Why this story matters
In this episode of The Courage to Lead Interview Series, we learn about a leader who from a kid who learned to “read the room” every time her family moved for the RAAF, to a Boeing 737 Captain who ferried a single-engine aircraft across the Pacific, to a breast-cancer survivor teaching leaders to think clearly under pressure — Captain Michelle Huntington shows how ordinary habits create extraordinary outcomes.
Michelle Huntington -Self-leadership starts early
Moving schools often, Michelle Huntington, learned to influence a room with warmth and curiosity. Her parents framed change as excitement, not fear; research the new place, arrive prepared, connect fast. That mindset would later become a flight-deck superpower.
“No” isn’t the end — it’s a waypoint
In Year 10 a careers adviser told Michelle Huntington, “women can’t be pilots.” She complied for a time (art school, textiles) — until life put her beside an aviation academy. When the dream resurfaced, she funded training creatively, chose action over excuses, and enrolled at Bankstown.
Michelle Huntington – Failing forward (and throwing up in your shirt)
Michelle Huntington: First three lessons: air-sickness every flight. The chief pilot sat beside her, reframed the problem — “It’s just vomit. Keep going until you can’t.” — and had her teach the next lesson. Shifting focus from fear to understanding ended the sickness. Coaching became mentoring; confidence became competence.
“One hour, a thousand ways”
Michelle Huntington’s instructor pushed her to avoid autopilot habits: don’t fly the same hour 1,000 times — fly one hour 1,000 different ways. That curiosity saved her during a lightning strike near Cooma: with radios and instruments unreliable, she navigated by time, space, headings, and practiced judgement to a safe landing. Preparation beats panic.
The Pacific ferry flight
Needing hours for her commercial licence, she volunteered to ferry a small Beechcraft Bonanza from Arizona to Australia:
Hollister → Hilo → Kiribati → Pago Pago → Norfolk → Lord Howe → Kempsey → VIC — 56+ hours.
Michelle Huntington installed a 750-kg fuel bladder, hand-pumped transfers, fed oil via a syringe through the firewall, managed ITCZ weather and 13.5-hour legs, and solved the “human factors” with wit (hello, TravelJohns and a practical skirt). It wasn’t bravado — it was meticulous planning, systems thinking, and checklists.
Michelle Huntington: Captaincy: leadership at 35,000 ft
Rex to Virgin: paying for type ratings, passing sims, and finally the left seat. The job: safety, judgement, commercial stewardship, and crew development. Michelle Huntington led like her mentors — asking questions, telling analogies, letting others arrive at answers. A good day? Everyone learns, passengers are happy, the company wins, the crew goes home proud.
Cancer, courage, and the three-minute habit
Michelle Huntington back from maternity leave with twins, a quiet bath and a three-minute breast self-check (a habit from Mum’s Women’s Weekly shower card) found a lump. Diagnosis. Mastectomy. Chemo. She leveraged her cockpit mindset: facts, options, checklists, support crews. She then championed awareness inside Virgin — thousands of check cards mailed to staff — turning a private battle into community protection.
Reinvention after COVID
When flying paused and Virgin entered administration, Michelle Huntington, chose redundancy to be present for family — then deconstructed identity, confronted dopamine traps, and rebuilt purpose. Today she keynotes and facilitates with her husband: mentoring, difficult conversations, and critical thinking at home and work. Her north star: every person is significant; lead like that’s true.
Three leadership beacons from Michelle Huntington
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Don’t take “no” as final. Reroute, don’t retreat.
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Choose the hard reps. Do the one hour a thousand ways; expand your decision space.
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Treat everyone (including yourself) as significant. It deepens empathy and unlocks better choices.
Five quotable moments – best quotes ever you can use for a lifetime: Michelle Huntington
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“Keep going until you can’t — most limits are guesses.”
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“Don’t fly the same hour 1,000 times; fly one hour 1,000 ways.”
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“When it hits the fan, you don’t rise to the occasion — you fall back on your training.”
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“Preparation isn’t pessimism; it’s respect for reality.”
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“Every person in the room is significant — lead like it.”
Where to find Michelle Huntington
Book & audiobook: Lady MacGyver by Captain Michelle Huntington (global retailers).
Speaking & workshops: stories, systems, and clear-headed leadership you can use the next day.