September 22, 2023

The Sky is the Limit: Lessons learned from skydiving with the Golden Knights

---

Recently, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights dazzled spectators along Lake Michigan at the Chicago Air and Water Show.

Behind these daring aerial feats are countless hours of practice and unparalleled precision. Our Chief Financial Officer Jason Tyler reflected on the lessons he learned after he was invited to spend a day with the Golden Knights.

Skydiving was not on Jason Tyler’s bucket list, but after clearing it with our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mike O’Grady and, more importantly, his wife, he went up 12,500 feet in an airplane and jumped.

Despite the height, it wasn’t the views or the sensation of skydiving that impressed him most. Jason shares what he learned from the Golden Knights Army Parachute Team about building trust within a team, honing your skillset, and ultimately taking risks.

Intentional Safety

The Golden Knights aren’t just any parachuters, they’re the U.S. Army’s elite demonstration and competition team. They started the day by walking Jason through their process and redundancy of backup safety measures.

“They exhibited extraordinary professionalism and used humor to engage and keep me relaxed,” said Jason. “They were walking me through details the whole time, so I never had time to focus on anything other than envisioning a successful jump. It was all incredibly intentional.”

Taking the Leap

In the air, Jason and the Golden Knights lunged, accelerating from zero to 120 miles an hour at vertical speed!

“The first few seconds are exhilarating as your stomach and lungs feel like they’re being compressed,” Jason shared. “Once you're leveled off at that speed, it's fun to feel the wind pushing your face and you have this extraordinary sense that you've conquered something meaningful. It's amazing during free fall that you're in control of your body at such a high speed. Simply an amazing, thrilling experience.”

Once under canopy, Jason said they pulled parachutes at about 5,000 feet (1.52 km). “It becomes quiet and serene because you're moving slowly in a controlled way, observing everything around you. You realize what you've accomplished and you have time to appreciate the experience. It's incredibly peaceful.”

A Picture of Precision

From the moment Jason jumped, the videographer on his dive team exemplified the Golden Knights’ proficiency and expertise at planning. He captured Jason in flight by maneuvering quickly around him and coordinating their landings.

“Imagine the precision and skill set to do that and make it look seamless,” Jason said. “Then, they turn it into a video production. Everything is at a level of precision and professionalism that’s off the charts.”

Earning Trust

The Golden Knights created trust in every interaction with Jason throughout the day. They didn’t ask him to trust them, they earned his trust through their professionalism, process, and experience.

Applying this outlook to his work at Northern Trust, Jason shared, “I can't demand trust from my team—I have to earn it by being professional, consistent, attentive to them, and striving to be excellent at what I do.”

Experience our culture of care, collaboration and trust. Explore our open roles here.

A Sense of Pride

Part of the US Army’s recruiting strategy is conveying an aspirational sense of pride in what you will become. By inviting Jason to share his experience, they want others to see the amazing things you can do as part of the Army.

Jason applied this concept to our employees at Northern Trust. “How do we identify the things that make us world class and are exciting and use them to make people proud of being part of Northern? It’s been a huge shift for me in focusing on that aspect of my relationship with employees.”

Taking Prudent Risk

While we won’t all jump out of an airplane, Jason shared some practical lessons from his experience about taking risks. “Sometimes the hardest part of taking risks is communicating that you're going to do it,” he said. “A lot of people take risks without first talking about it with key stakeholders. Once you talk about it with key stakeholders, then you’re all on the same page. That’s an important step.”

Patience and precision are critical to risk taking. “The Golden Knights don’t rush. It’s not a hurried environment,” said Jason. “They're very methodical and consistent. There’s no substitute for their expertise. They each know how many thousands of dives they've done. Experience and expertise matter a tremendous amount.”

Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

You don’t need to free fall in order to learn some of the lessons Jason did from his experience. Jason recommends identifying and spending time with people who are amazing at what they do. “Being around people at that level of expertise, precision, and experience at their art form or craft is amazing. We have people like that all over Northern Trust that are incredible at what they do.”

“Like the Golden Knights, another enormous takeaway for me was finding ways to celebrate the great things about Northern in ways that make others appreciate our brand. It’s a game changer in the way I now think about things.”

While jumping out of a plane was a rush, Jason’s time with the Golden Knights was much more about the lessons he learned. “Jumping out of the plane at 1G force for 30 seconds is scary, but spending that morning watching the team interact offered a thousand takeaways I'll never forget.”

 

This article was adapted from an article by Jessica Mlinaric, Vice President, Editorial and Internal Culture Communications Senior Specialist that was shared with all Northern Trust employees.

 

Careers at Northern Trust

Come find your greater at Northern Trust. Review our open roles here.