Bottom Line Up Front: Aviators Make Great Leaders
Have you ever wondered if you are buried too deep with experience in your specific field to make a successful pivot into another career? Have you ever had trouble translating specific skills or attributes that made you excel in your industry, or have you struggled to make those skills applicable in a new career field? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, you’re certainly not alone. I would encourage anyone, whether you’re affiliated with aviation or not, to continue reading for a pilot’s perspective and attempt in making a successful career pivot. I know that this may seem like a long article, but a quick skim will allow you to pinpoint key points or topics. Feel free to dig deeper into areas of particular interest and start a discussion!
Having spent the majority of the decade post-college as an Army Aviator, in love with every aspect of being a helicopter pilot (and just aviation in general), I’ve identified an issue that I will address in the following series of articles. My intent is to appeal to a broad audience, making the correlation between aviators’ and leaders’ skills by highlighting the requisite elements of their success. The issue that I hope to address is an apparent disconnect between corporate America and the aviation industry at large, as it pertains to a professional pilot’s skills. I hope to offer valuable insight to other aviators and a better understanding of how they can apply their stories based on the skills or experiences shared in this series. I also aim to build a greater understanding with the business world (and all other industries) to highlight why they need to jump at the opportunity to hire an aviator. My goal is to spark discussion and engage others. Join me in navigating another challenge as I share experiences and situations in ways that highlight how pilots possess immense leadership ability and potential for success outside the cockpit.
When you think of pilots, what comes to mind? Hollywood paints the picture in a variety of ways—making you think of the fictitious limit-pushing jet jockeys Maverick or Ice Man in “Top Gun,” or the actors portraying real-life heroes like Chief Warrant Officer 4 Mike Durant in “Black Hawk Down” or Captain Chesley Sullenberger in “Sully.” In our lives, pilots are the people who get us from A to B for our week’s work trip or to a destination for vacation. They are the EMS professionals that navigate to a remote vehicle rollover in the dark of night to fly a critical patient to the nearest Level 1 trauma center, saving that life and maintaining the “golden hour.” They are the military aviators that meticulously plan, rehearse, and execute the secret raids that enable our Special Forces and Navy Seals to neutralize significant threats to our country and prevent further terrorism across the globe. These real-life examples only scratch the surface, but the common thread among successful pilots is their set of skills that make them invaluable members of teams and great leaders.
Before you get upset with a claim like that or try to argue that “just because someone is a pilot, they aren’t a leader;” take a few minutes to read through some of the points that I will highlight in an effort to help other pilots considering a career pivot translate their own experience and skills. In all fairness, and because nobody in our aviation community is known for thin skin, I’ll throw the first jab—”How do you know if there’s a pilot in the room? Don’t worry, they’ll make sure to tell you….” Yes, some pilots can be cocky or seem elitist, but by no means am I trying to widen a divide, and these people exist in every organization, probably better known as “one-uppers” or “show-offs.” Professionals within any industry, especially aviation, will remain humble and won’t shy from sharing the experiences that bring them back down to earth when they get out of check. Though they strive for humility, it doesn’t mean that they don’t aim for excellence in every facet of their work and life.
The Predicament
Since I’ve had plenty of time on my hands, I’ve reflected on my current career given my unique situation and other world events. I’ve spent a lot of time questioning my own aspirations and brainstorming how my variety of experience in the last decade can be translated as an asset for organizations outside of aviation. To be up front, and before anyone speculates that “I couldn’t hack it as a pilot” and why I might be advocating a shift away from aviation, I’m electing to pursue new opportunities after becoming an amputee and have made the personal assessment that I can be more effective as a leader in an organization than as a professional pilot. Flying will always be a great love of mine, and I am determined to return to general aviation, continuing to take to the skies in a personal capacity.
For many people trying to pivot out of their comfort zone or specific area of expertise, it can certainly seem like an uphill battle. It’s no different for a highly technical and specialized field like aviation, or Army Aviation if you want to be specific. Many pilots require specific qualifications, ratings, or endorsements to fly different planes or helicopters, perform certain types of work, land at complex airports, or complete complex mission tasks like aerial refueling of a helicopter from a C-130 (above). All of these qualifications, ratings, or certifications are justifiable for such a risky profession where lives are routinely in the balance and there is significant liability involved for each individual operator and employers alike. Aviators that have been in the game for a number of years (or even decades) may feel like the thousands of dollars or years they’ve spent amassing ratings and “experience” in the form of flight hours would be suddenly wasted if they wanted to pivot elsewhere or were unexpectedly found medically unqualified to exercise the privileges afforded by their pilot certificates. These same pilots may feel unqualified from an education standpoint, as they may only have a high school diploma or Associates degree because they went all-in on their aeronautical ratings.
As I sit looking at a solid bookcase full of the last decade worth of Aeronautical Information Manuals (AIMs), expired charts/maps, individual aircraft operators manuals or checklists, Army aviation Technical Manuals (TMs), and a host of other aviation focused publications on weather or general airman knowledge, I have a hard time understanding how countless hours studying these books to build this knowledge doesn’t count for anything. In fact, the dedication and studying demonstrated in any aviation career demonstrates the attribute of life-long learning. Some complicating factors can make this transition seem like a mountain rather than a hill, but I hope this series will offer a unique or helpful perspective for job seekers and hiring managers alike. I wouldn’t go so far as saying that pilots have disadvantages when it comes to making a pivot; they have to train themselves to think differently and evaluate their accomplishments with a more removed and realistic perspective. Aviators need to translate technical information and their pilot lingo in a way that others better understand their experience and grasp the levity of their everyday responsibilities or situations.
