We all carry a treasure chest of experiences and knowledge, often without realizing their value in other areas. It’s only when we reflect on our experiences that we understand how they can be beneficial in different contexts, including our professional careers. In this article, I discuss how my passion for paragliding has shaped my teamwork and leadership style, and provide examples of how knowledge can be transferred from one area to another.
Understanding the Terrain You Navigate
As a paraglider pilot, I’ve mostly been a “Sunday flyer,” focusing on calm, controlled flights in familiar conditions. I’ve completed thousands of flights and spent hundreds of hours in the air, gaining a deep understanding of how weather and wind affect flying conditions, and how mood and motivation influence the experience. This insight has been invaluable both in the air and in my professional life.
Understanding the terrain you operate in is a lesson I’ve applied to the workplace. Just as in paragliding, where it’s essential to understand local conditions for a safe and enjoyable flight, it’s important in the workplace to have a thorough understanding of the environment and challenges you face. This knowledge makes it easier to make informed decisions, adapt strategies, and handle unforeseen situations. By having a clear understanding of the “terrain”—whether it’s market trends, team dynamics, or project requirements—you can navigate more effectively and achieve better results.
As an instructor for a three-week paragliding course, I experienced how handling unforeseen weather conditions can be compared to dealing with unexpected problems in a project. During the course, we always had an alternative plan ready in case the weather didn’t allow flying. When we couldn’t conduct outdoor practice, we used classroom theory as a last resort. This flexibility, developed through experience, is comparable to how we handle project changes and challenges in the workplace. The same ability to adapt and adjust strategies is crucial for navigating both familiar and unfamiliar challenges in a professional setting.
Learning by Teaching
After completing my paragliding course and gaining experience as an assistant instructor, I advanced to become a full-fledged instructor. Over a period of just over two years, I helped train 50–60 students. This period showed me the power of an important concept: “You don’t truly know something until you can teach it to others.” The experience of teaching paragliding, which combines theory and practice, gave me a deeper understanding of pedagogy and communication.
One of the most important lessons I took away was how the way we phrase messages affects learning and response. Even the simplest principles from early childhood education work surprisingly well on adults. For example, the sentence “You may walk all the way to the fence there” elicits a completely different response than “You may not go over the fence.” When we hear what we can do, instead of what we can’t, it feels more like an opportunity than a limitation. This insight has shaped the way I communicate—as an instructor, leader, and colleague.
By building an environment based on respect and safety, I create trust, and this has become an integral part of my leadership style and personal approach. Teaching has not only been a method for conveying knowledge but also a way to build a strong foundation for collaboration and personal growth.
Trust as a Foundation
One of the scariest experiences as an instructor was watching a student take off from a mountain, based on my confidence that I had provided sufficient basic skills and training to ensure a safe landing in the designated area. This trust, built on thorough training, is something I’ve carried into the workplace.
Both as a leader and as a colleague, it’s crucial to have trust in your coworkers and give them the freedom to perform their tasks without constant supervision. This builds a healthier and more productive work environment where people feel responsible for their actions and develop professionally.
I’ve evolved my leadership style from “do it this way” to “I do it this way because…”. This approach gives employees a better understanding of decision-making processes and allows them to think independently, improve methods, and contribute their own ideas. When employees understand the reasoning behind decisions and are trusted to take responsibility, it creates an environment where they can thrive and contribute more creatively and effectively.
To achieve good results, both in paragliding and in the workplace, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of the “terrain” you’re navigating—be it leisure activities, market trends, team dynamics, or project requirements. In paragliding, we create safety through a culture where knowledge is openly shared, with both beginners and experienced pilots contributing insights. Similarly, in the business world, it’s important to listen to and value all input, regardless of its source, to get the most comprehensive picture of the situation. This provides a strong foundation for good decisions and for leading with trust.
There are many ways to approach things. I’m a recreational pilot but also enjoy flying long distances occasionally; some prefer only that, while others choose to fly acrobatics. All these variations can be related to how we think in business. Some take big risks and day-trade on the stock market, just as some take more risks in the air, while others prefer to invest in funds and let others manage it, or perhaps keep their money under the mattress. It’s all based on a risk analysis of how exciting or dull the outcome will be.
Also read my article about trust and why understanding it is key in personal and professional life.
Handling Challenges
In the fall of 2004, I faced my first major challenge as a paraglider pilot—a crash that resulted in a helicopter ride to the hospital and extensive surgery. This incident taught me the value of bouncing back after a setback and the importance of listening to both body and mind. Four years later, in 2008, I encountered another type of challenge—burnout. After taking on too many roles in both work and leisure, I realized that something had to give. The solution I chose was to withdraw from leisure activities to ensure I could perform at my best at work. It worked—but in hindsight, I’ve often thought I should have done the opposite: reduced work instead of cutting out friends and leisure.
These experiences have provided valuable insights in the workplace. As a paragliding instructor, and later in my professional career, I’ve learned to recognize signs of overload—both in myself and others. I’ve learned how important it is to take necessary breaks before the strain becomes too great because it’s too late when it’s too late.
A healthy balance between work and leisure should be a priority, not an afterthought. A motivated employee is more engaged, efficient, and willing to go the extra mile—often achieving better results in less time. Conversely, a burned-out employee may struggle to maintain focus and engagement, leading to lower productivity and longer timelines to complete tasks.
