Flying and Entrepreneurship

I still remember my first solo cross-country flight. That flight was filled with self-doubt and anxiety while simultaneously creating incredible excitement, pride and anticipation for the journey ahead.

I often think being an entrepreneur gave me the confidence to obtain both a fixed wing and helicopter license. Likewise, flying has always helped me to focus on the task at hand. If you are an entrepreneur, you know focus is a continuous struggle.

Here are three lessons I learned from flying that you can apply to your business.

1) Adaptability is crucial. Preparation, planning and modeling, although important, never ensure your safe arrival at your destination. Flying and business have variables outside of your control, having a plan is great, but adaptability is critical. On a flight the weather or an aircraft controller can quickly derail any plans you have, yet you must adapt and overcome. In business, market forces, customers, vendors or employees are equally as disruptive, yet as an entrepreneur you must adapt and overcome.

2) Attitude is everything. In flight training you are taught a handful of hazardous flight attitudes to guard against including anti-authority; impulsivity; invulnerability; machismo; and resignation. Being self-aware enough to recognize your current attitude is difficult. A great pilot walks the tight rope of having confidence, but not arrogance. A great entrepreneur strikes that same balance!

3) Life-long learning keeps you relevant. Jason Schappert from MzeroA.com likes to say a great pilot is "always learning". In pilotage and entrepreneurship if you take the time to listen to the people who have been there before, you can learn from their mistakes and emulate their best practices. As the old adage goes "you won't live long enough to make all the mistakes yourself" and that is as true in flying as it is in business.

Thanks for reading.

#blueskies #tailwinds

Travis Koerkenmeier Keith C. Poettker Todd Huels Jason Schappert