“I thought you said this article was going to be about ‘why pilots make good leaders’…?” I’m getting to it! And I might’ve underestimated the amount of content I felt a need to highlight in the introduction. I’ll also add this—I’m no expert. I have experienced a variety of situations in my time as an Army Aviator and leader, and I want to offer a unique perspective on the challenges that one may face in a military transition and career pivot out of the cockpit. Each of the following attributes of successful (subjective) pilots will be presented with my opinions and supported with known situations or first-hand experience as a pilot-in-command of the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and MH-47G Chinook—and possibly a (terrible) joke here or there. In aviation, a pilot-in-command is the solo operator or designated leader of the crew—I’ll use the designation PIC to highlight this duty throughout but it’s equivalent to military/commercial designations such as PC (Army), AC (Air Force), or Captain. I’ll ensure to touch on some of the most important aspects of aviation and leadership including risk management, sound judgement, quick decision making, clear communication, problem solving, situational awareness, self-discipline, technical expertise, and reflection. I know that’s quite the laundry list; however, I’ll do my best to illustrate the need for each aspect in both respects as this series progresses.
The Foundational Values
All of these elements, skills, or traits that successful aviators MUST have also make them extremely effective leaders. Notice that I didn’t say “all pilots are leaders” because that simply is not the case nor how this logic works, and anyone in aviation will understand that not even all “qualified” pilots possess the requisite skills to be great leaders. I know that I use terms aviator and pilot interchangeably through the series; however, I’ll make this observation: I view aviators as professional pilots—professional being the key distinction that manifests as competence, integrity, maturity, judgement, and experience throughout a career. Aviators must have the proper mentality. They must exhibit confidence, self-discipline, and maintain a collected attitude. Aviators and leaders alike must be disciplined, respect all risks involved, and be aware of any limitations that may affect their objectives. Confidence is critical, and is gained from both positive and negative experiences. Confidence may be built from the immensity that is the first solo with a trip around a traffic pattern, the first (or every) autorotation (free falling of a helicopter) with safe cushioning of the aircraft on the ground, or each new “first” as one progresses in their aviation career. Confidence is built with each new, interesting challenge presented whether it’s in a Cessna 150 (small 2-seat plane) or a widebody passenger jet. Aviators also gain confidence from close calls or misjudgments that trigger reflection and lead to a lesson learned. Leaders, too, must be confident in their abilities and gain confidence as they progress through a career in increasing levels of responsibility: this confidence must be in alignment with organizational values and their own integrity. Outpacing these metrics and exceeding your comfort or that of those around you will spell disaster.
Each of the above values are large parts of who we are as people. They manifest in our personality and can be correlated to our experiences growing up, cultural norms, or unique life experiences. Sure, we can place specific focus in those areas to build them up, but a lot of people may be better equipped with some of those skills from the get go—it’s what sets some leaders and pilots apart as having those “innate” abilities. I charge that another foundational value is meticulous planning and preparation. You’ll recognize this theme in many of the other focus areas. I’ve had experience in two very different military aviation communities; one that reacts quickly and is the first on the scene when troops come in contact with the enemy, and the other that makes “meticulous” routine and kills trees with the volume of printed products and mission books to aid in mission execution. You might assume that the overall planning done by aviators from different communities is vastly different based on differences like that; however, that’s just not true. Military aviators understand the above and beyond planning and coordination that goes into flying within feet of other planes or helicopters. It starts many hours, days, and sometimes weeks in advance of execution.
General aviation and commercial pilots also plan multiple hours for each hour they spend in the air. Sure, it might get easier as they progress in a career, but not planning is the fastest way to “plan for failure.” In the corporate world, there isn’t a whole lot that gets done without thorough planning. Sure, a lot of things might be reactionary or seem like leaders are “putting out fires,” but successful businesses put plenty of time, energy, and thought into planning to ensure favorable outcomes. Big companies like Amazon all the way down to smaller startups rely on solid plans to prepare for big events like Black Friday or holiday seasons in general. These plans resemble surge plans in military aviation, structuring manning schedules to provide continuous aerial coverage while planning contingencies if equipment goes down, maintenance falls behind, or any possible contingency that would impact the mission. Companies need options in the event that excess traffic crashes a web server, a conveyor belt goes down in the factory while trying to fulfill orders, or employees can’t manage the required throughput. In planning, companies ensure that there are primary, alternate, contingency, and emergency courses of action to deal with possible issues; military aviators are well versed in these PACE plans. Corporations value preparation and thorough planning much like anyone in aviation. In the fast-paced world we live in, every minute has a dollar value—planning effectively and efficiently is a requisite skill for all leaders and aviators.
What’s Next?
I’ve only just begun to cover my list of reasons to support this series’ bottom line. There is so much more that goes into the making of an aviator; beyond the ratings and hundreds (or thousands) of hours accrued annually, beyond the multitude of designations within military or civil aviation, and beyond the book knowledge of every possible piece of aviation principle and weather phenomena. In the successive parts of this series, I’ll highlight the other critical attributes that make successful aviators great leaders. I’ll touch on additional assets that include the art of remaining calm, exceptional communication, self-discipline, heightened situational awareness, mitigation/management of risks, exceptional critical thinking, effective teamwork, decisiveness, technical awareness, and expert judgement.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this first installment of “Navigating a Career Pivot: Pilot Edition” and I look forward to hearing any feedback or discussions that you have offer, based on your perspectives and experiences. If you’re thinking about your own transition or are struggling to translate the skills that you already have, I hope this series of articles will help shape your mindset as you accelerate down the runway, giving you confidence as you take off into a new career beyond the cockpit.
Note: For additional visuals to help shape your mental image of anything (planes/helicopters/tasks) I touched on, YouTube and Google are great resources. This article was originally published by Josh Martin on LinkedIn.
