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Parachuting onto the 50-yard line is an unusual way to arrive at a football game.
As a West Point senior on the sports parachute team, I jumped out of a helicopter and joined several classmates as they landed at Mitchie Stadium with a game ball.
At the academy, I became obsessed with jumping out of airplanes: Huey and Black Hawk helicopters, Twin Otters, Cessnas, and even off the ramp of a huge Air Force C-5 transport plane. I logged over 450 jumps in four years. In retrospect, these experiences helped prepare me for a career that would involve parachuting into new roles, big challenges, or unfamiliar environments multiple times.
After leading an Army platoon in Afghanistan, I taught at the Naval Academy (deep behind enemy lines), worked on presidential campaigns, and served in the Department of Defense. I moved into the technology industry in my early 30s, first at a startup, then at Meta, and then as a corporate advisor. This year I began my current role as Chief of Staff at technology pioneer Coherent (NYSE:COHR).
These changes may seem unpleasant. In fact, they never are. Throughout my career, I have intentionally sought opportunities to build diverse skills, knowledge, and relationships in order to prepare for greater responsibility and impact.
But this required learning the art of parachuting, landing in new roles and unfamiliar territory. Here, I explain how I learned how to make the most of these changes and what others can gain from the experience.
Related: What my near-death experience revealed about resilience
Fear is inevitable. Please get used to it
Throwing yourself out the open door of a plane and falling through free space at 190 miles per hour is not natural. In paratrooper training, even the strongest men would freeze in fear…eventually, the instructor would force them onto their backs. I have a fear of heights, so parachuting wasn’t something I was particularly passionate about, but it aligns with my belief that the best way to overcome fear is to face it.
Changing roles can be just as scary, whether it’s within the same company or into a completely new industry. After all, our careers are our lives. They are our economic backbone. They are often closely tied to our sense of self. It can be scary to stand on that ledge and dive into the abyss.
But facing that fear and getting used to it is worth it. So what are the specific lessons leaders and entrepreneurs can learn when overcoming fear?
First, it’s important to change your perspective. Instead of seeing change as something abnormal, we see it as something constant. Elon Musk said, “Some people don’t like change, but we have to embrace change when the alternative is disaster.” Most people end up changing roles a dozen times in their lives, so we all need to feel comfortable jumping into something new. Another important step is to remember times in the past when you were threatened and overcame a challenge. This kind of neural rewiring can be an effective antidote to fear.
15,000-foot views: take advantage of them
Most afternoons, I practiced jumping a few times with my team after class. As any former cadet will attest, these were extremely busy times and just getting through the day often seemed like a daunting challenge.
But putting on a parachute device, dangling your legs on the skid of a helicopter and maintaining a certain distance from events on the ground always changed the situation. I was able to forget my worries as I climbed high above the Hudson River Valley. Next is a free fall to the ground. It only lasts a minute, but time appears to condense and expand.
Something similar happens every time you prepare to take on a new role. I look at my work life and its possibilities with fresh eyes.
Here are some practical questions you can ask to achieve that “15,000 foot” moment of clarity during your transition.
What does success look like? Experts recommend “starting with why” and creating a picture of what you want to achieve. How can you use your previous experience and skills in an unfamiliar situation? What do you want to learn from this next challenge?
Related: What is resilience and why is it essential to success?
Preparation is essential
The jump may be short, but that minute or so in the air requires intense preparation. Basic parachute training, also known as “airborne school,” was held at Fort Moore, Georgia, where they underwent two weeks of ground training, making five jumps a week to become paratroopers.
Sports parachutes take that obsession to another level. We spent months packing and unpacking parachutes, rehearsing safety procedures, and practicing landing from the platform before our first tandem jump. A year of training in my event culminated in four jumps and 40 seconds of recorded footage at the collegiate championships. By the time I started the acrobatic sequence, I was already imagining myself doing it hundreds of times, with AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” as the soundtrack.
The same level of preparation will help you when taking on a new role at your company. Practically speaking, business leaders and entrepreneurs can take the following steps to prepare before making the transition.
Explore opportunities for lateral movement within your organization. Google experts emphasize the power of internal movement to access new managers, new networks, and new ideas. This will help you test your limits. Determine gaps in your skill set and look for resources to upskill. As the saying goes, the best time to prepare for a new role is when you’re already in it. Once you’ve decided on a role to pursue, get to know colleagues in a similar position by chatting or shadowing them. At work. From Richard Branson to Robert Herjavec, top entrepreneurs have proven the power of mentorship to accelerate the professional learning curve.
make a firm landing
Ironically, the main challenge for Army paratroopers is not jumping. It’s landing. The Army’s standard parachute drops straight down, minimizing the risk of collision, but leaving little room for ingenuity. It’s impossible to land on both feet, so do a five-point fall while curling up like a shrimp. Paratroopers are often injured by this unwise maneuver, with approximately 60% of accidents resulting from ankle injuries.
Even for those changing roles, the first few days, weeks, and months on the job need to be solid. This is where you succeed or fail.
My advice: Develop a beginner’s mind with openness, curiosity, and humility, with an endless desire to learn. Of course, past experience is valuable, but it shouldn’t blind you to new ways of doing things. You should also be willing to spend extra time initially if it’s really important. Be willing to accept new responsibilities, no matter how difficult they may seem. And don’t be afraid to delve into new subject areas and all their intricacies, as I did with materials science, data communications transceivers, and lasers during my first year at Coherent.
The transition will not always go smoothly, so expect some inevitable awkwardness. It may look clumsy, but hopefully this five-point landing will be successful. Get up and just keep marching.
