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You might call Evelyn Johnson, “Wonder Women.” She works seven days a week, and puts in eight hour days as a flight instructor in Morristown, Tennessee. She rousts herself out of bed at 6 AM, except for Sundays when reveille comes at 5:30. Flying every day, she seems to have the energy of an Eveready battery. But today is different. As she drives to church, the morning sun gets in her eyes. Momentarily blinded, she fails see the semi at the stoplight, slams into, and under it, shaving the top of her car. With multiple contusions and a severed leg, the accident darn near kills her.   As a friend and fellow flight instructor, I begin to call her, to follow her progress. She always answer the phone by the second ring. But today there’s no answer… Fearing I may have lost my good friend, as well as the world’s oldest flight instructor and Aviation Hall of Fame icon, I call the front desk of her managed care home. Sure enough, the receptionist relays the news. “I’m sorry…she’s gone,” she says. My chest tightens. That beautiful, high-spirited woman, suddenly gone… why didn’t I call earlier?  I never even got to say good-bye.  A moment later, the receptionist interrupts my reminiscent trance, and finishes her sentence, “…but she’ll be back at five.” I sit by the phone. At 5 PM sharp, I speed-dial Evelyn. Second ring…”Hello?” “Evelyn?? …Where the heck have you been?” “Well for gracious sakes alive John, I’ve been at the airport…working! Where did you think I was?” Your mindset will calm the storm. Evelyn thumbed her nose at her misfortune.  Indeed, when asked how she manages her new condition, she doesn’t miss a beat,  “The shorter leg slows me down some…but I’ve got a prosthesis on back order!” In the face of challenge, Ev allowed nothing to alter her state of mind. Despite a crushing hardship, Evelyn remained grounded in her faith and can-do attitude. This mental mindset is not reserved for the gifted. With a little effort, you can tap your positive powerhouse.  In fact, it’s an invaluable skill to have at the ready. Be aware of the stall-spin-crash n’ burn set up Sooner or later, most of us get sucker-punched. Failed business, divorce, layoff, cancer, death of a loved one, car accident, or any change serious change, can render us numb and dispirited. it’s human nature. You’re going to be shaken. Should any other misfortune visit us, even to the smallest degree, it can be seen as confirmation that “everything is going to hell”. The result? We start to slide down the slippery slope of pessimism and pity, till we approach a full blown lifestyle stall. We see this sad situation everyday in the form of drug addition, homelessness, suicide and crime. “What the hell, why try?” we say. It’s a perfect crash and burn set up. Flight Lesson #1: Add power!  Instead of throttling back, and convalescing your pain with pills, booze or other negative lifestyle survival tactics, you need to immediately power up. In other words, recognize the truth about the situation: Yes, you’ve been dealt a blow. But you are also stronger than you think. Much stronger. Through an innate capacity to survive and thrive, you are equipped to handle any sucker-punch that comes your way. It may take a mountain of tough-love self-talk, but the objective is to pull up, regroup and buy time to re-stabilize. You’re simply in the process of talking yourself up…not down. Once you do that, it’s time for lesson two. Flight Lesson #2: Ride it out! Once you realize the fact that you can and will handle the situation, the following three tips will guide you to ride out your storm: Flight Lesson #3: Blue skies follow every storm If things are off-the-wall-crazy, it’s natural to think it’s a forever deal. But will your troubles last? Not a chance. Look around you. It’s a law of nature. With time, things calm down and stabilize. Even a category 5 hurricane has no chance of enduring. It will weaken and move on. It’s your job to understand the nature of the beast. And the beast can be beaten. It’s even prophesied in the Bible…”this too shall pass.” Therefore, know that a clearing trend is coming your way. Hang in there. Things will stabilize and get better. It’s virtually guaranteed. Regardless of your current turbulent, wild ride, cinch up, hunker down, and hold on! Stay the course. Burning blue sky is waiting on the far side of the cloud. Ev was a modern-day Wonder Woman,and one of the most fascinating pilots I’ve had the good fortune to know as a fellow flight instructor, mentor and friend. But in addition to this, she had a killer sense of humor, and indomitable, tough-as-nails spirit. At 96, Evelyn was in a serious automobile accident. Sunday morning, on the way to church, the sun got in her eyes approaching an intersection. She plowed into, and under,a semi. Ev sustained multiple contusions and lost the lower