03/16/2026
From the Founder: Mindset Moments 💡→🌱
Thermostat. Not Thermometer.
I love how Julie Hutchinson frames the two leadership styles in her LinkedIn post I saw this morning (link in the comments).
In my 20 years in the military, I’ve worked under both, and I can tell you this: the thermostat leader is always the one whose mission keeps moving forward — even when everything around them is chaos.
I’d like to think I fall into that category. Years ago, coworkers and family gifted me a “CHAOS COORDINATOR” coffee mug (which I still use daily). The definition on the back still makes me laugh:
“Someone who solves problems you never knew existed in ways that will blow your mind.”
In the military, chaos was a given — the enemy always got a vote, and our plans rarely survived first contact (sometimes even from ourselves… IYKYK). Life isn’t much different. Especially with kids, who love to “creatively disrupt” even the best‑laid plans in the most loving way.
But that’s where thermostat leadership matters most. When the lemons start flying, we don’t just make lemonade — we turn it into a killer lemon meringue pie.
And at High Flight Ninja, this is exactly the kind of leadership we'll model for our ninjas.
We teach them that:
🌱 They set their own tone — not the obstacle, not the fear, not the fall.
🌱 They choose their response — courage over panic, focus over frustration.
🌱 They lead themselves first — with integrity, perseverance, and accountability.
🌱 They bring the energy — cheering others on, lifting the room, being the teammate who steadies the moment.
Because ninja training isn’t just about strength or agility. It’s about learning to stay grounded when things get hard… and choosing who you want to be in the middle of the chaos.
Leadership isn’t about reacting to the temperature around us.
It’s about setting it — on the course, at home, and in life.
