Page 34 - Never Fly Solo

PUSH IT UP! | 7
panther, our squadron mascot. While thrusting this hand for-
ward as if we were going to full-power-on throttle, we would
roar out in a thunderous voice, “Push it up!” We all knew
what it meant.
We were partners. We would think and act as one forma-
tion. We would protect each other and never leave another
behind. We would be fully prepared and focused when it
came time to fly. We were wingmen, one team on one mis-
sion. And in that, there was amazing freedom and confidence
like nothing I had ever experienced. Come enemies, missiles,
or unforeseen obstacles, I could succeed because we were
succeeding.
I embraced the phrase “Push it up!” and carried it with
me into my professional life. It has become a metaphor for
taking fierce action for my personal mission and my team’s
mission. I encourage you to use it, too, because those three
short words symbolize everything it takes to step onto—and
stay on—the path to victory. It stands for maximum trust and
maximum effort. It is the thrust that rockets you forward on
the runway and into the air with confidence that you can fly,
fight, and win.
You often hear people say that attitude determines alti-
tude. This is only partly true. A more accurate formula is
attitude plus action determines altitude.
I don’t believe for a second that success is just about self-
motivation. If that were all it took, all any of us would ever
need is a little pep rally now and again and we’d soar to the
stars. But after all the rah-rahs and the warm feelings wear
off, it’s ultimately about action. When you strap into your jet,
you have to push up the throttle and then release the brakes
to take off.