A few years ago I read an article in which the writer explains how a 737 was about to land at OR Tambo International when it stalled due to possible wind shear. Pilots are trained to respond to a stall by dropping the nose of the aeroplane so that the plane can pick up speed and the air can again flow over the wing and produce the lift required for the plane to fly. But when a plane is close to the ground our instinct will be to lift the nose that exasperates the problem. Most aeroplanes that have experienced late final stalls have ended in tragedy due to there not being enough altitude for the plane to regain stable flight and pilots that just can’t get themselves to drop the nose and then fly down toward the ground before lifting up and away to safety. The pilot in the 737 at OR Tambo defied the natural urge to lift the nose of his plane. He followed his training, dropped the nose, the plane recovered from the stall and he then landed at a nearby airport.
This got me thinking that many times in the heat of a moment we may be inclined to react based on what’s before us, what’s logical and makes sense, but success in some cases demands actions that have been considered well in advance.
Decisions that are based on our values would fall into this category. When we’re up against it and we need to make value-based decisions it may feel like we’re going to crash and that’s why we need to prepare for these decisions well in advance. Some decisions are made in principle, well in advance, because in the heat of the moment it will be impossible to reason and make the decision that supports your values.
In business and sales, I can think of countless reasons to adopt personal policies and positions that are supported by the decisions we make in advance. In this way, we can stay true to our values and of course stay out of trouble.