part of her leg. I called her residence one afternoon, concerned about her now, obvious frail condition. She usually picked up the phone on the first ring. This time, no answer at all. I called the front desk. The receptionist answered, and conveyed the bad news I was so dreading to hear. “I’m sorry, she said. Evelyn, is gone. I kicked myself. Why couldn’t I have called my friend sooner? Why did I have to procrastinate? Life is too short to put things off. A moment later, the receptionist chirped in a sweet, Tennessee drawl, “But she’ll be back at five…” At 5:03 PM, I speed dialed Tennessee. Evelyn picked up on the first ring. I must have conveyed some surprise as I immediately questioned her, “Evelyn, where the heck have you been?” “Why gracious sakes alive John, I been at the airport…working. Where did you THINK I was?” John Tillison and Evelyn Johnson at the National Aviation

In 1983, Mike McNeill ran into an “unreasonable customer” As a captain on a de Havilland Dash-7 aircraft, Mike prepared to make a flight from Killeen, Texas, to Dallas. A 45-minute hop. Shortly after the airplane leveled off, a passenger came into the cockpit and suggested a new destination: Cuba. When McNeil turned around and saw an Uzi machine gun leveled at his head, he knew he would need more than flying skills to manage the crisis. At the trigger, was Hussein Kholya, a hyper young man in his 20s. Like a cobra out of its basket, the man was agitated and unpredictable. Bring out the magic: Empathy, sweetened with a bit of banter Mike knew the 4-engine de Havilland did not have enough fuel to make it to Cuba. Yet he had to be careful in rejecting the hijacker’s request out of hand. Therefore, McNeil and the copilot, Frank Flores, began to unwrap a subtle counter offer: Empathy – sweetened with a bit of banter.    McNeill and Flores calmly, and slowly, built rapport with Kholya, chatting with him, treating him like an equal. They brought out pictures of their families, talked openly, even injected some light-hearted humor. Flores had a college class that night. If he missed it without good reason, he’d be marked down. As the 3-men discussed the dilemma, McNeill came up with a common-sense solution. He asked Hussein if he could write a note to the teacher. Chuckling, Hussein dutifully wrote the note: “Please excuse Frank from class, due to his hijacking.” An easy, almost magical rapport was beginning to transform the relationship. Indeed, Forbes Magazine confirms the wisdom of the wise-crack. In the article, Why Jokes are Helpful to Leaders in a Crisis, its reported, “a shared joke transforms two or more people into a conspiracy by releasing the neurotransmitter, oxytocin into the brain. This deepens rapport, intimacy, and trust.” What the crew were doing, was nothing short of brilliant. They gave Hussein what every human being craves: a sense of importance, and respect, sweetened with a touch of humor. By building a relationship with the hijacker, they transformed a high-level crisis, into a manageable situation of rapport and cooperation. Transforming a Situation: The Power of Empathy As the flight continued, Hussein’s demands began to soften. He made a concession: forget Cuba. Mexico would do. Mike obliged him. They turned the aircraft toward Laredo. By this time, the relationship (and attendant humor) began to ramp up. On the approach to land, Flores went so far as to “warn” Kholya of the impending landing. “After this guy (McNeill) lands, he said, you’ll need a chiropractor.” The machine-gun wielding hijacker, was now thoroughly enjoying the light banter and camaraderie. Meanwhile, the Mexican equivalent of the FBI was notified and positioning themselves at the airport. After McNeill landed, the three men talked for hours. It took time and patience, but Hussein Kholya was finally persuaded to surrender to the Mexican authorities.  The Lesson: How to Manage Your Real World Conflicts While the hijacking incident was extreme, it offers invaluable lessons for managing conflict, in low, and high-pressure situations. In fact, it’s almost guaranteed you will encounter your own type of “hijacker” sometime this week: unreasonable customers, frustrated colleagues, demanding friends, troublesome family members, even difficult or unruly children. How you handle those situations can define your success. 1. Mental Preparedness: Be Ready for the Unexpected The first key lesson from McNeill’s experience is preparation. Just as pilots prepare for turbulent weather, mechanical failures, or passenger disruptions, we must mentally prepare for the challenges that arise in our personal and professional lives. In other words, we must not be surprised or blindsided when trouble arrives, but remain calm and resolute under pressure. 