By: Joshua Finley

Becoming a commercial airline pilot is no small feat. It requires unwavering dedication, meticulous attention to detail, and the ability to manage immense complexity. Every step toward earning a pilot’s license involves mastering multiple layers of information. Aspiring pilots ultimately require 1,500 hours to earn their Airline Transport Pilot Certificate. This demanding journey tests not only their technical skills but also their resilience, underscoring the commitment required to safely navigate the skies.

If someone has the sheer dedication to obtain a commercial pilot license, it’s a good bet that they’re focused, detail orientated – and can handle complexity.

Australia-based Lydia Clancy is a person at ease with complexity, challenge and what it takes to be an inspiring leader. These were the lessons that she learned as the first Papua New Guinean Virgin Australia Airline Pilot, a position she’s held for 10 years. Today she leverages her leadership and aviation experience as an investor, entrepreneur, high-performance coach and author.

Says Clancy, “Being a pilot was immensely rewarding and it’s a career that defined my life for a long time. But it was also a rejection of the path that our educational system and societal expectations put on us. We’re brought up to think of life progression in a certain way. School then a job that conforms to expectations. My message is to follow your instincts and reject conformity, don’t let society define your individuality.”

Living Your Life by Design

Lydia Clancy is living proof that the only certainty in life is uncertainty, and its corollary, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Losing her job in 2020 due to COVID-19, Lydia viewed it as a learning moment – and pivoted into entirely new entrepreneurial territory.

Setting aside self-doubt she immediately set to work on her first book,’ Be Happier by Tomorrow,’ a guide that explores changing a mindset often restricted by self-imposed limitations to open new pathways to self-defined happiness. It was not long before she embraced the possibilities of digital marketing and a career as an investor, public speaker and business mindset coach. 

Lydia underscores the impact of our internal dialogue on shaping outcomes, asking, “What story am I telling myself daily?” She challenges individuals to examine whether the conversations they have with themselves foster victimhood or fuel positive change.

“Our internal monologues can be tremendously damaging. Often they are simply echoes of what society, our families, culture and educational experiences have ingrained in our psyches. Shifting our internal conversations can help us take steps toward transforming the seemingly impossible into potential reality.”

She encourages entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders to step back and view the results of their thought patterns from an outsider’s perspective. This self-awareness, she suggests, can help break negative cycles and foster new, empowering narratives that drive success and growth.

The Secret of Entrepreneurial Success

Lydia Clancy believes that entrepreneurship requires discipline, relentlessness, and humility. She emphasizes that entrepreneurs need to be hungry to learn and willing to admit when they don’t know everything. 

Even with 21 years of experience as a pilot, Clancy acknowledges the importance of setting aside ego and pride to grow and succeed in the business world.

“Successful entrepreneurial ventures almost inevitably have leaders and founders that value collaboration and partnership. Successful business owners need to be open to working with others, recognizing the strengths and expertise they bring,” says Clancy.

Lydia Clancy emphasizes the importance of protecting new ideas in their early stages to preserve creativity. She advises keeping ideas close until they are fully developed and encourages surrounding oneself with positive, like-minded individuals. As she notes, “If you surround yourself with people who lack ambition, you might be influenced by their outlook. Surround yourself with creative and passionate people, and you may find yourself inspired by their energy.”

Clancy suggests that entrepreneurs, whether just starting out or well-established, need to embrace collaboration rather than viewing everyone as competition. Drawing on her background in corporate environments, including the airline industry, she advocates for strategic partnerships and learning from others to mutually benefit and grow.

Another key aspect Clancy emphasizes is the ability to adapt and pivot. She highlights how industries, particularly long-standing “mom-and-pop” businesses, sometimes struggle with modernization, such as adopting new technologies like AI or even basic digital tools. This resistance to change can hinder growth, especially when it comes to selling or scaling a business. 

Clancy encourages entrepreneurs to remain innovative, open to change, and trust their teams by delegating tasks rather than micromanaging. She has personally seen that entrepreneurs who try to do everything themselves face burnout and limit their business’s potential. 

As Clancy puts it, “Try not to fall into the trap of micromanagement. Keep your eye on the strategy of the company and leverage the expertise of those around you. Delegate those tasks that keep the business humming along and devote your attention to the bigger picture. If you’re spending every day putting out fires, then you may not be making the most of your most precious asset, time.”

Lydia Clancy believes that even the most successful business leader starts the journey with a single step. She believes that taking that first step can be terrifying, but also tremendously affirming.

“You’re going to need tenacity and focus, and a good grounding in business skills, but you are the captain of your own ship. If you commit to honest self-examination, mindfulness, and cognitive reappraisal, you can respond more thoughtfully when emotional storms arise or the unforeseen throws a spanner in the works. Persevere, and with time and effort, you’ll navigate your way to a place of steadiness.”

To learn more about Lydia Clancy and her unique approach to investment and leadership, visit her LinkedIn profile.

Published by: Josh Tatunay