Episode 422 - Walking with Giants: A Leadership Moment Aboard Air Force One

This episode was recorded aboard Air Force One (SAM 26000), the aircraft that carried JFK and witnessed the transfer of power to LBJ. A powerful reflection on leading through history's hardest moments.

Host: Paul Falavolito
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of
performance through strong human relations, team building, and golajiving. This
is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellavledo.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello everyone, and welcome to the Seven Minute Leadership Podcast.
It's episode four twenty two. In the next two episodes
today and tomorrow are going to be about a trip
I took last week to Date, Ohio for some work training.
I am still feeling the emotions and the lessons I

(00:43):
learned while I was out exploring the birthplace of aviation,
the perfect place for me to be. So, without further ado,
here is the first episode I recorded last week. I'm
recording this moment from somewhere. I never thought I'd stand

(01:05):
aboard Air Force one, but not just any Air Force one.
This is SAM two six thousand, the very aircraft that
carried President John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Nixon, and Moore.
It sits now inside the United States Air Force Museum
at right Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. And

(01:30):
as I walk these narrow aisles, I'm overwhelmed with emotion.
The air feels and smells different in here. The weight
of history is real. This is the plane that flew
JFK to Dallas, and this is the plane that brought
him back to Washington after his assassination. This is the

(01:53):
very aircraft where Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office, with
Jackie Kennedy standing beside him in a bloodstained suit. Where
I stand right now, this isn't just aluminum in rivets.
This is a time capsule of leadership in its ross
most difficult moment. And here's the lesson I want to share.

(02:17):
Leadership isn't always about control. Sometimes it's about carrying the
weight of a nation through the unimaginable. Sometimes it's about
flying home with the world watching. Sometimes it's about having
to step up mid air in grief and fear, in uncertainty,

(02:38):
and still lead. What you do in the hardest moment
of your life will define your legacy as a leader.
This aircraft reminds me that true leadership isn't about the speeches.
It's not about approval ratings. It's about what happens in silence,
behind closed doors, when your country or your team needs

(03:01):
strength and clarity. Standing here, I'm reminded that history remembers
the ones who led when everything is falling apart, and
sometimes leadership means taking off again, even when your heart
is shattered, because duty doesn't stop. So wherever you're leading
from today, whether it's a boardroom, a hospital, a firehouse,

(03:25):
or a small business, remember this. You may not be
flying Air Force one, but someone is counting on you
to keep moving forward. This has been the seven Minute
Leadership Podcast, and I thank you for listening.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
For more Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot
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