2. Lead with Empathy Empathy may be considered a “soft skill,” but it’s also a powerful tool in diffusing tension. Whether you’re dealing with a disgruntled client or stressed-out colleague, the way you approach the situation can make all the difference. In McNeill’s case, he and his co-pilot turned a life-threatening dilemma into a peaceful resolution simply by tapping into a bit of empathy.   3. Build Relationships, Even in Conflict Every conflict is an opportunity to strengthen relationships. Just like McNeill and his crew, you can transform a relationship by building rapport and acknowledging the other person’s feelings, showing respect, and finding common ground. In fact, simple listening, shows respect, and is often enough to de-escalate a situation. How Can You Apply These Lessons? Take a moment to think about your own work environment. Are there situations where you feel “hijacked?” The following is a simple four-step formula (taken from our best-selling book, Pull Up! Lead, Succeed, and Achieve, Despite Snafus, Setbacks or Sucker Punches) to help you resolve conflicts before they escalate. To help you remember the key points, think of the word, “LEAD.” Keep this idea in your back pocket for quick and easy reference. You’ll discover it can be applied to everyday challenges, from managing your kids, to handling difficult clients, deals, or deadlines Conclusion: Be “the calm” in the storm Calm and cool leadership is needed now more than ever. McNeill’s true story gives us an excellent “flying lesson” where we can view challenging confrontations from a higher perch. With a bit of empathy, preparation, and a calm frame of mind, you can turn even the most threatening situations into opportunities for growth and resolution. So, the next time you feel “hijacked,” remember this lesson from the cockpit. Lead with empathy, show respect, be prepared to remain calm and solution-based, and you’ll resolve the toughest conflicts that come your way! Related Reading: For more insights on leadership skills, using similar aviation-bases examples, check out Team One – Become Your Best and Lead the Rest. Or simply go to our Flight Store for unique gear and helpful workplace content.      

Kazuko Uramatsu jumps out of bed at 5 am, hustles to catch the morning train, transfers to a waiting scooter, zooms off to her office, catches her breath, straightens her tie and smiles. It’s time to teach over Tokyo.  At 42, Kazuko is one of four female flight instructors in all of Japan. In a culture where the woman is traditionally seen as housekeeper, mother, and maid, Kazuko is cut from a different kimono.  She loves flying and adores independence. But how does a woman in Japan survive and thrive in an occupation almost totally reserved for men?  Flying snagged her heart Kazuko has been able to break from the pack because she knows what she wants in life. Her need for freedom speaks louder than her need to conform. While many women in Japan are held down to traditional positions of raising a family and staying at home, Kazuko chose a less traditional route. Her fire was lit when a college friend invited Kazuko to come to a club meeting on the quad. There on the grass, in the campus court, sat a gleaming, white Schweitzer glider. To promote membership, the club displayed the glider to encourage students to join. Kazuko made a life changing decision on the spot. She had to fly. Kazuko hits turbulence  But as soon as she threw herself into aviation, a not-so-subtle roadblock popped up. Although Kazuko had the support and encouragement from her father, someone else thought flying was a very bad idea.  At the time, Kazuko was dating a Japanese doctor. Unfortunately, the idea of flying did not sit well with him. He floored Kazuko one day with an ultimatum, “If you become a pilot, we cannot marry.”  Kazuko reeled. She didn’t want to quit flying. She couldn’t quit! For the first time in her life, she tasted ultimate freedom. The message was clear. She had to choose between rings, or wings.  The doctor got dumped.  While some people let marriage, cultural expectations, economics, lack of social skills, or bad breaks, direct their lives, some refuse to accept any limitation. As for Kazuko, she is now happily married to a man who loves her, and her vocation. The chains are broken. You’re in charge…So take it! Here’s the flight lesson: You are going to have people chirping in your ear – relatives, friends, lovers, co-workers, and strangers, all telling you how to run the show. Well intentioned as they may be, keep one thing in mind – It’s your show. No one else knows the production better than you. And no one is more concerned with a successful outcome than you.  So, at first sign of a naysayer, kindly excuse yourself. Tune them out, or steer them away from your dream. You don’t need that negative buzz in your brain. To be a peak performer, find people who encourage and support you. If anyone tries to bring you down, you now know what to tell them…  “Sayonara!”

