Want to Succeed - Learn to Fly - 5 lessons

Book and classroom skills seem to be all entrepreneurs are taught nowadays. As a barrister, we were taught practical human skills such as advocacy, negotiation, conference skills. But it was as a pilot, learning to fly I learnt some key lessons for trading and business generally.

By the way one of my trading apprentices is an ex British Airways pilot which is the reason for this article.

Keeping Calm

Not just a clever poster saying.

As in business and trading, the Financial Times put it best - which I recalled from a trip to Lake Como this week;

"Flying a seaplane demands the skills of a pilot, a sailor and an explorer. Aero Club Como is Europe’s only seaplane flying school, a longstanding, swashbuckling institution cherished by the dilettanti of the air."

Business people require those skills of a pilot, sailor and explorer. We all see our selves as swashbucklers. We navigate and indeed we are dilettantes trying to be professional.

Expect the Unexpected

That gust of wind as you land, or stall practice as you pull up on the steering column at zero power until the stall warning deafens you and then at full power as you hurtle to the ground you pull out of the potential death spiral - and all the time calm.

I recall once at full throttle just before take off, my engine cut out just as I was rolling down the runway. I had forgotten to switch the fuel tank from left to right wing. Business too will throw the unexpected, but in flying you will die if you get it wrong.

Focus

In a world of distraction from colleagues to social media, focus is the essence of success more so than ever. Flying leaves little room to be unfocused and rather like training to meditate, the mind has to be under your control.

Multi-task with single purpose

Flying involves your eyes, ears, hands, feet and the ability to take in information on speed, altitude, elevation, fuel - all with one single purpose. And all the time without panic. Do that hour after hour where the consequences matter and you learn it.

Achieve with Goal Focus

When you take a pilot's course, you are not playing golf aimlessly but are undertaking a professional qualification. A certification of value and of use. Sorry golfers. It is about working to a goal not just a list of tasks that need to be done. To easily each day we just move from email to to-do item without a goal for achievement.

And finally...overconfidence and cockiness will kill you in business - flying can teach you that too....

www.alpeshpatel.com