“When the time to perform arrives, the time to prepare has passed.”
Fellow SpeakersOffice speaker and Olympic Pommel Horse Gold Medalist with a perfect 10 in 1984, Peter Vidmar, used that line a few years ago. I asked for his permission to quote him. Peter said it was not his line. I looked on the internet and “several people” take claim to it. So, I have used it as well.
It is so relevant in business, aviation, sports and every industry. There are many examples of being prepared.
Neil Armstrong prepared and trained for years as an astronaut and then was chosen to be the first man to land on the moon.
Likewise, Gene Cernan prepared and trained for years and was chosen to be the last man on the moon, to this date. I have had the honor of meeting and knowing both for many years. Neil Armstrong died in 2012. It is all about having a passion and a goal clearly in our minds. Training over and over and preparation have no substitutes.
Peter Vidmar trained day and night for years for that one chance to get a perfect 10 score and an Olympic Medal for the USA in 1984. It is repetition, boredom, focus and a mental and physical stamina that over time causes it to be automatic when the time arrives.
USAir Captain Chesley Sullenberger, was a well-trained veteran pilot when all his preparation came into play in January 2009. Upon take off from LaGuardia Airport in New York, they ran into a flock of geese and both engines on the Airbus ingested so many birds that they ceased to function. So, now Capt. Sully was flying a “glider.” Guess what. Early in his career, he had glider training, never dreaming that his glider someday would be an Airbus 320 with a 155 passengers and crew members on board. After quickly weighing the alternatives, a landing in the Hudson River was the best choice, and a good one. He did it successfully. Everyone was rescued with only minor scrapes and bruises. Captain Sully performed when the time arrived.
I am often asked when speaking, ‘how did a farm boy from Iowa, who learned to fly his Dad’s Piper Cub go on to become the CEO of two airlines, Southwest and Braniff International?’
My answer is pretty simple. I came from a strong family, two parents and a strong ethical foundation. I had a passion for aviation. I started at the bottom as a baggage handler at age 17 and worked my way up over 24 years to be the head of Marketing at United Airlines and then CEO of Southwest and later Braniff. Not only did I train and prepare for years, I associated with and was surrounded by great people who had the same work ethic and philosophy.
When the time to perform arrives, the time to prepare has passed.
Howard Putnam speaks on leadership, change, transformation, customer service, teams and ethics. He is the former CEO of Southwest Airlines and the first CEO to take a major airline, Braniff International, into, through and out of Chapter 11, getting it flying again in less than two years.
