(Post) MBA Blog

What does parachuting have to do with leadership? Hmm, not a lot at first glance. But for those who have parachuted solo before, there is more than a tenuous link...

A few MBAs headed up to the North London Parachute Center (not in London, not even North Cambridge!) on 25th April to train for a static line square chute solo jump, (rather than a cissy tandem jump). We didn't realise that training would take about 10 hours and be so damn tiring. But train we did and the next day we headed back, butterflies all round and went for the jump.

We climbed, plane door open, and climbed and climbed. The ground fell away until it was like a fuzzy patchwork, a scene from a Manga comic. Then the call came and one by one, all twelve of us took the leap: Jorne, Sarah, Lisa, Alvin...I was the last to go, nerves building as I watched all the others get pulled away from the plane and dangle, helpless in the air.

Then I was up. I got into position - head up, legs round and then WHOOSH! I pushed off, flung into position and began the count:
"One thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand. Check Canopy!!!"

and the canopy unfurled, oblivious to adrenaline coursing through my entire body. I thanked God there and then and began to laugh spontaneously "It's open! It's o-o-open! Ha haaaaaaaaaah! It's OPEN!"

But I was running on instinct, fighting back the panick that would arrive if the though of being suspened so high even dared cross my mind.

I went through the drill, with sharp breaths of almost elemental excitement - beyond thinking, just feeling my way through as the ground below reminded me just how crazy the whole thing was.

When I got to the ground and composed myself, I got to thinking how much like leadership the whole experience was: you're up there alone, no one to rely on, to bail you out if things go wrong. You have to summon the kind of courage that comes from somewhere deep and ancient - primordial almost. Now, while leadership isn't guite as bad, there is a lot to be learned from parachuting and I recommend it to anyone aspiring to leadership as a taste of things to come. I floated the idea to the director of the MBA here. And floated it did - right past. No sell.

Oh, well, I for one am hooked and can't wait to head back up to the blue yonder.


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