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Retirement or “Re-Firement”? From Airline Captain to Consultant – A Journey of Purpose with Barry Eustance

What happens when a long-haul airline captain steps away from the cockpit and into the boardroom – not to retire, but to “re-fire”?



In this thought-provoking episode, Paddy Nolan speaks with Barry Eustance – a former senior airline captain turned management consultant – about what it means to reinvent yourself at 65.

Far from winding down, Barry launched The Sixsess Consultancy with a mission: to put people back at the centre of leadership, change and organisational performance.

Barry shares the arc of a life devoted to excellence – from childhood dreams of flying, to managing crises at 39,000 feet, to helping global organisations lead through turbulence.

Along the way, he reveals what aviation can teach us about decision-making under pressure, communication that saves lives, and the power of team-based thinking.

You’ll hear real-world insight into why integrity matters more than ever, how leadership is changing in a disrupted world, and why organisations that ignore people do so at their peril.

This episode is essential listening for leaders, change agents and professionals navigating reinvention – whether you’re 35 or 65.


What You’ll Learn:


• Why preparation and persistence are the unsung heroes of success


• What airline pilots know about high-stakes teamwork


• How to communicate when failure isn’t an option


• Why leadership without ethics breaks trust


• The surprising advantage of starting again later in life


• How The Sixsess Consultancy helps organisations put people first


• The Sixsess Consultancy’s PEOPLE framework – and why it’s reshaping leadership today


• The future of work: purpose-driven, planet-conscious, and people-led


• Why change management fails without emotional commitment


• The power of continuous learning across a lifetime


Key Quotes:


• “Change isn’t about systems. It’s about people.”
• “Integrity isn’t optional. It’s foundational.”
• “Reinvention is just another form of leadership.”


Chapters:

00:00 – Welcome and Introduction
03:12 – From Dream to Cockpit: Barry’s Early Aviation Story
05:34 – Teamwork in High-Stakes Environments
07:46 – When It Gets Real: Crisis and Calm at Altitude
10:11 – Why Communication is a Leadership Skill
12:38 – The Pilot Who Never Stopped Learning
14:51 – Starting Again: The Sixsess Story
17:40 – Change and Human Buy-In
20:52 – Leading with Empathy: The PEOPLE Framework
24:10 – Purpose Isn’t Fluff. It’s Focus.
27:28 – How Organisations Can Future-Proof Themselves
30:25 – People, Planet, Profit – Why It’s Not Just Business
33:32 – Final Reflections: Lead with People in Mind


Useful Links



The Sixsess Consultancy

For more detailed information on:

The Sixsess Consultancy’s PEOPLE Change Management and Leadership Framework:

PEOPLE Change Management and Leadership Framework Course

The Sixsess Consultancy’s Business Growth Masterclass:

Primer for Business Growth Masterclass

and

Business Growth Masterclass for SMEs


Explore our:

Experts

https://sixsess.org/about-us/

Services

https://sixsess.org/consultancy-services/

Executive training courses:

https://sixsess.org/training/

Subject Guides:
https://sixsess.org/guides/

Barry Eustance’s LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-eustance/

Paddy Nolan’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paddynolan1/

Paddy Nolan’s Website:
https://www.paddynolan.eu/


Keywords

aviation, airlines, leadership, teamwork, change management, lifelong learning, purpose-driven, communication, Sixsess Consultancy, PEOPLE framework, personal development, business growth, airline captain, pilot, Virgin Atlantic, Royal Air Force, change leadership, Kotter

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