Page 153 - Never Fly Solo

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cially with all the job turnover that goes on today). Relation-
ships need continual nurturing and reconnection. This holds
true for your best employees as well as your top customers.
The last thing you want is your best customer checking out
because you haven’t stayed in touch. Remember, “lose sight,
lose fight.” You have to walk the flight line of your customers
as well. It’s an ongoing investment. If you are not staying
connected, you’ll never know when there’s a missile launch—
a family tragedy, a personal challenge, a supplier issue, or a
quality-control problem—or when there is a big win to
celebrate.
Remember, relationships are about relating. If you don’t
spend time relating with your team, there won’t be any
relationship.

U U U

A few years back, I was stationed at Kunsan Air Base in South
Korea with the mighty 35th Fighter Squadron “Pantons.” My
squadron commander, Lt. Col. Mike Johnson, unexpectedly
came by my apartment one night to review my officer perfor-
mance report, fix some errors, and generally help me to
sharpen it. It was a Friday night, and he could have been at a
bar with some of the guys or on the phone with his wife and
kids in the States. But instead, he took the time to attend to
me and my career because he knew how important it was. He
went above and beyond and, in the process, earned my
respect—and, most important, my loyalty. You can bet that
when he needed a volunteer to tackle some menial job that no
one wanted to do, I would raise my hand.
When it comes to trust, developing “wingmanship” has a
cumulative effect. It grows like a snowball rolling down a hill.