Page 114 - Never Fly Solo

LOSE SIGHT, LOSE FIGHT | 87
tions trying to veer you off course. What you do in these
moments is critical. A few quick questions can help keep you
on the flight path. First of all, if you don’t see a clear upside
to the “opportunity,” be sure it isn’t a plea (veiled or not)
for you to be a good wingman and help sort out the prob-
lem. If it’s a wingman in need, it may warrant a calculated
deviation from your flight path. Can you ask the person to
bring it up at a more convenient time for you—say, after
work or over lunch? Is it a “quick fix”—something you can
handle right now in, oh, a minute or less? Or do you see a
long conversation looming, with no real benefit to either of
you in sight?
And this is where a good wingman can help most. A good
wingman keeps you accountable to the mission and corrects
you back to your course. If you sense that an “opportunity”
is a distraction in disguise, you may want to approach your
wingman for some advice and ask something like “Hey Lisa,
what’s your take on X?” Take notes, and if warranted, chal-
lenge her with rebuttals.
You can’t always blow off everything other than the task
at hand. But if you are serious about success, you and your
wingmen must have your mission priorities straight. While
you may lose sight of them in the moment, hopefully your
wingmen will not. Thus, you’ll never go too far off course.
Sure, you can go for it on your own. But sustained suc-
cess requires sustained focus. You mustn’t lose sight of the
target, while keeping an eye out for any obstacles in the way,
including threats and potential distractions. This is possible
only if you fly with your wingmen in sight. That way, you
can build a much bigger picture of your mission than a single
pair of eyes can encompass, and your chances of success go
way up.