Veteran Southwest Airlines Captain Releases Debut Leadership Book Drawn From 35 Years in the Flight Deck

"Leadership in Flight" translates aviation's most disciplined decision-making and crew-resource principles into practical guidance for leaders in any field.

ORLANDO, Fla., May 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ben Stern, a Southwest Airlines Captain with more than 35 years of aviation experience and a licensed Realtor in Central Florida, today released his debut book, Leadership in Flight: Your Flight Plan for Navigating Life and Leading Others with Clarity and Confidence. The book takes the disciplined decision-making, crisis management, and team dynamics learned over a career in the flight deck and translates them into a practical playbook for leaders on the ground.

Most leadership books are written from the boardroom. "Leadership in Flight" is written from the flight deck — where decisions have to be clear, communication has to be clean, and accountability is non-negotiable. Drawing on real events including the Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 crash that reshaped how the industry teaches crew coordination, the book shows how the same principles that keep an aircraft safe at 35,000 feet build trust, clarity, and resilience in any team.

The Foreword is written by Steven De Lorie, FAA Principal Safety Inspector and former American Airlines pilot.

"The principles that keep an aircraft safe at altitude — clear communication, prepared decision-making, real accountability — are the same principles that make a leader trustworthy on the ground," said Stern. "I wrote this book for anyone who has ever wished they had a checklist for the hardest parts of leading people."

The book is written for current leaders, emerging leaders, and professionals navigating career and life transitions. It speaks particularly to those in operational roles, client-facing businesses, and any environment where decisions carry weight and people are counting on the person in charge.

Availability: "Leadership in Flight" is available May 26, 2026 on Amazon in paperback ($17.99), hardcover ($26.99), and Kindle. A free Virtual Voice audiobook edition is forthcoming.

Watch the book trailer: https://youtu.be/TK7IzOX9O1g

About the Author
Ben Stern is a Southwest Airlines Captain with more than 35 years of aviation experience and a licensed Realtor serving the Orlando and Central Florida market. He lives in Orlando with his wife, Tanya. "Leadership in Flight" is his first book.

Media Contact
Ben Stern, Author
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[email protected]

SOURCE Ben Stern