Last week, while attending an IT conference for educators and school board officials, we had the pleasure of hearing from Chris Hadfield, the first astronaut to operate the Canadarm, and the first Canadian to walk in space (1995).
His career has been impressive to say the least: He’s in Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame for having flown over 70 different types of aircraft as a tactical fighter pilot and test pilot for the Canadian Armed forces. Hadfield was also named Top Test Pilot in both the US Air Force in the U.S. Navy. All that before becoming an astronaut and flying three missions, building two space stations and spending six months in space, commanding the International Space Station.
Although totally in awe of his achievements, what impressed me the most was Hadfield’s resilience, his determination to succeed and his overwhelmingly positive attitude.
While listening, I found myself wishing I were 10 years old once more and could do it all over again differently. As I thought about his comments, I realized a lot of his insights can help to shape my tomorrow – even at this stage of my life.
One of the things Hadfield said repeatedly is that where you are today in life, in your career and in your relationships is the result of a series of small choices, the decisions you make each day. So, I decided to share some of the many Hadfield quotes that apply to the leaders of today and tomorrow. Perhaps they’ll inspire you, too.
I smiled at these first few quotes because they sound as though they could be part of an IT professional’s job description.
“Anticipating problems and figuring out how to solve them is actually the opposite of worrying: it’s productive.”
“It’s almost comical that astronauts are stereotyped as daredevils and cowboys. As a rule, we ‘re highly methodical and detail-oriented. Our passion is not for thrills, but for the grindstone and pressing our noses to it.”
“Competence means keeping your head in a crisis, sticking with a task even when it seems hopeless, and improvising good solutions to tough problems when every second counts. It encompasses ingenuity, determination and being prepared for anything.”
“Preparation is not only about managing external risks, but about limiting the likelihood that you’ll unwittingly add to them.”
Based on some of Chris Hadfield’s views on leadership, I imagine he must inspire his teams as much as he did the OASBO audience.
“Remember, nobody changes the world on their own.”
“Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It’s about keeping your team focused on a goald and motivated to do their best to acheive it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter.
“Over the years, I have learned that investing in other people’s success does not just make them more likely to enjoy working with me. It also improves my own chances of survival and success.”
This last quote really resonates with me, and has me thinking about tomorrow differently.
“Every decision you make, from what you eat to what you do with your time tonight, turns you into who you are tomorrow and the day after that.”
“Decide in your heart of hearts what really excites and challenges you, and start moving your life in that direction.”
If you’re feeling motivated to make a few changes, and they happen to be in the realm of just about anything IT-related, please feel free to contact us: [email protected], or call 1.877.238.9944.
