Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit to the Boardroom
Leadership isn't about being in charge. It's about knowing how to lead when you're not.
In Second in Command, Marc Ayala shares leadership lessons forged in military aviation during the Global War on Terror and translates them for leaders in business and other organizations. Flying missions aboard the C-130 Hercules, Ayala learned leadership in environments where trust was essential, mistakes carried real consequences, and teamwork was non-negotiable.
These are not Hollywood stories. The people in the pages are everyday Americans - pilots, navigators, engineers, and loadmasters - who balanced service with families, responsibility, and ordinary lives back home. Together, they faced uncertainty, fear, and high-stakes decisions while relying on each other to succeed.
With a foreword by General Mike Minihan, USAF (ret.), each chapter presents a true story from the cockpit followed by practical leadership lessons drawn from that experience. Whether you lead a team, support a leader, or aspire to greater responsibility, Second in Command offers a grounded, experience-driven perspective on leadership - earned under pressure and applied far beyond the military.
Join our Mailing List
Sign up to receive the first word when we release.
About the Author
Marc Ayala is a combat veteran of the Global War on Terror and served multiple deployments in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He served in the US Air Force as a C-130H pilot and navigator for 13 years, rising to the rank of Major. He has accumulated over 3500 flying hours and is also type rated in several commercial aircraft. During his military service Marc was decorated with the Air Medal, Presidential Unit Citation with Valor, Aerial Achievement Medal, and Air Force Commendation Medal