Lessons Learned: Defying Gravity And The Odds

How learning to fly helped a senior director at Reddit achieve her goals.

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Key Takeaways:

  • The author, a female pilot and tech leader, draws parallels between aviation and organizational leadership, highlighting how her flying experience cultivated critical management skills like perseverance and responsibility.
  • Effective leadership requires unwavering commitment to goals, simplifying complex problems, and using structured approaches (like checklists) to anticipate issues and stay "ahead of the plane."
  • Cultivating a curious mindset, embracing unconventional solutions, and fostering self-reliance are crucial for leaders to adapt to change and overcome challenges independently, much like a pilot in command.
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Snehal Kundalkar has been involved in leading Silicon Valley firms for more than a decade, including work at Apple and her own fashion tech startup, The Reel. (photo courtesy: Snehal Kundalkar).

Be Committed 
To Your Goals

Being an immigrant and wanting to fly in the post-9/11 era meant undergoing additional security checks. I mustered all the patience in the world waiting for administrative clearances before I could even begin flight training. Throughout the training process, I was exposed to a whole lot of other interesting challenges. I would get to the airport to find out that the plane was still in maintenance or the engine wouldn’t start. Sometimes the weather conditions were below flying minimums, and other times life got in the way.

I learned to be flexible, to be patient, and to make alternate plans “on the fly.” I carried through on my commitment, and by overcoming every obstacle, I had a pilot’s license (FAA Certificate) in my hands.

The corporate world is not immune to unavoidable delays and technical difficulties. Every unexpected challenge can feel like an insurmountable obstacle. As a leader, you have to remember to remain patient and clear with why you are doing what you are doing. When you start a project, you may be full of enthusiasm, but when the priorities change or problems knock the wind out from under your wings, you just need to keep flying. Successful leaders are those who have the strongest commitment to their goals.

Your employees will see your perseverance as your strength to manage any circumstance.

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