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 present is the senior vice chairman of administration and aviation for MGM Resorts Worldwide. Whatever the place he has held or the individuals he has labored with in these positions, there are two widespread traits – service and management.
Flynn mentioned about MGM Resorts International Aviation Division, “I’ve obtained a few completely different departments I get to guide 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 complete, Flynn works with over 2,000 individuals in his a number of roles within the company world. Which may seem like very completely different in comparison with his navy profession, however he discovered that the 2 fields have extra in widespread than one might imagine.
“Among the issues we realized within the navy are what we worth within the personal sector. I believe a few these issues are you be taught to be versatile, proactive, the best way to reprioritize completely different objectives such as you would with the navy, and also you fail lots. 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 may 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 due to 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 nicely.
“I grew up taking part in baseball, soccer, and basketball, whether or not it was in my faculty 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 group within the nation. That led him to pursuing alternatives to play for Vanderbilt or america Air Pressure Academy. He felt that top faculty was an essential time for him as a result of a number of the classes he realized on the sector may very well be utilized off the sector.
“It’s the place I first realized the best way to efficiently get well from failure on a play-by-play foundation,” he mentioned with amusing. “It was a very good lesson for all times.”
He was capable of be taught different classes from people who served as mentors reminiscent of his mother and father, coaches, and academics throughout his childhood as nicely.
“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 widespread 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. Regardless that he was becoming a member of a distinct department, the navy might have been future within the making.
“The concept of flying planes, graduate, and principally go do no matter you wished to try this the navy gives had been actually interesting to me.”
He can be a backup quarterback in his soccer position, however he obtained to get pleasure from a number of moments along with his teammates and realized beneficial classes on the school degree as nicely. 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 group completed within the prime ten in rating within the nation.
“For a service academy soccer group to complete within the prime ten within the nationwide rankings, it was a fairly large deal.”
As soon as his school profession ended, he dedicated to the Air Pressure full-time, the place he collected 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 plenty of teammates and fellow servicemembers.
“Preventing within the early days of the Battle on Terror within the mid-2000’s was fairly unbelievable. 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 widespread theme is being bodily prepared always. That’s why health has been an essential a part of his life, and it nonetheless is immediately.
“As soon as once more, there’s much more similarities than variations,” mentioned Flynn in relation to health degree for each fields. “Usually, I believe staying match, holding your cardio going, holding your muscle tone going is essential. Generally, you must carry 150 kilos in your again on these missions, and you must be in fairly unbelievable 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 in the end 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 america, 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 solution to contribute to his nation.
“It was actually academic 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 comply with, operationally, these orders,” he recalled. “That was extremely academic 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 greatest for everybody round him in addition to himself.
“You can also make clear choices, you may make higher choices, and be extra assured in what you’re doing,”
John Flynn desires to ensure the subsequent era of Individuals are conscious and positively impacted by the navy as nicely. He took his son to a Veteran’s Day occasion referred to as Salute to the Troops that paid homage that had been prepared to present their all to freedom.
“Essential this subsequent era sees us celebrating service members,” he mentioned.
Regardless that he’s within the personal sector now, he feels the navy can nonetheless be a fantastic possibility for younger people who wish to set themselves up for excellent success sooner or later. He advises to have a look at all choices rigorously earlier than making a closing determination.
“It’s a very thrilling time to be a 17 or 18-year outdated graduating from highschool as a result of there may be a lot for you on the market that may provide help to obtain your objectives,” he defined. “Do your analysis, and you ought to be wanting into corporations and the navy, and even faculties or universities to search out the perfect choices for them.
You’ll be able to be taught extra about Col. Flynn by following him at John S. Flynn on LinkedIn
