Dream It, Believe It, Do It: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit
In high-stakes environments like military aviation, staying calm under pressure isn’t optional—it’s vital. For former RAF fast jet pilot Mandy Hickson, this principle not only saved lives in the skies but now shapes how she helps businesses navigate complexity and change on the ground.
From Combat Zones to Corporate Strategy
Mandy’s standout moment as a pilot—being targeted by an enemy missile over Iraq—became a defining experience. Having practised evasive manoeuvres countless times, she and her navigator instinctively responded and survived. That night, she wasn’t just flying a Tornado jet; she was leading her first combat mission, with the Squadron Wing Commander as her number two.
“I was empowered to lead and trusted to make decisions. That night taught me the true meaning of empowerment.”
This insight underpins Mandy’s work today: real leadership means letting go. It’s not enough to say a team is empowered—you must create the environment and give them the tools to act with confidence and autonomy.
Bringing Aviation’s Precision to Business
Mandy now runs “Business Navigation” sessions where she introduces planning and debriefing models used in aviation. Techniques like the “bowtie concept” and the “6Ps” (prior preparation prevents perfectly poor performance) help teams prepare for threats and reflect on outcomes—without fear of blame.
Her approach encourages open communication, drawing from aviation’s evolution from a blame culture to a Just Culture. This model acknowledges human error while maintaining accountability. It’s a powerful shift many industries—especially safety-critical ones like healthcare, oil and gas, and finance—are beginning to adopt.
“Highly trained, competent individuals do make mistakes. The key is creating an environment where those mistakes are learning opportunities, not career-enders.”
The Case for Human Factors in Every Industry
After retraining as a Human Factors facilitator, Mandy quickly saw how lessons from aviation could benefit any workplace. These include communication, teamwork, stress management, leadership, and managing authority gradients. Her consultancy helps businesses apply these insights to improve performance, resilience, and trust.
Whether she’s working with schools, multinationals, or RAF cadets, Mandy’s message is consistent: the human element is always central. Understanding our limitations and strengths is the key to building stronger, more adaptive organisations.
Final Thoughts
From the cockpit to the boardroom, Mandy Hickson brings unmatched clarity on leadership, teamwork, and decision-making under pressure. Her journey proves that high-performance thinking isn’t confined to fighter jets—it’s something every business can harness with the right mindset and tools.
