Article
What a Fighter Pilot Taught Me About Leading Under Pressure
April 27, 2026
A few years ago, while researching The 4 Forces of Growth, I went looking for someone who could help me understand what it takes to fly a plane in the most intense situations, and how that might translate to leading a company through its toughest moments. That search led me to Kim Campbell.
Kim — KC, to those who know her — is a decorated U.S. Air Force A‑10 pilot. She flew combat missions over Baghdad. She survived a surface-to-air missile strike on April 7th, 2003, and brought her severely damaged aircraft home using a backup system so rarely used, it had only been successfully attempted once before in combat.
I wasn’t there for the war stories. I wanted to understand fear — specifically, what fighter pilots know about acting decisively when everything in your nervous system is screaming at you to freeze.
What KC shared with me that day changed how I think about leadership. One concept in particular — spatial disorientation — became a cornerstone of the book. I’ll come back to that.
KC has since written her own book, Flying in the Face of Fear, and she’s now helping leaders in boardrooms apply the same principles she used in cockpits. I recently sat down with her for a full conversation, and I want to share what came out of it.
Fear is inevitable. Effective leadership is about acting decisively despite it.
That’s not a motivational poster. That’s a principle forged at 10,000 feet in a missile-hit cockpit over Baghdad.
Here’s what struck me most about our conversation: the parallels between elite military performance and what we see in the best CEOs are not loose analogies. They’re the same principles, in different costumes.
Training over instinct. KC didn’t survive that day because she was fearless. She survived because her training gave her a framework to execute when her brain was overwhelmed. In business, that’s what clear processes, planning rhythms, and well-rehearsed decision frameworks do.
Data over gut. When she was spatially disoriented — literally upside down without knowing it — she had to force herself to look at the instruments instead of trusting her feelings. Sound familiar?
Debrief to improve. Fighter pilots review every single mission. What went well. What didn’t. What changes next time. Most leadership teams never do this with real discipline.
Trust enables performance. You can’t have honest debriefs, real feedback, or coordinated execution under pressure unless your team genuinely trusts each other. KC had to build that in a fighter squadron. You have to build it at your executive table.
I’m going to write a few dedicated articles on the specific concepts from our conversation, because each one deserves more room than an introduction allows. But I wanted you to meet KC first and understand why I think her book belongs on your shelf.
She’s led over a thousand Air Force personnel across multiple regions, advised senior defense leaders on national security, and spent her post-service career helping others lead better. She’s exactly the kind of voice that makes you think differently about the challenges sitting in your inbox right now.
Watch the full interview below.
Challenge:
Think of the highest-stakes decision you’re working on currently: what framework could you apply instead of just instinct?
Additional Resources:
Articles
- Bigger Isn’t Better: The CEO’s Growth Illusion
- The 4 Forces of Growth — Why I Wrote This Book
- Spatial Disorientation: When You Think You’re Making the Right Decisions But May Be Hurting Your Company
Podcast
Webinar
Book: The 4 Forces of Growth
Book: Scaling Up
Book: Your Oxygen Mast First
About Lawrence & Co.
Lawrence & Co. is a growth strategy and leadership advisory firm that helps mid-market companies achieve lasting, reliable growth. Our Growth Management System turns 30 years of experience into practical steps that drive clarity, alignment, and performance—so leaders can grow faster, with less friction, and greater confidence.
About Kevin Lawrence
Kevin Lawrence has spent three decades helping companies scale from tens of millions to hundreds of millions in revenue. He works side-by-side with CEOs and leadership teams across North America, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and Europe, bringing real-world insights from hands-on experience. Kevin is the author of Your Oxygen Mask First, a book of 17 habits to help high-performing leaders grow sustainably while protecting their mental health and resilience. He also contributed to Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0). Based in Vancouver, he leads Lawrence & Co, a boutique firm of growth advisors.