You know when you’re on a flight and the flight attendants finish going through all of the instructions and safety considerations. You’re all buckled in and ready to go. Eventually the captain comes on with their greeting.
Many times it is a monotone voice, giving bland instructions and flight information without any warmth or personalization to the passengers.
I usually just put my headphones on and rarely listen.
On a recent flight however, I saw the captain come out of the cockpit. He was dressed professionally in his uniform and hat, and warmly greeted the passengers. He told us his name, he smiled, and said how proud he was to be our captain and to work for United, and that we were gonna have a great flight. He actually got a round of applause from the passengers afterward.
I paused for a moment in reflection after this experience. Visibility and personalization are so important in the work that we do in education. Sure, we can just give a monotone announcement over the loudspeaker with no joy or emotion in our voice and then go back to our work at our desk, but that’s not what it’s about. It’s about the people. It’s about inspiring them and motivating them. To make them feel good about the journey we are about to embark on. That captain went out of his way to make the passengers feel welcome, and let us know he was there.
I was extremely impressed by this action, and it reminded me to continue to be visible and continue to lead with emotion, authenticity and personalization.
I’d like to dedicate this blog to my good friend Ted Dabney. Ted is a long time captain with United. He does a great job for the airline as well as always hustling home to be with his family, present at events, social functions, and sporting contests for his children. Ted is a true professional And one of the many great captains and pilots out there flying us around the country! Thanks, Ted!
Keep rolling, friends and keep surviving and thriving. #SurviveThrive.
