Wing Space

“None of us is as good as all of us.” – Ray Kroc – Founder of McDonald’s.

As I sit on this US Airways flight from Charlotte, NC to La Guardia today (knowing I have a return tomorrow the other direction) I can’t help but think of US Airways Flight 1549.
This is the famed “Sully” Sullenberger flight that was the only successful ditching of a commercial jetliner on record.  All 155 passengers and crew made it out safely.  For those of you not living in Charlotte or NYC, it may have simply been an interesting distraction from the tanking economy.

To those of us in Charlotte – it is lore.

We asked ourselves for days “how did they do it?”  How did everyone walk out onto the wing in 41 degree water and survive to be interviewed on 60 minutes?  Like many of you, I’ve scoffed at the mention of “your seat cushion can also be used for a floatation device”, figuring that when the time comes that I’m on a plane being ditched into a body of water, I’m kissing this life goodbye.
Not true I guess. 

You see, the power of “WE” is always greater than the power of “ME”.

What the crew and passengers did that afternoon was to work togther in a calm and orderly fashion to ensure everyone was safe and out of that plane before it swamped in the Hudson.
Professional air crew and professional bankers stood shoulder to shoulder and took control and at times, took orders without ego or preconceived notions of self getting in the way.  Amazing!  That people can come together and create miracles (the flight is called “Miracle on the Hudson”) is nothing short of inspiring.

So why don’t we read more amazing stories of collaboration in the pages of the paper or web about people casting off what they know and believe and simply “acting” in harmony?  Because many consider life to be a zero sum game.  This means that if you have it, I can’t have it and visa versa.  So we hoard and protect and compete for perceived “scarce” resources. 

Fortunately or unfortunately it takes a moment of life or death for most people to realize this is not true; that life is full of abundance if we only believe it to be so.  The crew and passengers of Flight 1549 certainly believed there was enough “wing space” for all of them to get out of the plane and out there on those wings

So the question begs to be asked; do you believe there is enough “wing space” for everyone?

Whether you are out of work and looking for a job or are lucky enough to have a job and are being bombarded by “networking” friends and relatives, are you doing all you can to make sure there’s enough “Wing space” for everyone?

If you are a Recruiter and you can’t personally help a candidate, are you taking the time to look for ways help them?

In times of difficulty will you make room on the wing?