Have you ever met someone who’s highly motivated, full of energy, and ready to take on the world, yet they never seem to get anything done?  They’re passionate and have the greatest intentions, but for some reason they just can’t seem to accomplish their goals. In the fighter pilot world, they are what we call “All thrust and no vector.” They have the power and motivation but lack the vector - the guidance, the target, the direction.  They’re flying in all directions ...

Two nights ago I watched Saving Private Ryan. It wasn’t easy. Watching war movies for me never is. But I felt compelled to do so as a personal way to reflect on the meaning of Veterans Day and pay homage to our veterans. For those of you who haven’t seen it, the movie is an emotional and graphic depiction of WWII with a message that delves deeper than the horror of war. The main character, Captain Miller, played by Tom Hanks, ...

Knowing your long and short-term objectives, having a solid focus on where you’re going along with the flight plan to get there is a fundamental to success in any venture. But what about others’ vision of you? As a leader, how do your co-workers employees and customers see you? Will they follow you when times are tough? George Patton once said, “You’re always on parade.” What you say, how you say it, and how others view you really counts when it comes ...

 “A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”  John Stuart Mill As I flew over the NYC skyline this weekend as the 10th anniversary ceremonies for 9-11 were taking place, I reflected upon this quote and what it revealed about the character of ...

Many people ask me how they can give thanks to those who serve our country.  This is particularly true on Memorial Day.   After all, it’s impossible to truly appreciate the sacrifices of our country’s soldiers unless you’ve been a soldier yourself. I believe we can honor our soldiers and fallen heroes by living up to the core American values that they fought and died for: integrity, service, courage, hard work, commitment, and respect (to name a few.) Here's the point: ...

The Wingman Philosophy is all about mutual support. It involves creating an environment where your associates, partners, and significant others can approach you and give you the feedback you may not want to hear, but need to hear. To be a wingman, you not only have be approachable and open to criticism; but also have the courage to give feedback that may put the relationship at risk in order to do what’s right for your company, customers, and team. For example, even ...

How many times a week do you get an unsolicited call at work (i.e. an interruption) where someone tries to sell you something? The person on the line knows absolutely nothing about you or your company (other than the name on the call list in front of them), but is convinced that their product/service is critical for your business. “Can I send you an e-mail and a few pdfs that outline our services?” “Let me direct you to our website and ...

A key component in reaching your goals is to write them down and visualize them every day. This makes your goals real.

How courage, focus, and wingmen can help you tackle your fears Three years into my eleven year Air Force flying career, my life changed when I almost died during a scuba diving trip in the Caribbean. Thirty feet under the water and exhausted from excessive use of my arms to swim, I inhaled a full lungful of water and had the most intense panic attack of my life. I literally thought I was going to die. A week later, I found ...

This weekend I gave $5 to a homeless man that looked genuinely down in the dumps. I rarely give money to the homeless as you never know what the money will be used for. But this guy seemed different. He looked around 30 years old and was frail, in dirty, worn out clothes, and was walking slowly with his head down. As I sat in my car, feeling the breeze through the open window while waiting for the ...