In May 2001, I wrote an article for Plane & Pilot magazine, entitled Never too Old to Fly. A quarter century ago. Old stuff, right? In fact, just the opposite. Back then, interviewing people like Ralph Charles (the oldest pilot on the planet at 101), and Evelyn Johnson, an active instrument flight instructor and Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE), well into her 90’s, was a game changer for me. These people were hot. They loved life and were beyond passionate. I wanted to know more. What’s the common denominator? Since then, I’ve interviewed pilots and non-pilots alike to uncover the common denominator behind their zest for life and seemingly ageless demeanor. A recurring theme has consistently emerged: these individuals simply discovered and pursued activities that brought them genuine joy. Few, if any, ever found themselves trapped in jobs they despised, grinding out an existence day after day in roles they abhorred. Instead, they maintained a positive outlook and, whenever possible, embraced an active lifestyle that kept them resilient and vibrant. Girlfriends and speeding at 103 Case in point: While interviewing Ralph Charles at his ranch in Somerset, Ohio, I asked him point blank, if he thought he might be too old to fly at 101 years old. He snorted back, “Hell no!” Then proceeded to show me some of his semi-aerobatic flying maneuvers later that afternoon. The guy simply didn’t let his age, dictate the game. In fact, a couple years later, at the age of 103, he was nailed for speeding, while taking his girlfriend, “Toots” home for the evening! (the actual telephone conversation can be heard at, Tillison.com -> Videos). The secret to finding passion More recently, I had the distinct privilege of meeting up with the last surviving P-51 fighter ace of WWII. Bud Anderson was a “gentlemen’s fighter.” One of the nicest, easy-going guys in two shoes. However, as Chuck Yeager would say, “In an airplane…the guy was a mongoose.” But during the interview Bud said something that struck me. As we talked about jobs, life-goals, and flying in general, he spilled the beans.  After a moment of reflection, he simply said emphatically, “If you get a job you like to do… you can accel.” Therein lies the kicker that’s killing people. Many people in fact, don’t like what they’re doing. With no real purpose or passion, they’re mentally, spiritually, and all too often, physically, dropping dead. It doesn’t have to be this way, if you have the guts seek the passion path. Beating the money trap A few years back, I had an attorney as a flight student. His law firm was thriving. Yet one day he approached me with a surprising confession: “I’m done with law. I’m just not happy with the work.” He proceeded to tell me he wanted to change occupations and pursue his flight instructor rating. At the time, my jaw dropped knowing the extreme plunge in income he would experience. But I now understand. Time is fleeting and there’s nothing in the world more important that to live your life with the freedom to chase your passion, not your pension. If you have to take a pay cut, sell the truck, or walk from the dead-end job, do it. The most devastating and irreversible outcome at life’s end is regret.  Like Steve Jobs so adroitly said in his speech to the Stanford graduates, “You’ve got to find what you love. Don’t settle.” Do this, to set yourself free So here’s my “flight lesson” to you. Find your fire. No matter what. Don’t settle. Do the search. If you feel that you’re in an inescapable rut, you must “escape” n as if your life depends on it. Because it does. So how do you proceed? Here’s your immediate action plan. It’ll take 15 minutes of your time, so buck, up and prepare to invest 15 big ones…like right now. First off, grab a pen and paper. Set a timer. Take exactly ten minutes and “go bold.” That is, write down every personal and career possibility you can imagine, without judgment or concern for practicality. Let your ideas flow freely. Write fast, and with abandon. When the timer sounds, give yourself five more minutes to review your list and identify the one idea that surprisingly seems most attainable. The one that stands out above the rest. You’ll most likely be amazed with the revelation that previously eluded you. Your life is too precious to spend unfulfilled. Keep in mind, your journey to find your passion is not just a luxury—it’s a necessity. A necessity for a life well-lived. So, embrace the search.  Don’t let any fear hold you back. Just take that first step. Adventure awaits—seize it and don’t look back. Your ”fire” will light the way.  

