The Power of Modesty

I thought I was dreaming. I was seated across the dining room table from Neil Armstrong, the American astronaut who was the first human to step on the surface of the moon. More than one third of the world’s population watched as Armstrong announced that “the Eagle has landed” and that he was taking “one small step for a man, and one giant leap for mankind”.

Armstrong was visiting St. Louis to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s historic solo flight from New York to Paris in the single engine Spirit of St. Louis airplane.

As it happens, Armstrong was a huge fan of Lindbergh, the pioneer pilot (only), who flew 33 1/2 hours alone across the Atlantic with the cabin windows open to allow him to lean out in order to navigate.

At dinner, Armstrong averred that his trip to the moon as Commander of Apollo 11 was “peanuts” compared to the difficulties and dangers faced by Lindbergh. After all, he pointed out, 10,000 NASA professionals on the ground in Houston and around the globe worked tirelessly to assist him and his crew. Lindbergh had none.

The typical stereotype of an ace American Air Force pilot tends towards the Top Gun profile of a Tom Cruise. Brash, daring, utterly confident and self absorbed, these pilots define a certain style. Other than quiet self confidence, Armstrong displayed none of these traits. Which is why he was chosen to lead one of the greatest aviation expeditions in history.

Yet while he was explaining how difficult the Lindbergh flight must have been, I became a bit suspicious as to how “easy” the Apollo 11 journey and landing actually turned out. Armstrong would not have acknowledged it, but he pulled off an extraordinary landing on a lunar soft spot which he had to choose on the fly because the ship’s navigational gear had led the capsule to over shoot its planned landing area.

When Armstrong coaxed a beautifully soft landing, he had fewer than 30 seconds of fuel remaining. He remained calm throughout this incredibly dangerous process and saved the mission.

Armstrong made certain that the focus of the evening remained on Charles Lindbergh and his St. Louis financial backers. However, by far, the highlight for me was the opportunity to gain a new and powerful understanding that humility, genuine modesty, and the integrity of the mission propelled the Air Force to name Neil Armstrong Commander of Apollo 11 and, in the process, defining what true leadership resembles.

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