Life's Lessons From Flying Fighters

I am a retired USAF pilot.   During my career, among several different types of aircraft, I flew the F-100, one of the first of the Century Series fighters. It was a beautiful bird; supersonic, single seat and lots of fun to fly.  It also happens that I was a Top Gun in the F-100.  This was long before the movie “Top Gun” came out, and nowhere near as exciting; regardless, the award was very prestigious and was recognition of being the best among my peers. 

I learned a lot about how to approach life and business from flying the F-100.  The basic lesson is: if anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing right, and doing well.  That itself is an excellent life lesson, but I believe it needs to be taken one step further.  If it’s worth doing, strive to be the very best.  Striving to be the best separates the super successful from the rest of the crowd. 

Based on my real world experience, as a pilot, in the world of big business and as an entrepreneur, here’s what I believe it takes to become the best at what you do:  

1. Do what you enjoy doing, be the best at it and you will be greatly rewarded.   “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” said Confucius. No truer words were ever spoken.   That isn’t to say that you won’t be working; you’ll actually be working your butt off, working harder than ever to make your business a success, but I assure you, you will enjoy the ride from takeoff to landing. 
2. Become an expert.  Do whatever it takes.  Take courses.  Read books.  Do research.  Work in the field.  Talk to experts.  Becoming an expert does not happen overnight.  You can’t do it by osmosis. This is where a lot of people cut themselves short.  In our society today, too many of us expect instant gratification.  Don’t fall into that trap.  Becoming the very best at what you do will greatly increase the chance you will succeed and excel rather than fail. 
3. Don’t go it alone.  Becoming an expert does not mean you have to know everything.  In “I’ve Got Your Six” http://biznik.com/articles/ive-got-your-six I wrote about a team of advisors.  Let me temper what I wrote with a grain of salt.  Regardless of who you have on your advisory team, you still need to learn enough about the subject to keep yourself out of trouble and to be able to ask the right questions.  Don’t just blindly follow someone else’s advice.  Trust but verify as the adage goes.  That said, use your team of advisors to relieve you of the less essential things, so you can focus on your business.
4. Plan your course of action (your business plan), then follow the plan.  Make adjustments along the way.  Stay focused.  In the flying business, focus is critical, not only to do well but to stay alive.  In business it can mean the difference between success and failure.  Know what is important to the success of your business.  Keep your focus on those important things.  Don’t allow yourself to get distracted in your efforts to move your business forward.  There is no such thing as a perfect plan; so don’t be afraid to make adjustments as you go along. 
5. Set realistic and attainable goals.  You don’t have to be a perfectionist.  I belong to the TLAR school of thought; “That Looks About Right.”  There are times to strive for perfection, but most of the time you can get far more accomplished by doing a good job rather than a perfect one.  You can also get far more done by delegating; use your team of advisors to relieve you of the less essential things, so you can focus on your business.
6. Learn from your mistakes and don’t repeat them.  Not only that, but know when to quit and move on.  Sometimes, when a fighter pilot has a serious emergency the tendency is to remain in the aircraft until it is too late, rather than ejecting and living to fly another day.  The same with your business.  If things are not going well, don’t be afraid to eject and start over.  But learn from that experience.  Try not to make the same mistake twice.  
7. Don’t give up.  If you fail the first time, pick yourself up and start over.  If your business is moving forward, albeit too slowly, focus more and work harder.  Get some expert help.  Biznik is full of experienced and knowledgeable people who are ready and willing to give you the expert advice you need.
8. Dare to be different.  Don’t do what everyone else is doing.  Add your own twist to it.  Make what you do unique so you stand out in the crowd.  Find your niche.
9. Play the part.  You’ve heard the term “Dress for Success.”  I say act successful. Be confident when dealing with your clients and others, even when you aren’t.  Your image is a key component in success.

Don’t settle for good enough; be the best that you can be.  Being the best can be a moving target.  Once you achieve success, continue to improve yourself.  If you separate yourself from the rest of the pack and become the “Top Gun” in your profession you will be greatly rewarded.