To operate based on conviction and belief requires an acceptance that your actions could get you fired. This is different from pig-headed bravado, and it is different from putting the company at risk.
Pilots have their names painted just beneath the canopy of their aircraft. This gives the pilot a sense of ownership for his or her jet. What's more, like cars, each aircraft has its own personality, so it's important for a pilot to get to know and love his aircraft.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of connection and ownership that pilots feel towards their aircraft, which enhances their performance and leadership.
Simon Sinek highlights the deep relationship between pilots and their aircraft, suggesting that personalizing and developing an emotional connection with their jet fosters a sense of ownership and accountability. This relationship not only boosts the pilot's morale but also enhances their understanding and effectiveness in managing the aircraft, reflecting broader principles of leadership and responsibility in any context.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a leadership workshop to illustrate the importance of connection to one's work.
More from Simon Sinek
All quotes →The most basic human desire is to feel like you belong. Fitting in is important.
Every company knows what they do _x000D_ Some know how they do it _x000D_ Very few know why
Leaders don’t complain about what’s not working. Leaders celebrate what is working and work to amplify it.
We can rationalize anything and easily quit on ourselves. Leadership is refusing to quit on others.
The trick to balance is to not make sacrificing important things become the norm.
Similar quotes
Only when women wield power in significant numbers will we create a society that genuinely works for all women … that will be a society that works for everyone.
Listening can make the difference between a mediocre organization and a great one.
A director makes 100 decisions an hour. Students ask me how you know how to make the right decision, and I say to them, 'If you don't know how to make the right decision, you're not a director.'
The skills you need to fight the colonial power and the skills you need to gain independence are not necessarily the same you need to run a country.
I follow three rules: Do the right thing, do the best you can, and always show people you care.
The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.