Mandy Hickson | Controlling the controllable, calculated risks and getting out of your comfort zone.
Jun 25, 2023
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Former RAF fast-jet pilot Mandy Hickson shares incredible insights and unique stories from the skies. Topics include calculated risks in flying, personal growth, leaving teenage boys home alone, climbing Mount Everest, remaining calm in emergency situations, accountability in business, early days of women pilots in the RAF, and shared experiences with pyrotechnics and hobbies. A conversation packed with intriguing details and the importance of controlling the controllables.
Calculated risk and stepping out of one's comfort zone can lead to incredible insights and experiences.
Embracing and learning from mistakes can foster personal growth and create a culture of accountability.
Providing role models and exposing young people to diverse perspectives can inspire them to realize their potential and pursue their dreams.
Deep dives
The Journey of Overcoming Obstacles and Embracing Risk
The podcast episode features former RAF pilot Mandy Hickson, who shares her experiences and insights. She discusses her love for calculated risk and the thrills of flying through valleys. She emphasizes the importance of changing how we respond to challenges and how exposure can help us overcome innate behaviors. Mandy also highlights the significance of recognizing a bigger picture and stepping up when needed. She shares stories about her journey in the RAF, including the obstacles she faced and the lessons she learned. Mandy inspires young people to pursue their dreams and challenges the norms by sharing her own story of defying expectations and finding success.
The Power of Mistakes and Accountability
The podcast explores the importance of embracing and learning from mistakes. Mandy discusses her own experiences of making mistakes in her career and emphasizes the value of taking accountability and being honest about one's shortcomings. She delves into the concept of a 'just culture', where mistakes are acknowledged and learned from without consequences of blame. Mandy shares how she encourages open conversations about mistakes and accountability in her speeches and mentorships, particularly with the younger generation. She highlights the power of vulnerability and the importance of self-reflection in personal growth and development.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Mandy discusses her work with young people and the impact she has seen. She emphasizes the importance of providing role models and diverse perspectives for young individuals to realize their potential. Mandy shares stories of the young people she has interacted with who have been inspired by her own journey and have become motivated to pursue their dreams. She also highlights the positive influence of social media in exposing young people to a wide range of possibilities and opportunities. Mandy expresses hope for the future, seeing the younger generation challenge norms and embrace their potential for success.
Turning Rejections into Success
The podcast delves into the journey of writing Mandy's book, 'An Officer, Not a Gentleman'. Mandy shares her motivation for writing the book, to share her experiences and provide inspiration. She discusses the challenges of getting the book published and the rejection she faced from major publishing houses. Despite the setbacks, Mandy persevered and decided to self-publish the book, which has been successful and well-received. She emphasizes the importance of not letting rejections define one's path and finding alternative routes to success. Mandy's story embodies resilience and determination to overcome obstacles and achieve her goals.
Overcoming obstacles and maintaining resilience
The speaker highlights the importance of having a positive and resilient mindset when faced with challenges. They discuss how having a strong goal and purpose can help in demonstrating resilience, framing setbacks as opportunities to find alternative routes. The speaker shares personal experiences of being in the RAF as a woman and the need to adapt and fit in, but also the importance of finding a balance between fitting in and maintaining one's identity.
Regrets and missed opportunities
The speaker reflects on a regret from her time in the RAF, specifically regarding the lack of support and flexibility for women with children. She shares her experience of being denied career progression due to the limitations imposed on her after becoming a mother. The speaker emphasizes the importance of challenging the system and advocating for change in order to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for women in the military.
Mandy Hickson is a fast-jet pilot who came face-to-face with Tom Cruise and, lost for words, told him, 'it's unlikely you'd be able to run after ejecting'. He agreed and she should know because Mandy is a former RAF fast-jet pilot who has completed three tours of duty and 45 combat missions.
You can imagine my glee at getting to ask her about her relationship with risk...
Strap in, do a salute to the tower and get ready for take-off because this is an episode and conversation packed with incredible and unique insights, stories from the skies - including a harrowing account of being airborne during 9/11 - and why the key to so many things is 'controlling the controllables'.
