Build and Fly the Plane, Badass!

Hi! My name is Parissa. This is "Modern Badass: A Field Guide", where Modern Badasses can feel seen, understood and valued. And, it's also a place for others to crack the code on the Modern Badasses in their lives (and maybe learn some badassery themselves). Want this in your inbox 2x/month? Hit the “subscribe” button above!

I came up with the idea for this article somewhere 30,000 feet or so above Earth. As I was settling into the flight, I remembered an expression I've been using lately for myself and my clients, "build the plane as you fly it."

For those unfamiliar with it, I'll share what it means to me.

1?? It encourages someone to lean into experimentation and agility in service of an idea or goal.

2?? It also acknowledges that you might be afraid to take that first step and invites you to do it anyway.

3?? It asks you to embrace play (and the joy of play) to get comfortable with it and detach yourself from specific outcomes.

4?? It requires clarity on your values (and why) in support of your courageous steps.

In other words, "build the plane as you fly it" is the hallmark of what Modern Badasses do. They get so excited about what's possible in their mind's eye that they are called to "build the plane as they fly it." And, really successful Modern Badasses know how to recruit people to join them on that adventure.

BUT...

Detractors (and some trolls) might inject "but..." at this part of the conversation. Critics might spend time arguing that a Badass lacks vision or strategy. They might argue that they are rudderless or lack direction.

That would all be true if a successful Badass:

?? didn't have a clear desired end in mind;

?? operated on expectations as opposed to clear agreements about team purpose, vision and values;

?? chose speed instead of velocity.

What's true about successful Badasses is that they embrace risk and experimentation in service of a clearly defined goal and embrace all attempts to fly the plane as they build it.

How do they do that?

In Chapter 4 of my book, I take us back to high school physics and remind us that Speed is the rate of travel and Velocity is the rate of travel in a given direction. Successful Badasses choose Velocity over speed because Velocity is what a clearly defined goal looks like. They also have clarity on their most important values (and why).

Why do all of that work? It's because they've learned the lessons of the Values-Velocity Matrix??. In this matrix, the x-axis measures when you employ speed versus velocity. The y-axis is the continuum between aligned and misaligned values.

Excellence. This is where successful Badasses are. They have a defined goal in mind which means they are employing velocity. There is agreement on the efforts between them, their clients and their teams. Things feel easy, and fun, even if they're working tirelessly. The plane can fly as they build it.

Expansion. This is like Badass purgatory. What they're working on might align with values but the goal (or the end in mind) isn't clearly defined. If they try to fly the planes, the rudders might not work as well as they would like.

Exploration. This is also Badass purgatory. The goal might be defined but if the work isn't aligned with who you are, then the plane might get to its destination but with turbulence.

Explosion. There is no clearly defined goal and nothing about this work is aligned with their values. The plane won't get off the ground (and there may be dire consequences).

Is building the plane as you fly it a bit scary? Sure it is. I'm in the middle of a few of those projects myself.

And I am here to tell you that a little mess is okay. I am here to tell you that if Badasses didn't embrace play and experimentation, we miss some creative ideas, like Sara Blakely's latest venture, Sneex.

Do you like to build the plane as you fly it?

You might be a Badass! Take the quiz! Get instant insights that you can apply (or experiment) immediately. Discover the Modern Badass traits you possess and crack the code to highlight your Badass brilliance to others!

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Building and Flying,

Parissa

P.S. I'd love to work with you regardless if you are a Badass or lead one. Book time to talk about any of these options that may intrigue you.

1. What Sparks You??How can you tap into your flavor of badassery? You might be ready to channel your edge and power but you're unsure how to start. Let's have a conversation to identify your blocks and get you back on the badassery road.
2. What's Your?Bold Vision??I'll design a Sixense Vision a half-day workshop?just for you. We'll talk about your past, and your present to design a strategy to craft your future. It also includes a Hogan Assessment and debrief.
3. Make A Bold Move.?Retain me as your advisor and coach. My Modern Badass clients love working with me 1:1 because I am an objective thinking partner and strategist who champions (and challenges) them as they create their futures. I don't hold anything back and I speak truth to power with power.