John Flynn has had many roles all through his life – together with as a soccer participant, serviceman within the Air Pressure, adviser to then Vice-President Joe Biden as part of the Obama Administration, and he at the moment is the senior vice president of administration and aviation for MGM Resorts International. Whatever the place he has held or the folks he has labored with in these positions, there are two frequent traits – service and management.
Flynn stated about MGM Resorts International Aviation Division, “I’ve obtained a few completely different departments I get to steer and handle. We’ve obtained a number of planes and a pair dozen pilots.” He additionally works with the Safety Operations Division and their Army and Veterans Program (MVP) with different navy members. In whole, Flynn works with over 2,000 folks in his a number of roles within the company world. Which may look like very completely different in comparison with his navy profession, however he discovered that the 2 fields have extra in frequent than one could imagine.
“Among the issues we realized within the navy are what we worth within the non-public sector. I feel a few these issues are you be taught to be versatile, proactive, how you can reprioritize completely different targets such as you would with the navy, and also you fail loads. Nevertheless it’s not a matter of failing. It’s a matter of whether or not you get again up.”
John Flynn’s dedication to management and the betterment of others will be traced again to his childhood. Flynn was the youngest of two youngsters rising up in Irvine, California. Sports activities was an enormous a part of his life because of being round groups such because the California Angels (MLB), Los Angeles Rams (NFL), and others. He wasn’t only a fan of these sports activities, however he performed them as properly.
“I grew up enjoying baseball, soccer, and basketball, whether or not it was in my college or in Irvine.”
Soccer was the game that Flynn succeeded on the most. He began as quarterback for Mater Dei Excessive College for 3 years, they usually completed because the primary workforce within the nation. That led him to pursuing alternatives to play for Vanderbilt or the US Air Pressure Academy. He felt that prime college was an vital time for him as a result of among the classes he realized on the sector may very well be utilized off the sector.
“It’s the place I first realized how you can successfully recover from failure on a play-by-play foundation,” he stated with fun. “It was lesson for all times.”
He was capable of be taught different classes from those that served as mentors similar to his dad and mom, coaches, and lecturers throughout his childhood as properly.
“You don’t absolutely admire these mentors till you’ve type of moved away, grown up, matured extra in life.”
As he was ending highschool, Flynn had thought he was going to go to Vanderbilt, however a change within the head coach place there shifted his sights to the Air Pressure Academy. One journey to Colorado Springs, Colorado later, and he knew the place he was going. In hindsight the selection is smart for him as a result of he grew up in an space the place it was frequent to see Marines and Members of the Navy. His father served
within the Marines and his grandfather was within the Navy throughout World Battle II. Although he was becoming a member of a special department, the navy could have been future within the making.
“The concept of flying planes, graduate, and mainly go do no matter you needed to try this the navy provides had been actually interesting to me.”
He can be a backup quarterback in his soccer function, however he obtained to take pleasure in a number of moments along with his teammates and realized beneficial classes on the school degree as properly. He additionally labored as a coach on the again half of his senior season. He remembered that 12 months fondly as a result of his workforce completed within the prime ten in rating within the nation.
“For a service academy soccer workforce to complete within the prime ten within the nationwide rankings, it was a reasonably large deal.”
As soon as his school profession ended, he dedicated to the Air Pressure full-time, the place he gathered greater than 3,100 hours as a C-17 Evaluator Pilot. A part of his profession was spent in Afghanistan in addition to in Baghdad, Iraq and different areas. He was proud to be part of that effort, however he acknowledged that missions of the magnitude he was concerned with took the assist of a whole lot of teammates and fellow servicemembers.
“Preventing within the early days of the Battle on Terror within the mid-2000’s was fairly unimaginable. Being within the navy and pulling off these profitable missions required working with lots of people.”
Moreover working beneath nice leaders and as part of management in each sports activities and the navy, one other frequent theme is being bodily prepared always. That’s why health has been an vital a part of his life, and it nonetheless is right this moment.
“As soon as once more, there’s much more similarities than variations,” stated Flynn with regards to health degree for each fields. “Typically, I feel staying match, maintaining your cardio going, maintaining your muscle tone going is vital. Generally, it’s important to carry 150 kilos in your again on these missions, and it’s important to be in fairly unimaginable form to try this.”
John Flynn would transfer on to work in Washington, D.C., the place he labored for the Division of Protection as a Legislative Fellow beneath Senator Invoice Nelson, on the Pentagon, and finally can be concerned with the final word type of management – a Presidential administration. Flynn served as a Particular Assistant to the forty fourth President of the US, Barack Obama and as an adviser to then Vice President Joe Biden. After flying for ten years, that change in dynamics may very well be a shock for most individuals at first, however Flynn adjusted and located one more method to contribute to his nation.
“It was actually instructional and insightful after being on the tip of the spear to be on the tail finish of coverage after which the orders come down and also you observe, operationally, these orders,” he recalled. “That was extremely instructional for me.”
Following his time in Washington, he moved on to the place he holds now with MGM Resorts. He’s nonetheless concerned with the Air Pressure as a reserve assigned to AFWERX. He additionally commits time to staying in form as a result of it’s a variable that permits him to be his finest for everybody round him in addition to himself.
“You can also make clear choices, you can also make higher choices, and be extra assured in what you’re doing,”
John Flynn needs to ensure the following technology of People are conscious and positively impacted by the navy as properly. He took his son to a Veteran’s Day occasion known as Salute to the Troops that paid homage that had been keen to offer their all to freedom.
“Essential this subsequent technology sees us celebrating service members,” he stated.
Although he’s within the non-public sector now, he feels the navy can nonetheless be a terrific choice for younger those that wish to set themselves up for excellent success sooner or later. He advises to have a look at all choices fastidiously earlier than making a ultimate choice.
“It’s a extremely thrilling time to be a 17 or 18-year previous graduating from highschool as a result of there’s a lot for you on the market that may aid you obtain your targets,” he defined. “Do your analysis, and try to be trying into corporations and the navy, and even schools or universities to seek out the very best choices for them.
You’ll be able to be taught extra about Col. Flynn by following him at John S. Flynn on LinkedIn
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