Effective Crews: Why AI Is Reshaping the Flight Deck & C-Suite w/Eric Olson

As AI continues to reshape everything from medicine to flight decks, the question isn’t whether it’s coming to your organization; it’s whether leaders are ready for it. The future belongs to executives who can blend critical thinking with adaptive leadership, who can shed old assumptions and operate ahead of the curve. According to psychologist and organizational strategist Eric Olson, the most crucial skill for tomorrow’s leaders is resilience rooted in clarity, connection, and courageous action. What’s driving this leadership revolution isn’t just digital disruption; it’s cognitive disruption. Across industries, AI is exposing the limits of traditional thinking and highlighting the cost of bias, rigidity, and ego-driven leadership. In this high-stakes environment, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and mission-first thinking are no longer soft skills; they’re survival tools. Eric Olson, PhD, is the founder of EMO Advisors and a trusted advisor to leaders at Microsoft, Hawaiian Airlines, Ford, and Spirit Airlines. In this episode, we unpack the emerging playbook for 21st-century leadership, from the cockpit to the boardroom. You’ll hear how elite teams regulate for excellence, and what over 1,000 pilots revealed about what makes teams thrive under pressure. You’ll also learn: Why past performance fails in AI-disrupted environments, and what to assess instead The surprising truth about pilot personalities How Microsoft is reengineering its executive ranks to lead in an AI-first world What the Norwegian Sovereign Fund did to eliminate bias and boost performance Why effective leaders must press pause during crises to regain clarity How self-regulation and cross-functional trust reduce catastrophic errors in high-stakes teams The hidden costs of amygdala-driven leadership, and how to train for resilience How Delta Airlines is using AI to extract more wallet share, and why that's just the beginning The “Olson Resilience Model” that Fortune 50 teams use to perform under pressure Guest Bio Eric Olson, PhD, is the founder of EMO Advisors. He develops leaders and management teams to improve business performance through a growth mindset. He builds resilience with senior teams using strategic planning offsites, culture change, innovation labs, team coaching, and other methods. Eric’s client list includes Microsoft, Hawaiian Airlines, Ford, GitHub, IBM, The Coca-Cola Company, Disney, and Novartis, among many others. He works in the digital transformation space (Cloud + AI, mixed reality, engineering, UX, devices, etc.). Eric coaches leaders to build highly engaging cultures through a blend of financial, organizational, and psychological insights. Connect with Eric on LinkedIn . About Your Host Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. Check out this episode on our website , Apple Podcasts , or Spotify , and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!