NAFA member, Alasdair Whyte, Co-Founder and Editor of Corporate Jet Investor, talks with Wayne Starling, with Starling Consulting, LLC., about starting out in business aviation.
Recently, I had the pleasure of being on a panel at the Corporate Jet Investor conference in Miami. One of the questions asked was for any guidance or counseling that I could give a new person starting out in the aviation business. My advice was for a person to find a mentor.
I have thought about that question over the last few days. I wished I would have had the time to go into more depth. Yes, a mentor is important throughout your career, but there are other important elements as well. Throughout my career, I have hired and observed many young talented people come and go. I often reflect on what makes the difference in people succeeding and what causes many of them to fail. I have analyzed this for years and believe that the top 5% do many things that make a big difference in whether they “stay with the pack” or become top performers in their field.
My observations watching those top 5%:
ATTITUDE: It starts and ends with their attitude. What is interesting is the fact that I have asked hundreds of people if they think they have a bad attitude. No surprise here, but almost all of them never admit to being negative or having a bad attitude. However, you and I know that when you are around a person that has a negative attitude, they will brighten a room by leaving! One person with a bad attitude can and will cause severe problems if they remain part of a team.
MOTIVATED: Have you noticed most people that complain and develop a bad attitude are the ones doing the least amount of work or nothing at all! This is where they need help by taking an inventory of their activity. It is hard to be unmotivated when you are busy. If you want to get motivated, then get busy! Do something, i.e. get motivated by making some calls, setting up appointments, talking with customers, reading, studying and learning. Understand that real motivation comes from the “doing” not the “wishing” things would improve.
STEP UP AND MOVE FORWARD: Successful people have a desire to learn. They are involved in stepping up by setting realistic goals and then by moving forward. They take action! Do they make mistakes? Yes, but that is a sign of stepping up and moving forward. In many situations, they will learn from these mistakes more so than from the successes. They don’t coast through life. We all know if you are coasting, you can only coast downhill.
PATIENCE AND COMMITMENT: I don’t mean sit around and wait. Yes, sustainable success takes real time and effort to get the greatest rewards. The road to success is not straight without bumps, hills, and plenty of detours. How you handle the bumps and detours, will determine the person you become. If you want to become a person of value, a person of character, a person respected, then you must be patient while you work and take the steps and move forward.
MONITOR CLOSELY THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU: Some person you meet along the road of life will either pick you up or pull you down, or just hang on to you for a ride. People that don’t know you will form an opinion of your worth based on the people that are your associates. Who are your role models, your mentors, people you respect in the business and would like to emulate? Life is full of choices on your way to success so be picky about your influencers!
All of the above recommendations are part of the puzzle that will make up your success: your attitude, people that you surround yourself with, your patience and commitment, staying motivated, finding a mentor. All pieces of the success puzzle.
Do you want to be one of the top 5% of highly successful people? Step up and move forward and you will not only enjoy the journey, but you will also enjoy success at the destination. Good Luck!
This article was originally published by Corporate Jet Investor on November 29, 2018.
