Captain Steve
I keep a sharp eye out for men and women who exhibit a
quality leadership style. I realize that leadership has taken a lot of
criticism in our culture. It appears that anyone who takes the reins and leads
find themselves in the crosshairs of intense criticism and doubtful integrity.
Whatever happened to appreciating and acknowledging healthy leaders? I tell you
what: they are hard to find.
Several weeks ago, Judy and I took a vacation to Costa Rica.
It was a long journey. We changed planes in Minneapolis and Atlanta. Our flight
from Atlanta to Liberia, Costa Rica was delayed six hours. Two of those hours
were spent in the waiting area at the gate. The other four hours were sitting
on the plane waiting for the catering service to arrive and the green light to
go from flight control.
I confess it was an aggravation. We had waited four months
for this trip and now it seemed we were never going to get there. I had a
choice to make: either get really upset with the airline working myself into a
frenzy or sit back and trust we would get there sooner or later. It took a
while but I chose the latter.
This is where Captain Steve comes in. He was not scheduled
for this flight but because it was a new aircraft, he was called last minute to
fly us to Costa Rica. He took charge, accepting responsibility for the delay
and promised to keep us up to date on what was happening. He invited the
children (and me) to visit the cockpit. He instructed the crew to hand out all
the goodies we wanted. He even took a medical service dog on board out onto the
tarmac several times to do his stuff.
Finally, we were cleared for takeoff. Captain Steve said:
“All aboard! We are going to fly this plane to Costa Rica like we stole it.”
And that’s exactly what he did. Even though the delay was tiresome, Captain
Steve of Delta #355 made a difficult situation almost enjoyable.
A big Thank You to Captain Steve and the crew. You led and
us and you flew us with humor, kindness and servant hearts. You are a credit to
the industry you serve.
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