"From Fighter Jet to Just Culture: What Business Leaders Still Don't Get" | Mandy Hickson
If fighter pilots can build a culture where mistakes are openly shared to save lives, why do so many business leaders still hide errors and destroy trust?
Episode Summary
What does it take to lead when the stakes are life or death? In this candid conversation, I sit down with Mandy Hickson, the first woman to fly the Tornado GR4 on the front line, a veteran of 45 combat missions over Iraq, and the bestselling author of An Officer, Not a Gentleman.
.
We explore how she defied impossible odds, became a role model in a world where women weren't allowed to be pilots, and turned cockpit lessons into frameworks for organizational culture. From resilience under fire to the birth of "Just Culture" in aviation, Mandy shows leaders how to build teams where trust and accountability are not buzzwords, but survival skills.
What You'll Learn
-
Why "success" for Mandy isn't rank or medals, but creating impact and inspiring others.
-
How a single cadet saying "I want to be a pilot like you" shifted her entire career path.
-
What it means to chase an "impossible dream" when women weren't even allowed to be pilots.
-
The brutal truth of failing the aptitude tests—twice—and what real leadership looks like when a middle manager challenges the system.
-
Why resilience sometimes means taking sideways steps, not straight lines.
-
How cognitive diversity (her course mates teaching her battle turns on bicycles) saved her career.
-
Why trust is built when teammates act selflessly, even at personal cost.
-
How aviation moved from blame culture, to no-blame, to "Just Culture"—and why your business needs the same maturity.
About Mandy Hickson
Mandy Hickson joined the RAF in 1994, became the first woman on the frontline to fly the Tornado GR4, and served on three tours of duty. Today she is a sought-after speaker, aviation ambassador, and author of An Officer, Not a Gentleman and An Officer and Her Gentleman. She translates lessons from combat and cockpit into frameworks for trust, culture, and leadership that elite organizations worldwide rely on.
🔗 Links
Mandy Hickson: MandyHickson.com | An Officer, Not a Gentleman
Dov Baron: DovBaron.com
The Big Questions We Tackle
-
Are you learning in the way that works for you—or just the way you've been told?
-
How much trust have you really built in your team? Would they sacrifice their own advancement for you?
-
What happens to organizations that confuse "no blame" with "no accountability"?
-
Can business leaders build the same level of trust as fighter pilots who go to war together?
Why This Matters for Leaders
Every organization says they want trust and accountability. Very few know how to build it. Mandy's journey proves that "Just Culture" is not theory—it's life or death in aviation, and it's the missing link in your boardroom.
Call to Action
If this conversation forces you to rethink leadership:
-
Follow the show for
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.