Resilience – Getting back on the horse.

Overcoming adversity to stay in the fight.

Get back on the horse

This phrase is often spoken to athletes to help them recover from injury and return to their sport. We use this term in aviation after a problematic event or occurrence in the aircraft or the enterprise. This month’s newsletter is no different. After being shot down in combat and getting a bit banged up, one of our colleagues was immediately ready to get back at it. He and his colleagues recovered and ensured that although sometimes the enemy gets a vote, the American soldier's audacity and character are without equal.

I need to get back on the schedule

I remember answering the phone in our company operations office. I knew the phone number on the caller ID and recognized the pilot's planning area from overseas. Occasionally, in combat, the enemy gets a vote, and two days before the phone rang, one of our helicopters was shot down by enemy fire. However, the injuries were significant for some onboard, including the crew. One of the pilots, who was a bit senior, was on the other end of the line. He supported our company from his staff position in the research and development office. He could have very quietly finished his career without another deployment. This was not his personality, and as his distinctive quip came across the receiver, “What’s up handsome?” His follow-up question took me aback. This conversation was in November, and his question to me was, could you put me back on the rotation for February, this was more of a statement than a question. He knew our schedule was tight, and we would accept any additional help.

Easy to ride off in the sunset.

Ivan was a workhorse; he had such depth and breadth of knowledge, and he always wanted to share to help make others around him better (no surprise he teaches now). Ivan was working in our research and development section; his plate was full, but he wanted to do his part for the more extraordinary team. Because of the demands of the R&D position, it would have been easy for Ivan to ride quietly off into the sunset, but that was not his style. Over and over, I watched individuals promise to keep up the fight but then become overwhelmed with other priorities. The twenty years of constant fighting take its toll on everyone. I don’t think less of those who stepped away from the fight, contrary to what I have witnessed in other leader’s treatment of those who chose to walk away. When only 1% of the population is willing to step into the breach, I cannot short them for deciding it is enough, two years or 20; the total time doesn’t matter, their service does. For Ivan, at almost four decades of service, he could have easily hidden in his “staff job,” but he believed if you wore the uniform, you owed workers on the line some of your time.

Professional example

Ivan was a solid professional example of what “right” looked like. He sought out challenging assignments and opportunities to lead and enable others. He is the workhorse of an organization, the internal unofficial leader at times, rallying the troops. When he speaks of his early years, it is evident that some of his characters matured over time, and when he rallied them as a young warrant officer, it was probably not for the benefit of the leader’s career but for the folly of the bunch. Like many others, Ivan continued to grow and develop as time and opportunity passed. Age, wisdom, and experience are great teachers if we stop to listen.?

During my almost two decades of service to the Regiment, I was blessed to have some fantastic individuals like Ivan to help shape me and the organization for the better. Guys like Hutch, Justin, Don, Eli, Hot-Mike, Matt, Ben x2, Jethro, Adam, Kenny P, Karl, Curtis, Joel, Pete, Steve, and numerous others, who, in my eyes, will always be America’s national treasure, true patriots, and Heroes. I am forever humble to have served on their team. These superstars, and many others, displayed examples rarely seen today. Like many other first responders and law enforcement professionals, their individual actions occur daily and often happen seamlessly in the background without any public knowledge or recognition.

?Overcoming adversity and tackling your fears is not easy. Surrounding yourself with significant influences and seeking to improve daily are keys to success in any organization. My success over the past twenty years is directly attributed to (1) my family and (2) these individuals. When you have a solid platform at home to launch from, when the team you are on is a Superbowl team daily, you find yourself focused on the end goal, the mission, the customers, and rarely on yourself. What I have discovered over the years is that there are always superstars around. Sometimes, you have to hunt a little harder, and maybe in lower quantities in some organizations, but they are there. Seek them out and learn from their successes and failures; quality teammates will also share the lessons they have learned and how to be better; remember, “Iron sharpens Iron.”

Are you ready to renew your journey, motivate your team, create organizational momentum, and overcome adversity? What is limiting you from enabling success for yourself and your team? Research how working with a coach can help you understand and embrace your growth strategy. A coaching exchange is a relationship, a partnership between two individuals where your vulnerability and honesty can set you free. When you find a connection with a coach, this can put your path on fire. You may have fond memories of an athletic coach or mentor who started this process in you long ago; now is the time to rekindle that fire! As you digest this article, feel free to reach out and let us start the conversation on how you can become the best version of yourself in the future!

Hello. I am Kyle Hogan. As a credentialed coach, I enable high performers to accelerate past their current plateau and unlock their best selves, creating impactful success for individuals and their teams.