Lesson #6: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit
Takeoffs and landings are truly the most exhilarating part of flight. They’re sexy—they get the blood running and often lead to bragging rights or ridicule (depending on the end results).
Together, the two maneuvers only account for less than 15 percent of the entire flight. The rest of the time in the air can be quite boring, filled with small, seemingly insignificant tasks and adjustments.
Once at cruise altitude, the crew typically monitors the flight to stay on track. Things like weather avoidance, fuel management and proper coordination with ATC dominate their time. As small as these efforts seem, they’re what contribute to a 99.9 percent success rate for commercial flights in the U.S. over the last five years.
Similarities of Successful Flight and Business
Your business is no different. A BIG Vision is what most likely motivated you to start your business. Ah…but the devil is in the details. It’s the small adjustments along the way that really get you to your destination!
In flight, we have the instrument panel that provides the information needed to make proactive adjustments. In business, you have your Level 10 meetings where your team monitors the pulse of the business and solves issues to keep the organization on track.
In a way, we have it easier in the cockpit: a couple of hours of flight adjustments are easy to manage compared to the (on average) three to five years that most businesses need to reach full stride.
Stay in tuned with your vision. It’s your BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal), or what EOS companies call their 10-Year Target, that will keep you and your team motivated and excited.
Remember, it’s the small (and sometimes boring) adjustments along the way that will actually get you there. Fly safe and stay focused!
Next steps
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- Watch this helpful video on leading world-class meetings.
- Check the strength of your company with the EOS Organizational Checkup.
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