my fate, Major
Jerry Free. A former F-4 fighter pilot who had little tolerance for mediocrity and
laziness, he stood 6'3 with buzz cut hair and shiny boots. I was intimidated to say the
least.
Not knowing what to expect, I stood at attention, braced
myself, and saluted smartly.
He saluted back, looked me in the eyes, and reached over to
shake my hand. "Ok, Waldo – it's a new day, new jet! Are you ready to pass this
flight, or what?"
He smiled.
Suddenly, the energy of the room shifted and I instantly
felt more confident. All the stress and anxiety I had bottled up exploded out of me like a
bullet. My mind became clearer as I thought to myself, "I can do this. Today, I'm
going to fly like an eagle." Major Free believed in me.
New Day, New Jet. Wow! I never heard that expression
before. But somehow, those four words and the man who spoke them instantly changed my
attitude from Fear to Focus…from anxiety to action. I was ready to fly.
Some of you may be facing similar predicaments in your life
that are testing your resolve, skill, and focus. Perhaps you are experiencing financial
challenges or are having concerns at work as your company and clients adapt to our
volatile economy. Missed sales quotas, budget cuts, and lost customers plague us. No
mission is ever perfect, and neither are we.
We're all human and have our limits. But sometimes, when
we're stuck and full of doubt, we underestimate our power to overcome adversity and
perform at our best. We focus on our past failures and can't see the light at the end of
the tunnel of success because our vision is darkened by our fear of future failure. We
pull back the throttle of performance instead of pushing it up. In essence, we let our
past define our future. This is the greatest challenge we face when dealing with
adversity.
But I believe there is no reason for us not to live up to
our potential each day and perform at our best. Fear and doubt are distractions that can
de-motivate us and pull us off course. Don't let yesterday's failure define you. It's how
you respond that counts.
And while I do believe it's critical for us to remain
positive in tough times, no amount of motivation is going to replace the fundamentals of
hard work and preparation. You have a job to do. You have the aircraft and are ultimately
in control of your own jet. The question is: Are you better prepared to fly today then you
were yesterday?
Success begins with self trust.
As you strap into your jet each day and conduct a
pre-flight 'attitude check', ask yourself:
- Am I focused on my past failures or my past successes?
- How have I improved from yesterday to today?
- What actions will I take today to plant the performance
seeds for tomorrow?
You can't philosophize your way to success. The world (and
your customers) are growing tired of rhetoric and philosophy. Today, we need performers
who can get the job done.
But sometimes, no matter how much you prepare, it's
impossible to break the performance barrier on your own. So here's the next and most
important question you should ask when fear and doubt hold you back from flying your jet:
Who are the wingmen in my life I can call on to help me fly?
Winners Never Fly Solo.
Wingmen inspire us. Wingmen give us hope and lend a
"helping wing." Wingmen reflect our greatness back at us and help us release the
brakes holding us back from success as we face each new day with courage. They don't fly
our jet for us but rather give us confidence in our own abilities. They alter our mindset
from "I can't" or "I won't", to "I can" and "I
will."
My challenge to you is not to be inhibited from calling out
to your wingmen for some encouragement when you're not quite up to that tough mission. Ask
for help. Be vulnerable. We're all taking hits. Today it might be you. Tomorrow it might
be them.
But don't forget to be a wingman to others, as well. Keep
an eye out for your colleagues who are struggling and who might benefit from a little lift
as they prepare for that job interview or big sales presentation. Like Major Free, be a
shining light and inspire them to realize their fullest potential.
In business and life, yesterday's clouds can block us from
seeing today's blue skies. Let us not forget that each day is a new day and we're blessed
to have a jet to fly.
In the end, I passed my flight with Major Free because he
made me realize that I was good enough to fly.
You are good enough. You've got wings. And you've got
wingmen.
It's a new day, new jet. Now go and fly!
Never Fly Solo! |
