Saturday Reflection: Taking Flight
How we can all learn from the experience of the Wright Brothers
One of my favorite parts of living in Dayton, Ohio, is the history tied to curiosity, innovation, and inventiveness.
Most notably, it is the Birthplace of Aviation.
By the end of the 1800s, technology had changed the world in unfathomable ways.
Everything seemed possible—everything but controlled flight.
Then, two bicycle men from Dayton quietly decided that they might be able to do the seemingly impossible.
Orville and Wilbur Wright changed the course of history by inventing, testing, and flying the world’s first motor-operated airplane.
Sometimes, I take it for granted that I live in a place with such rich stories, offering inspiring reminders of how those before us led themselves through untenable odds, creating massive change because of it.
Yesterday, our team had our quarterly team day, which always includes an afternoon activity.
Instead of doing something purely for fun, we try to do something meaningful in our team-building activities, such as exploring local history or volunteering.
In this case, we decided to take a trip to West Dayton to visit the Dayton Aviation Heritage and The Wright Cycle Co Museums.
While walking through the exhibits, I came across a quote that made me pause and consider the magnitude of change and technological innovation that hung in the balance of human nature:
“Thousands of men had thought about flying machines, and a few had even built machines… but these were guilty of almost everything except flying.”
-Wilbur Wright
Thought precedes action, and sometimes it prevents it.
Here’s my favorite thing about history:
It’s a constant reminder that, despite the passage of time, the intrinsic human experience is consistent.
In this case, we’re considering crossing the bridge between thought and action.
But this isn’t just the mere choice to take the smallest action first to ignite motivation.
The Wright Brothers’ story is that of repeatedly taking action, despite doubts and failures, to produce something truly groundbreaking.
It’s a story of two men who led themselves, especially when they had lapses where they didn’t believe they could achieve what they worked so diligently toward.
“Not within a thousand years would man ever fly!”
-Wilbur to Orville after the disappointing seasons at Kitty Hawk, 1901
Throughout history, the most significant leaps have come from courageous men and women who decided to keep going in the face of fear, doubt, and criticism.
The past is a constant reminder that it’s not so much about extrinsic challenges as it is about looking inward to produce outward.
It all starts with leading ourselves.
A Story of Self-Leadership
When I consider a story such as the Wright Brothers, I enjoy breaking down the habits and traits that allowed them to keep going despite the inherent adversity.
Why?
Because while we may not be building toward the next significant technological advance, practically speaking, we’re all working through our own respective goals to pursue an ideal state.
That looks different for everyone, but the fundamental human tendencies remain valid regardless of the circumstances.
Vision & Passion
The Wright Brothers had a clear vision, collectively striving toward human flight.
While they had many moments of self-doubt, their self-belief prevailed because they believed in the vision they had set out for themselves.
Perseverance & Consistency
Perhaps their most notable trait is their perseverance through setbacks, criticism, mistakes, failures, and self-frustration.
Despite their frustrations, they collected themselves and viewed each mistake as a learning opportunity, returning each time with more motivation to succeed.
Teamwork & Collaboration
The brothers worked closely together, complementing each other’s strengths, characteristics, and blindspots.
Orville was more adventurous and optimistic, while Wilbur was cautious and an exceptional problem-solver. They combined these to form an unstoppable team by embracing the opposing forces rather than allowing them to clash.
Curiosity & Learning
They were lifelong learners, visionaries, and entrepreneurs who always sought to expand their knowledge. They also sought to study, reflect, review, and iterate.
Curiosity led them down a path of operating a printing press, building bicycles, and building something the world had never seen before.
Quiet Humility
Despite their achievements, the brothers remained humble and focused on the process of their work rather than seeking fame or fortune.
While others were out speaking loudly about their work (and crashing), they kept their heads down, worked modestly, and focused on making progress step by step.
The power in the Wright Brothers' story is not solely in their technological innovation and inventiveness but in their ability to overcome the internal and external challenges that plagued their path.
It’s less about producing the world’s first powered airplane and more about the characteristics, hard work, and determination that got them there.
While we’re not all out working on something that will completely change the world, don’t underestimate the power of the ripple effect.
What if we do something that changes the life of one, and they change the life of two, and so on?
But that will never happen if we do not lead and believe in ourselves.
It’s all relative; more than anything, it’s about how we show up in the world, knowing we’ll never be alone in that experience.
What a fantastic analogy, full of insights and lessons! Thanks for sharing!