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Turbulence to Tailwinds

Crisis leadership in the hot seat. Co-led with Captain Emma Henderson MBE.

"Change is constant" used to be a cliché. Not anymore. AI, geopolitical instability, economic uncertainty: leaders have to make calls without complete information, in environments moving faster than most organisations were designed for. Most leadership development talks about making decisions under pressure. Turbulence to Tailwinds makes leadership teams practise it.

I've created this experience with airline captain Emma Henderson MBE, combining her AVIATE framework for cockpit decision-making (developed and tested over 30+ years flying planes through real storms) with my own work on the signals of change that come before disruption. Teams leave with a means of spotting trouble early and a tested method for responding clearly when it arrives.

What we'll cover:

  • Emma's Turbulence Briefing: how aviation handles uncertainty when it hits
  • The AVIATE framework: Aviate, Validate, Investigate, Assess, Talk, Execute
  • Future Radar: understanding the early signals of change affecting your industry
  • A leadership simulation with real disruption scenarios
  • An aviation-style debrief: what helped, what slowed you down, what to apply at work

Takeaways:

  • Practical takeaway sheets on AVIATE and signal-spotting you can apply back at your desk
  • A shared language around uncertainty for your leadership team
  • An experience that reveals how your team makes decisions under pressure

What You’ll Gain:

  • A way to remain calm under fire, with a structured method behind it
  • A habit of scanning for what's on the horizon, not just reacting to what's arrived
  • A way to turn turbulence into tailwinds for your team

Available as a 60-90 minute conference session, half-day workshop, or full-day leadership simulation. Optional elements include live polling, AI-generated 2030 news reports, RC helicopter exercises, and LEGO scenario challenges.

"Turbulence to Tailwinds was brilliant. Matt got us thinking ahead about big changes coming our way, and Emma's cockpit stories made it all feel real and close to home."

Scott Addington
International Marketing Director, SugarCRM

"Your session at our annual board strategy day made the whole team think again about some of the challenges facing us. The ideas it sparked have already led to new initiatives across the business"

Russell Atkinson
CEO, NAHL PLC

"Your content for navigating the pandemic was invaluable for our customers. Several of them remarked how they'd been able to implement your recommendations quickly into their businesses."

Scott Addington
Enterprise Marketing Director (UK), Sage