A few weeks ago I lost a friend. Most of you don’t know him, and you never will. His name was Ivan Weinstock. And he was a wingman. Ivan was a consultant to OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety) and was instrumental in having me become a columnist for the magazine. I met him and his wife Sheila at the 2005 Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) Conference. An Air Force veteran, Ivan was inspired by my wingman message of trust and could ...
“Survival is when you’re focused on the competition. Winning is when you’re focused on the customer!” Waldo Waldman Many of you have heard me emphasize that no fighter pilot ever flies a combat mission solo. We always fly as a team – with our wingmen. It’s impossible to win solo because the missions are very complex and change so rapidly. As a unified team, we assign roles and responsibilities to each member of the formation, train accordingly, and finally – hold ...
someone others can ...Picture this – You’re on a combat mission in the no-fly zone in southern Iraq at 19,000 feet. Your wingman is 2 miles away directly to your left. Suddenly, you hear him scream over the radio. "Break Right, Break Right! Missile launch your 6 O’clock!!” Instinctively, you crank the stick to the right, bank the aircraft 90 degrees, and pull back as hard as you can as the g forces compress you back into the seat. You lower the ...
In the world of the fighter pilot, being a wingman means you’re trusted to go to battle…it means you’re mission ready. It’s a position of honor that incurs tremendous responsibility and sacrifice, but it also comes with incredible rewards. You have to earn the right to be a wingman, and it’s a bi-product of sacrifice and many hours of hard work. Being a wingman in business and life also has to be earned. It means you are someone others can ...
I remember my first job interview after leaving the military for a business career. It was for a personal advisor position with an exclusive financial services firm, and the vice president of human resources asked me a critical question: “How do you expect to be successful at selling financial services with absolutely no sales experience?” My answer was simple – I led men and women into aerial combat in Iraq and they trusted me with their lives. If I could ...
“I need help!” In my opinion, the three most important words in the English language other than “I love you.” Since the beginning of September 2005, we have all witnessed our fellow citizens trapped in a sea of desperation, fear and helplessness as Hurricane Katrina literally swept away their lives, homes, and dreams. As a nation, we have heeded their call for help and have responded with our wallets, prayers, and compassion. It’s been far from perfect, but slowly, hope ...
