After personally interviewing Capt. Bob Bragg, the last surviving pilot involved in what still stands today as the “worst aviation accident in history.”, I am reminded that active listening saves lives. Capt Bragg was the copilot on board a Pan American 747 jumbo jet when a KLM 747 jet collided with him on the runway […]
recently gave a keynote to a group of senior leaders at a global construction company. Their theme was, “Leadership In Times of Transition, ” and my piece was to motivate them to embrace change during times of transition. I felt a bit overwhelmed. I am a good motivator, but how do I motivate a group […]
As an international airline pilot, I am often asked, “Is aviation dangerous?” My answer is unequivocally “YES!” Aviation today is just as dangerous as it was when the Wright Brothers first flew. The only difference is, back then you crashed going slower than you would in today’s modern jets. There are many professions that lull […]
I met Jeff in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Kensington in the spring of 2010. Our job that day was to fly 240 folks from London to Atlanta. In the course of nine butt-numbing hours across the Atlantic we shared interests and found some common ground. Odie is the real deal. Commercial pilot, fighter […]
Leaders who connect with their people emotionally stand the best chance of leading their group, organization, or team to the next level of operational excellence. I call these types of leaders, INSPIRATIONAL LEADERS. Some leaders push, cajole, or prod their people. The inspirational leader pulls by sheer force of personal example, commitment, and integrity. Some […]
Captain Chesley Sullenberger of US Air Flight 1549 and the rest of the US Air crew team did a remarkable job in safely executing their tasks in a very tense and time critical situation. Dual engine failure of a commercial airliner full of people, at low altitude over a densely populated area would certainly make […]
Leaders by definition influence the behaviors of those around them. At various times throughout the workday, each of us has the ability to influence the behavior of those around us! It does not matter that you hold a managerial position, or a formal leadership position at your compnay, each of you can be considered a […]
Someone once told me that you never live until you experience a “Significant Life Event.” There are many significant life events: marriage, divorce, job change, moving, buying a new home, accidently dropping your cell phone in the toilet, raising kids… Certainly, these significant life events shape our lives, especially parenting as it relates to leadership. […]
Next Level Leaders in any profession, whether in aviation, utility power companies manufacturing plants, petroleum refineries, or in hospital ERs all a have similar objective. That objective is to influence and motivate employee groups and individuals to get the job done safely and with operational excellence! As a USAF fighter pilot and international commercial air […]
As a USAF fighter pilot, air show pilot, and international airline pilot I have seen what it means to have a healthy safety culture in the workplace. Having personally worked with many Fortune 100 and 500 companies on safety, I have seen a wide range of behavior based safety cultures. Companies that do better than […]