It’s amazing to me the number of ideas I dream up which stem from a “meaningless” tweet. A few short weeks ago I tweeted out “if you are doing it right it isn’t a grind, its a glide“. It took about five minutes before the gears started turning and I was in full thinking mode.

I started thinking a lot about glider pilots, and how much I really wanted to be one. I thought about the similarities between great business people and these pilots, and was blown away.

Glider pilots are risk takers, but they are the right kind of risk takers : calculated risk takers. They step into the cockpit with full knowledge that they are going to be falling back to earth with no engine, but have trained themselves to best handle any situation which may occur, therefore maximizing potential and minimizing risk.

When problems do occur or they start to veer off course, they fix these problems by making minor corrections. They realize that the slightest turn of the stick can correct a tremendous amount over a long distance. Large sporadic movements cause you to lose elevation and become unstable.

They are also journeyman, or people who are more focussed on the fun they have flying than on their final destination. They live the moment which allows them to enjoy and react faster and more precisely.

Glider pilots also do something very unique. They take advantage of updrafts to gain altitude which allows them to travel longer distances. It’s a reactionary tactic which allows you to capitalize on opportunity.

Above all I think glider pilots are innovators. They have taken the dream of many; to fly, and turned it into something that almost feels organic. They have managed to suspend themselves in a self created heaven with just enough time to enjoy the ride without dying.

For my money there isn’t a cooler job. But here is what I want to know. What’s your job title, what do you do, and what sounds like the coolest job in the world to you?

I think we can bridge the gap. I’m now a glider pilot. What are you?