Just Great People
Barry Eustance talks to ordinary people who've done extraordinary things that will engage and inspire you.
Entrepreneurs, business leaders, musicians, thought leaders, actors, developers, pilots, - anyone who's gone out and "done it".
Why they've done it, how they've done it, and how you can do it too.
Sometimes instructional, sometimes emotional, always fascinating, and endlessly inspiring.
Just Great People
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
The Sixsess Consultancy’s PEOPLE Change Management and Leadership Framework:
https://sixsess.org/training/people-change-management-leadership-framework-course/
Paddy Nolan’s Website:
Keywords
aviation, airlines, leadership, teamwork, change management, lifelong learning, purpose-driven, communication, Sixsess Consultancy, PEOPLE framework, personal development, airline captain, pilot, Virgin Atlantic, Royal Air Force, change leadership, Kotter
I hope you really enjoyed our podcast and found it to be inspiring and insightful.
Please remember to LIKE our podcast and please DO SUBSCRIBE !!
I really look forward to reading and replying to your thoughts and comments.
Many thanks
Kindest regards
Barry