CONFLICT.

EMPATHY. 

They both get results.

Which one would you rather have drive your business?

As I prepare to launch my new venture…

ORIGINS Copy…

I learned a huge lesson in both conflict and empathy yesterday at Dallas Fort Worth Airport, TX

It’s 3.46pm CT, on Sunday March 6, 2022. I'm approaching Gate E16 at Delta's Terminal E to board my 4pm flight home to Los Angeles.

I had spent the weekend at John Highley's Marketing Savage Elite Mastermind in Frisco, TX.

John is helping his chosen Elites to build and grow not only the businesses of our dreams, but also our characters, our integrity, and the ways we interact with the world around us.

John is building LEADERS. 

The PA system crackles.

"We are now boarding passengers in Zone 2. Once again, we do remind you that we are at capacity, and we are operating a payload-optimized flight," growled the gruff Delta attendant to an uncaring audience. 

"One roll-on and one backpack per passenger will be permitted. Anything extra will have to be checked and paid for," he continued. 

Fine by me. I shuffled towards the gate with the same baggage as I had flown in with two days previously. It was roughly the same size as every other roll-on squeaking its way to the gate ahead of me. But our Attendant wasn't finished...

"If you try to board with more than one roll-on and one backpack, we will remove you from the flight," Mr Gruff announced with some sadistic pleasure.

Wait... what?

As I swiped my boarding pass, Mr. Gruff turned his verbal tirade onto me and my roll-on.

“That's an oversized baggage item. You'll have to check it. Step aside,” he growled.

“It's the same size as it was when I flew two days ago,' I replied, snapped out of my travel stupor by his aggression. 

Mr. Gruff pointed to a barely visible baggage outline stenciled on the bottom of his podium. 

“If you can prove it's smaller than that, you can take it on.”

I could feel the crowd's annoyance building like a wave behind me. If I didn't catch the wave or duck under it, I'd soon be swallowed up by its hungry jaws. But I wasn't ready to wipe out just yet. 

“I just took it on a Delta flight-” I tried to continue, but...

“I don't care what you got away with before, right now your bag is too big and you better step aside and pay the thirty dollars, or I'll remove it and you from the flight.” 



I was dumbstruck. How do you begin to answer a threat like that? For me, I couldn't move past “what you got away with before”, like I had spent the weekend concocting some devilish plan to bring down a multi-billion-dollar corporation by sneaking a (suddenly) oversized bag on board a quick flight to LA. 

My temper rose. I got flushed. No words came out. Yet...

... As it's late, I'll pick up this story tomorrow.

Tomorrow: How Do You Solve A Problem Like Delta?