Michelle 'Mace' Curran

But I think about the leaders that I had that I worked for throughout my career and the ones that really changed my trajectory and were the best to work for and built these amazingly cohesive teams were were the ones that would admit when they didn't know something, when they didn't have the answers.

But I think about the leaders that I had that I worked for throughout my career and the ones that really changed my trajectory and were the best to work for and built these amazingly cohesive teams were were the ones that would admit when they didn't know something, when they didn't have the answers.

But I think about the leaders that I had that I worked for throughout my career and the ones that really changed my trajectory and were the best to work for and built these amazingly cohesive teams were were the ones that would admit when they didn't know something, when they didn't have the answers.

They had people that created a team, you know, that did have the answers, but they were the ones that didn't pretend they knew everything and didn't always appear confident and unwavering. There's a time for that, especially in the military. But when you have those walls up all the time, It actually, that turns out to be a weakness.

They had people that created a team, you know, that did have the answers, but they were the ones that didn't pretend they knew everything and didn't always appear confident and unwavering. There's a time for that, especially in the military. But when you have those walls up all the time, It actually, that turns out to be a weakness.

They had people that created a team, you know, that did have the answers, but they were the ones that didn't pretend they knew everything and didn't always appear confident and unwavering. There's a time for that, especially in the military. But when you have those walls up all the time, It actually, that turns out to be a weakness.

So true. That is so flipping true. It's the reverse of what we thought. So I want to talk a little bit about how there really were only four women in this role. And how did that differentiate you? How did you leverage that to your advantage? Or was that a weakness? How did that work in the military? Because to me, that sounds incredibly polarizing. But I wonder how that experience was like for you.

So true. That is so flipping true. It's the reverse of what we thought. So I want to talk a little bit about how there really were only four women in this role. And how did that differentiate you? How did you leverage that to your advantage? Or was that a weakness? How did that work in the military? Because to me, that sounds incredibly polarizing. But I wonder how that experience was like for you.

So true. That is so flipping true. It's the reverse of what we thought. So I want to talk a little bit about how there really were only four women in this role. And how did that differentiate you? How did you leverage that to your advantage? Or was that a weakness? How did that work in the military? Because to me, that sounds incredibly polarizing. But I wonder how that experience was like for you.

So yeah, at that first assignment, there were four of us at that entire base, which had over probably about 100 F-16 pilots and there were four women. In the Air Force in general, about 2% to 3% at any given time of fighter pilots are women. So it's extremely small in the entire force. Initially, I think I viewed it as a weakness.

So yeah, at that first assignment, there were four of us at that entire base, which had over probably about 100 F-16 pilots and there were four women. In the Air Force in general, about 2% to 3% at any given time of fighter pilots are women. So it's extremely small in the entire force. Initially, I think I viewed it as a weakness.

So yeah, at that first assignment, there were four of us at that entire base, which had over probably about 100 F-16 pilots and there were four women. In the Air Force in general, about 2% to 3% at any given time of fighter pilots are women. So it's extremely small in the entire force. Initially, I think I viewed it as a weakness.

And that was part of that disconnect of not feeling like I could be my true self at work. And I had to fit into this culture that I didn't naturally align with. And I had something to prove. I always felt like I was under a microscope. And honestly, that never went away because I was.

And that was part of that disconnect of not feeling like I could be my true self at work. And I had to fit into this culture that I didn't naturally align with. And I had something to prove. I always felt like I was under a microscope. And honestly, that never went away because I was.

And that was part of that disconnect of not feeling like I could be my true self at work. And I had to fit into this culture that I didn't naturally align with. And I had something to prove. I always felt like I was under a microscope. And honestly, that never went away because I was.

You have the people that rally around you and are so inspired by you, especially once I was in the visible role of being on the Thunderbirds. But then I also had the people that were just watching like a hawk waiting for me to fail. And I was acutely aware that they were there.

You have the people that rally around you and are so inspired by you, especially once I was in the visible role of being on the Thunderbirds. But then I also had the people that were just watching like a hawk waiting for me to fail. And I was acutely aware that they were there.

You have the people that rally around you and are so inspired by you, especially once I was in the visible role of being on the Thunderbirds. But then I also had the people that were just watching like a hawk waiting for me to fail. And I was acutely aware that they were there.

But as I got to the point where I applied to be a Thunderbird pilot, I saw it as a strength because this isn't a combat squadron. It's not the same mission set as the other units. The mission of the Thunderbirds is to recruit, obviously, but also to inspire people, inspire people that might never join the military, just inspire people in general.

But as I got to the point where I applied to be a Thunderbird pilot, I saw it as a strength because this isn't a combat squadron. It's not the same mission set as the other units. The mission of the Thunderbirds is to recruit, obviously, but also to inspire people, inspire people that might never join the military, just inspire people in general.