United Airlines Flight 232 is cruising at 37,000 feet, when the crew is jolted by an explosion from the back of the plane. The number two engine has just blown apart, sending shrapnel into the fuselage, and totally disabling all three of the aircraft’s hydraulic systems.  The crew now have no means of controlling pitch nor bank. They have no flaps to slow the jet down for final approach. And even if they do get the airplane down on the ground, they have no brakes to stop them.  “This can’t happen…but I think it just did” The crew is now piloting a 300,000-pound DC-10, without the luxury of being able to control it. The odds of losing all hydraulic power simultaneously are a billion to one. And, as Captain Al Haynes would tell me later in an interview, his initial thought was, “It can’t happen. You’ve been told over and over again, it can’t happen, but it didn’t take us very long to realize, I think it just did.” Sooner or later, most of us have to deal with the dire. Something so egregious and hopeless, that we feel completely out of control. Layoff, bankruptcy, divorce, death, or serious illness, can all leave us feeling hopeless. But the way you respond to the situation can make the difference between winning or losing it all. Indeed, one of the objectives of introducing you to the people in this book, is to learn and benefit from their winning (and sometimes losing) experiences.  The United predicament was chosen because the situation is about as crazy as it gets. The fate of everyone on board appears doomed, and by all indications, there is nothing the crew can do to change the outcome. But sometimes, contrary to indications or probability, you have to buck the odds. To insist that somewhere, somehow, a solution exists.  Prepare to “get pushed” Keep in mind you’re going to face situations in your life, where you will be pushed beyond your perceived capabilities. Where everything will appear hopeless, out of control, and so screwed up, you’ll want to pack it in and quit. However, that is precisely the time you must hunker down, hold on, and fight. In other words, don’t give up. Life has an odd way of taking us right up to the edge of the cliff, and just as we are pushed off, we get wings. Think of it this way – each time you’re pushed off that so-called cliff, you log, “flight time.” You may have to flap like hell, but sooner or later you discover you can fly above the chaos.  With that thought in mind, let’s briefly return to Flight 232 to gain some insight. With the dilemma that faces them, the crew certainly needs some extraordinary results.  If “The Book” says it’s impossible – stop reading The situation is much more serious than most modern-day flight system failures. The reason is simple. McDonnell Douglas, the manufacturer of the DC-10, considered the loss of all hydraulics so remote, that nothing was written in the manual to resolve the issue.  For a better understanding of the situation, let’s look at the blow-by-blow account of Flight 232.  Soon after the catastrophic engine failure, the tri-jet begins an uncontrolled descent. With no pitch control, the aircraft enters a series of phugoid oscillations – a roller coaster-like behavior of climbs and dives that gives the airplane a nearly uncontrollable flight characteristic.   The enormity of the crisis now becomes obvious, as the jet begins to have a mind of its own. Three separate times, the DC-10 nearly goes over on its back. With no hydraulics, an inverted roll will be an automatic death sentence for the lumbering jet. When ‘packing it in,’ simply isn’ an option Although the aircraft is now dangling on the ragged edge of uncontrolled flight, something remarkable begins to transpire in the cockpit. An incredible display of teamwork and raw determination are coming together. The cockpit becomes a beehive of ideas. “What if we try this? Do you think this will help?” The aircraft continues a series of right-hand oscillating spirals. An air traffic controller tracking the flight begs for some good news. “Can you guys hold altitude?” “Negative,” comes the reply.     More ideas. More experimentation. Denny Fitch, an off-duty instructor pilot, asks one of the flight attendants if he can give a hand. Haynes accepts. Haynes directs the instructor pilot to control the throttles so as to free up the captain and co-pilot to work the control wheel. Through a system of trial and error, the crew work their magic.  Al Haynes, Bill Records, DJ Dvorak, and Denny Fitch, feverishly but delicately baby the big jet to behave. As they continue to corkscrew to the right, the crew finally makes a breakthrough. By jockeying the power on the two remaining engines, they gain some directional control over the airplane. Still, the nearest airport is Sioux City, Iowa, some 75 miles away, and as Haynes admitted to me, “We had absolutely no idea how we were going to get there.”  Forty-five minutes later, the crew miraculously lines up with Runway 22 at Sioux City. Although the 6600-foot runway length is hopelessly short for a DC-10, it’s their only option. The crew knows, at best, they’re going to blow through the end of the runway and skid into a cornfield. The worst, isn’t contemplated.  Replace panic with humor As the tower controller gives the customary “cleared to land” permission, Captain Haynes gives us a snapshot of his relative calm, when he banters back, “You don’t want to be particular and make it a (specific) runway, huh?” With the aircraft now at the runway threshold and mere seconds from touchdown, the DC-10 is cursed with another phugoid oscillation. As the jet begins an uncontrollable nose down pitch, the ground proximity recorder blasts the warning, “Pull up, pull up.” A split second later, the plane begins to roll to the right. A crew member begins to