Procedure for Checking Email
Purpose: Ensure that important emails are reviewed daily.
Responsibility: All employees.
Procedure:
- Open the email program.
- Read new emails.
- Respond to emails that require immediate action.
- Archive or delete emails as needed.
Deviation Handling:
- Problem: The email program does not open.
- Action: Restart the computer and try opening the email program again. Contact IT support if the problem persists.
- Problem: No new emails are displayed, but you know there should be some.
- Action: Check the internet connection and contact IT support if it’s disrupted.
Safety System in Paragliding
To ensure safe and secure practice of the sport, we must follow both laws and regulations, as well as implement certain procedures, and the same applies in the workplace and elsewhere. In paragliding, we have everything from air traffic rules and aviation authority regulations to our comprehensive safety system for the hang- and paragliding section. The goal of the safety system is to make the rules as simple and understandable as possible so that they can be easily followed. Therefore, the system is regularly adjusted to simplify requirements and integrate them naturally.
Such laws and regulations exist both privately and in other areas as well. In business, there are consumer laws, privacy laws, regulations, and health and safety standards that must be followed.
A common routine in paragliding is the well-known 5-point check, where we inspect the helmet, harness, wing, weather, and airspace. I personally use a double “7-point check.” This includes a thorough inspection of the seven straps on the harness: leg strap 1, leg strap 2, waist 1, waist 2, chest, bag, and cockpit. After confirming that all straps are secure, I perform a helmet check, an extra inspection of the harness and wing, assess wind conditions, check instruments, reassess the weather, and then check the airspace before takeoff.
In courses, I always tailor the training to each student’s progression and capacity. I usually start by drilling the basic points of the 5-point check and provide additional instruction only when I assess that the student is ready for more detailed input. In a company, procedures don’t need to be so advanced; sometimes, it’s enough just to be aware that a procedure exists. A minimum of procedure descriptions should include a heading to raise awareness that there is indeed a procedure for it.
An example could be: “Procedure for registering new customers,” or more simply, a procedure for checking email. In the example below, I try to convey that a procedure that may have started with just a title has now become a useful tool for identifying challenges before everyone else arrives at work, thereby contributing to early warning and time for correction before it becomes a problem.
This procedure is a simple example of how daily tasks can be structured to ensure that important tasks are performed efficiently and reliably, while also providing clear guidance for handling common problems that may arise.
Balance Between Work and Leisure
One of the most important lessons I’ve taken from paragliding into the workplace is the significance of work-life balance. When I was most active as both a paragliding instructor and club member, I took on many roles simultaneously, leading to burnout. I learned the hard way how important it is to find a balance between work and leisure. Today, I’m aware of the importance of having time to recuperate. I know that productivity and creativity are enhanced when you have time to recharge. On all business trips lasting several days, we always added one day for enjoyment and relaxation. It was often on these days that the best ideas emerged, adding extra value to the trip. In paragliding, I always focused on the positive—the joy I brought to others—and in work, that has been my main motivator.
There are several studies that emphasize the importance of work-life balance and how it affects both employee well-being and productivity. Here are some key studies and findings:
“Work-Life Balance and Employee Performance” (2019):
This study shows that a good balance between work and personal life has a direct positive impact on employee productivity, job satisfaction, and overall well-being. Employees who experience a higher degree of work-life balance tend to be more engaged and effective in their work.
“The Role of Work-Life Balance in Job Satisfaction and Job Performance: The Mediating Role of Affective Commitment” (2017):
The study found that employees who experience a better balance between work and personal life are more satisfied with their jobs, which in turn increases their affective commitment to the organization and improves job performance.
“Work-Life Balance and Its Effect on Job Satisfaction and Job Performance” (2016):
This research highlights that employers who support their employees’ work-life balance can reduce stress and burnout, which in turn leads to higher productivity and loyalty to the company.
“The Impact of Work-Life Balance on the Well-being of Employees in the Corporate Sector” (2018):
This study found that a good balance between work and personal life improves not only employees’ mental health but also their physical health, reducing absenteeism and increasing productivity.
Gallup’s “State of the American Workplace” report (2017):
The Gallup report emphasizes that flexibility in work hours and support for work-life balance are key factors in achieving higher employee engagement and productivity.
Conclusion
The greatest reward of a positive approach is the joy of succeeding. Those who have hiked in the mountains know how much easier and faster it is to walk with steady, short steps rather than with long, rushed strides followed by frequent breaks. I’ve learned that it’s not always about being everywhere and doing everything, but rather about knowing where you can make the biggest difference—and giving others the space to grow and contribute.
I believe in flexible leadership, where both the leader and the team have the freedom to navigate based on the conditions. Experiences from paragliding—and other areas I’ve been involved in, such as leading a youth radio editorial team—have given me insights that I continue to use as a leader. It’s about knowing the terrain, learning by teaching, understanding the importance of pedagogy in communication, showing trust, handling challenges, and setting boundaries. Most of all, it’s about finding balance—both in the air and on the ground—that allows you to lead with integrity and joy, while giving space for others to grow. Among other things, paragliding has taught me the value of patience, focus, and trust, and these values have become part of the foundation of my leadership philosophy.
