OK, it’s not general aviation, but it is a really cool idea: A group of former fighter pilots have launched a new business leadership training company in New York City called The Squadron.
The 14,000-square-foot facility at 7 World Trade Center includes 18 F-35 fighter jet simulators that are used to train corporate teams in high-pressure decision-making, according to company officials.
While corporate leadership training is a $200 billion a year business in the United States, a 2019 Harvard Business Review study found only 10% of programs deliver concrete results, company officials.
So how is The Squadron going to be different?
According to The Squadron Founder and CEO, Kobi Regev, the difference is his background as a fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force (IAF).
“As an F-16 pilot who has logged more than 4,500 flight hours over 500 operational missions, I learned that flying the plane well was just one small part of our success,” he said. “What really made a difference was the unique, mission-driven culture of the IAF that allowed people to flourish.”
The Squadron’s mission is to “help business leaders develop a plan to identify the root causes of mistakes and how to avoid them, while honing in on the precise leadership goals and challenges they face,” officials said.
Using the F-35 simulators, along with VR and mixed-reality technology, clients will learn to “work together as a team to build resiliency, overcome fear of failure, and accelerate performance,” company officials said.
Workshops range from three- to eight-hour sessions, as well as multi-day programs, all built around flight simulators and 360° virtual mixed reality, followed by debriefs that allow teams to assess how to meet their goals and improve their joint efforts, company officials said.
Over the last four years, almost 1,000 companies have gone through The Squadron’s training in Israel, including The Coca-Cola Company, Google, and Microsoft, according to company officials.
“I was fortunate to experience a training session with the Squadron recently and honestly wasn’t sure what to expect,” said Randy Garutti, CEO of Shake Shack. “What does an F-35 simulator have to teach us about leadership? But I quickly realized that besides being just a ton of fun, the lessons the Squadron team shares have applications throughout our work. Experiencing the exhilarating, challenging dynamic of flying the world’s most advanced flight simulators and debriefing with expert mission commanders, you really get to see your own leadership and that of your teams in new and exciting ways.”
The Squadron plans to expand to 17 cities around the world, focusing on the U.S., company officials added.