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Most leaders think they're managing stress. A lot of the time they're managing fear.
Michelle "MACE" Curran is a combat veteran and former fighter pilot who flew lead solo for the Thunderbirds. Her book, The Flipside: How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear into Your Superpower, outlines how fear isn't something to get rid of — but rather something to use to make better calls when the pressure is highest.
What kept her steady in the cockpit is exactly what leaders need on the ground.
In this episode, you will learn:
- Why the self-doubt or anger you feel is actually hiding fear
- How to mentally rehearse difficult conversations
- A two-second reset you can use anywhere without anyone noticing
- How much pressure you need to be a high performer
- How to build trust quickly in your team (and then keep it)
- What to say when someone on your team makes a costly mistake
Topics discussed:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:11) Fear That Lives in Your Mind
(02:51) Overthinking & Self-Doubt
(04:27) Self-Regulation Tools
(10:27) Too Little Pressure Is a Problem
(15:40) Setting the Standard for Female Pilots
(18:19) When the Room Turns to Look
(23:01) When Your Leader Believes in You
(29:27) Building Trust with 50% Turnover
(32:37) Debrief Without Blame
(35:54) The Right Way to Handle a Costly Mistake
(39:53) Thunderbirds Near-Death Experience
(44:27) Decisions Under Pressure
(50:54) The Pause Before You React
(53:37) The Impact of Her Book
(57:05) Feed Your Kid's Curiosity
Connect with Michelle “MACE” Curran:
https://www.instagram.com/mace_curran/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/macecurran/
About the Guest:
Michelle “MACE” Curran is a combat veteran, former fighter pilot, and only the second woman in history to fly as the Lead Solo for the Thunderbirds, the Air Force’s elite demonstration squadron. Now on a new mission, she’s using her story to inspire others to take bold action and flip their fear. Mace has become a highly sought after keynote speaker for clients like Microsoft, PwC, and SpaceX, helping audiences build courage, trust their instincts, and take decisive action under pressure. Her latest book, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳, turns high-stakes cockpit lessons into powerful tools for life and leadership and recently landed in the Top 20 on the USA Today Bestseller list.
Let us know your key takeaways from the episode!
And remember, great leaders aren't born. They're always in the making.
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This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com
