Today, I am thankful for those heroes who have the courage to act under extreme stress.
On this day (Jan 15), we celebrate the birth of the civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK). During his lifetime, MLK fearlessly advocated against racial inequality using civil disobedience, and he advanced civil rights through nonviolence. He courageously taught us the importance of unity in a highly divided nation, and he did so under constant duress. We’ll return to MLK in a few days, on the day of his celebration.
Until then, I wish to share with you another story of unbridled courage. On this same day in 2009, US Air Flight #1549 lost all engine power after striking a flock of Canada geese upon immediate takeoff from LaGuardia Airport. As the Airbus 320 rapidly lost altitude over NYC, Captains Chelsey ‘Sully’ Sullenberger & Jeffrey Skiles realized they lacked time to reroute the plane to another nearby airport. Instead, they bravely glided the plane into the Hudson River. All 155 people aboard the flight were saved, thanks to the numerous boat ferry captains who came to their rescue.
As folks made their way onto the ferries, Captain Sully was the last to leave, carefully navigating his way through the submerged plane to ensure all passengers had made it out alive.
True leadership occurs in periods of stress. May we all have the courage to act in such times of desperation.
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