Leading When There’s No Runway (The Friday Ficks S6 E4)

“Do you want to try to land runway one three?”

“We’re unable. We may end up in the Hudson.”

January 15, 2009. Less than five minutes after takeoff from LaGuardia, US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of birds. Both engines failed. Time compressed. Options evaporated. The margin for error disappeared.

Air traffic control offered alternatives. Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger declined them all.

“We’re gonna be in the Hudson.”

What followed became known as “The Miracle on the Hudson”. An Airbus A320. 150 passengers. 5 crew members. Everyone survived - not because of luck, but because of preparation, presence, and calm decisiveness when there was no available runway.

As the chaos of that moment faded for me, what remained was something quieter but more powerful: the steady weight of true leadership. Clarity in confusion. Calm under pressure. Care when fear had every reason to take over.

And in that stillness, a realization surfaced.

I had grown up with a Sully. My dad.

Just two days before he passed, we watched that miracle unfold together. And as I later listened to the cockpit recordings, I saw my father reflected there. Not in heroics - but in steadiness.

My Sully, a WWII veteran, piloted our family the same way. Saturday errands. Youth baseball games. Sunday church. Day trips to the shore. He always had a plan - and the flexibility to adapt when the road changed or the runway disappeared. He drew on experience. Adjusted without panic. Got us home safely.

Leadership - at work or at home - is rarely about ideal conditions. It’s about how you show up when the engines fail and there’s no runway.

Remaining calm when options are few. Staying nimble when certainty fades. Drawing on your training. Acting decisively. Leading with conviction and care.

People are counting on you to guide the ship. Be a Sully.

Own the day. Own the weekend.

Carl