🔥 Excerpt
You cannot be in fear and gratitude at the same time.
⚡ TL;DR
Dave Sanderson reflects on surviving the Miracle on the Hudson and how that moment reshaped his leadership, faith, and approach to personal growth. We explore mindset management, mentorship, reframing disruption, and why gratitude anchors execution during uncertainty.
📄 Show Notes
Personal growth begins when control disappears, and that reality framed my conversation with Dave Sanderson. Dave took me inside the Miracle on the Hudson, from the impact to the freezing water to the shared mission that formed among strangers. What stood out was not drama, but clarity. Crisis revealed what mattered and what no longer did.
Dave described personal growth as a discipline shaped before disruption arrives. Managing internal dialogue, focus, and physical state allowed him to stay present when fear had every reason to take over. That same discipline shows up for founders when conditions change faster than plans. Leadership becomes the act of creating steadiness without certainty.
We talked about mentorship and the shift from asking how to asking who. Dave explained how progress accelerated once he stopped trying to carry everything alone. Personal growth expanded when he built outcomes alongside people aligned to the mission instead of forcing answers in isolation.
We closed on gratitude as an operating posture. Dave's conviction was simple and grounded. Gratitude interrupts fear. When leaders practice gratitude daily, personal growth continues even when the next step is unclear and the path feels unfinished.
✅ Key Takeaways
• Personal growth requires managing mindset before managing outcomes
• Disruption signals a threshold rather than a collapse
• Asking who creates momentum where isolation slows progress
• Focused execution depends on a clear personal flight plan
• Gratitude removes fear from leadership decisions
👤 Bio
Dave Sanderson is a speaker, author, and leadership advisor best known as the last passenger off Flight 1549 during the Miracle on the Hudson. His work centers on personal growth, mentorship, execution, and faith grounded leadership.
🎁 Giveaway
Dave is offering a free digital download of his Moments Matter magazine. Each issue shares real stories of pivotal life moments from leaders, entrepreneurs, and survivors, including insights from Dave's own journey. Visit DaveSandersonSpeaks.com, navigate to the store, and download the magazine at no cost.
👑 Host Info
Rick Meekins is an entrepreneur, strategic advisor, and host of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, where he explores what it actually takes to build, lead, and sustain meaningful businesses. With over 30 years of experience working alongside founders and leadership teams, Rick brings a systems-oriented perspective to growth, strategy, and execution.
Interested in working together, having Rick speak, or partnering with the show?
Start here: https://rpowpodcast.com/contact/
🧭 Chapters
00:00 Uncertainty and personal growth
02:26 Inside the Miracle on the Hudson
05:35 Leadership under immediate pressure
12:18 Returning to life after trauma
14:14 Managing mindset in unstable conditions
18:47 Identifying distinct advantage
21:35 Leadership as certainty creation
22:40 Reframing disruption as growth
25:21 Mentorship and legacy
28:10 Faith and gratitude in adversity
33:31 Scaling execution with intention
37:49 Books, freedom, and long-term impact
