Introduction
DECEMBER 9, 1999, was almost the last day of my life, and I still get nervous when I think about it.
Ten of my Force Reconnaissance Marines and I were training for our deployment to the Persian Gulf. We were riding in the back of a helicopter, practicing maneuvers for vessel, boarding, search and seizure (VBSS) missions. Rather than coming in to a 60-feet hover over the ship we were practicing taking over, our helicopter came in too low and too fast and struck the side of the ship.
Recognizing his error, the helicopter pilot pulled on the “collective,” which would typically give lift to a helicopter, but on that day, the back left wheel was stuck in the thick metal netting that surrounds many large cargo vessels. With the wheel stuck, the helicopter inverted and plunged into the Pacific Ocean. My Marines. My teammates. We were all immediately knocked unconscious.
I’m Eric Kapitulik, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Program. The Program is a team-building and leadership development company that annually works with more than 150 collegiate and professional athletic teams, and corporations of all sizes. We have one mission: “Develop Better Leaders and Create More Cohesive Teams.” My Program teammates and I have been doing so for more than a decade.
Achieving the Ultimate Victory
Many families, athletic teams, and corporations do well. They “win games.” But many teams, whether athletic, corporate, or family, want more. They want the big prize. The ...