They Shot 6 Missiles At His Plane! (And How Principles Are Always There For You)
They Shot 6 Missiles At His Plane! (And How Principles Are Always There For You)
In 1991 the combined might of the United States armed forces started the fight to liberate Kuwait. You probably know some of the historical facts but some incredible individual heroics happened during Desert Storm. Like the story of Air Force pilot Emmett Tullia, for example. On January 19, 1991, he was one of the first wave of F-16 sorties that were tasked with destroying enemy forces.
While he was dodging anti-aircraft fire during his mission the Iraqi defenses fired not one, not two, but six surface-to-air missiles at his plane. Incredibly, he dodged all six missiles even though his flares and chaff countermeasures failed to deploy even one time.
Tullia credits his relentless training and commanding officers as the reason why he survived that day. He summed up his entire experience in the war by saying: “When I saw actual leadership in action, it made a huge difference. It was amazing.” Although his heroics were personal, it was being on a team that saved the day.
It is good to remember that when things get dicey there are always principles and people you can rely upon. In this way, you are never alone.
There Are Always Lessons
Desert Storm was a long time ago so it is a bit easier to examine it dispassionately to look for what lessons can be gleaned from it. That definitely cannot be said for the craziness going on in the world right now. Emotions are running high everywhere it seems. One thing that I know for sure, however, is that things are a lot more complicated than the “experts” on social media make them out to be. That is why I try to stay away from big controversial topics and focus on things I can get my arms around.
You don’t always need to be looking at the big “industry” picture all the time. There are lessons to be learned when you can manage to keep things on a small team level. If I keep my focus on my faith and my family, everything else seems to always work out. If those things are working well then I have the bandwidth to handle anything else that comes my way. One of the biggest mistakes I see new entrepreneurs make is trying to overcomplicate things, or take home run swings trying to be a market “disruptor”.
The easiest way to keep your eye on what is most important to you is to work on being a leader. Why? Because good leaders are always concerned with how their people are doing. This keeps your focus on the team and the task at hand.
A Leader Is Always Thinking About Their Team
It is hard to get distracted by the newest shiny thing when you are constantly thinking about how to help the people on your team. This is why I love boring businesses so much. The very thing that makes these companies dull to most people is what gives you the biggest advantages. Yes, they can be repetitive but that is what allows you the time to invest in your people. This in turn makes the business more profitable.
If you are always putting out fires on the operational side of things because of their complexity you won’t have the bandwidth to grow your people. It is a very simple equation. That is not a great long-term strategy.
The more skilled your people become, the more money your business makes. This is a principle that translates across every business. From accounting firms to car washes, leadership is a requirement for you to reach your goals. It is also one of the best hedges against risk for your portfolio.