It was a push. Taking a private airplane into South America at a time when drug cartels nearly controlled some countries and kingpins like Pablo Escobar reined supreme. However, our three-month goodwill expedition by private airplane seem to be graced with serendipity, good luck, and great people. In country after country, our “Espiritu de las Americas” (Spirit of the Americas) tour provoked good vibes. Flat broke but inspired The trip was inspired by a breathtaking photograph. I saw on the cover of a flying magazine back in 1976. The picture was an aerial photo of Tikal, the lost city of the Maya, deep in the Yucatán jungle of Guatemala. Although my partner and I were just out of college, flat broke, and living in a closet-size apartment, we felt compelled to make this, Indiana Jones-like journey to Tikal. All told, the trip eventually morphed into a 13,000-mile trip, into the deeper reaches of the Amazon. At first glance, the whole idea seemed ludicrous. A private airplane expedition would cost tens of thousands of dollars. We barely had money to pay rent, let alone buzz around jungle archives in a rented Cessna. Therefore we had to save, budget, and bargain, to pull off the expedition. We guaranteed the owner of the Cessna Cardinal, at least 100 hours of flight, if he’d provide a wholesale rental rate. Aviation fuel in South America averaged 58 cent per gallon. We often slept under the wing, and ate with the locals. Not including the airplane, we budgeted six bucks a day for the entire expedition. Commandante kindness? Everywhere we went, we were greeted with open arms and graciousness. Medellin, Colombia was no exception. After we landed, we met the airport comandante and his staff. Even though we were just two young college kids. They served as coffee and treated as like a couple of big shots. It was great. Our Spanish was rough, but it didn’t matter. These guys were cool. The comandante’s eyes twinkled, “Tiene drogas?”   “Ha-haaa, si, si, of course,” I said, not quite understanding the question. The room suddenly became icy. No one was smiling anymore. God, what did I say? What changed the mood so quickly? What did the comandante say? After interminable silence, his assistant spit out the words again, “Tienen drogas en el avion?” Stupidity sucks I now understood the situation. I had been asked if we were bringing drugs into Colombia, which I gleefully responded, “Ha-haaa, yes, of course.” This silly yet informal statement carried some ugly consequences. Under Colombian drug seizure laws, the aircraft could become an expensive gift to the government – or a sneaky comandante. Was it a trap? A gringo setup? I felt sick to my stomach. More silence. More stares. The comandante then did something quite unexpected. He laughed. The comandante knew my Spanish was lacking and wanted to make a memorable impression. He succeeded. Although my language deficiency almost got us thrown into a Colombian cooler, the lesson was clear. Practice your Spanish, senior!

In 1968, our high school football team played Calaveras High, located in the mountain town of San Andreas, CA. The school boasted some big guys, and a championship record to boot.  At the time, I was a fairly underweight, 120-pound defensive end. Mr. Turner was our coach.  Calaveras decided to run a sweep around my end. A husky half-back was coming right at me, full speed. Unfortunately I got in the way. Our head-on collision nearly killed me. We both just laid there a couple of seconds. Magic in a moment Then something magical happened. From across the field, in front of God and the grandstands, Mr. Turner cups his hands and screams out, “Tillison, best defensive end in the league!”  At that moment, Turner could walk on water. I reveled in the moment. What an incredibly, unvarnished statement of recognition. I stood up a man. A different person. That fleeting display of positive reinforcement happened more than 50 years ago, yet it remains with me to this day.  Recognition: There’s no higher ROI   Now think of that for a moment. The time and energy expended by Turner…about 4 seconds. The length of its effectiveness, 50 years, and counting.  Here’s the subtle but powerful take-home point: A pat on the back, a scribbled note of thanks, a smile and a thumbs up, all take practically zero time and energy. Yet it’s astounding how seldom sincere appreciation, in whatever form, is dished out. This is exactly what makes the process so powerful. Nobody does it! Our recommendation? Do it.  Find someone to recognize. Invest a full 4-seconds in an unvarnished, no-nonsense, all-out, “call-out.” Be bold and generous in your praise. But be prepared. That moment may well be burned into the person’s psyche for at least a year…or maybe even, 50!