Page 47 - Never Fly Solo

20 | NEVER FLY SOLO
bantering back and forth on the radios, and control panels
lighting up. A pilot must still monitor the engines and fuel
while handling an electrical problem. She must keep an eye on
changing weather and make radio calls while cross-checking
the position of her inexperienced wingman who is two miles
away (and who may be struggling to keep her in sight). The
pressure-cooker scenarios that come up in business demand
your best judgment and skill amid various distractions. The
more adept you are at operating under pressure and sur-
rounded by distractions, the better you will be able to focus
during real-time contingencies, with or without distractions.
After a stunning victory during the first Gulf War, Gen.
Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—and,
later, secretary of state—was asked for the secret to his over-
whelming success. The military campaign was among the best
planned and most precisely executed in modern warfare.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Powell replied, “There are no
secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work,
and learning from failure.”
Bingo! Success in battle is primarily a result of prepara-
tion—and at the core of that preparation is trust. Those sol-
diers who are prepared for all contingencies in battle are
trustworthy. They are wingmen. They are the ones you want
in your formation when the missiles come.
Who, then, are your allies—your coalition? Can you
count on them to be well prepared? Can they count on you
for the same? Fighter pilots don’t go into battle expecting to
lose. We are prepared—and expect—to be victorious. So
should you.
As a general rule, one hour of flight time means four
hours of planning. That may look like a disproportionate
investment, but it pays handsome dividends. Are you doing