Bertrand Piccard: Psychiatrist, pilot, explorer, adventurist, environmentalist, and humanitarian

The Art of Excellence

Bertrand Piccard is a psychiatrist and explorer and made history by accomplishing two aeronautical firsts – flying around the world non-stop in a balloon, and more recently in a solar-powered airplane without fuel. As Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation, he has succeeded in his mission to select 1000 profitable solutions to protect the environment and support clean growth.

Some interesting insights from this episode:

• Meeting the astronauts as a kid opened his eyes that anyone with a passion who wanted to achieve their dreams could do it.
• When reflecting on his decision to become an explorer, he knew there had to be new frontiers yet to be discovered. “It’s like a compass showing the unknown, showing what has never been done.”
• The writer Paulo Coelho once said: “If you believe that adventure is dangerous, try routine. It is deadly.”
• He would perform self-hypnosis to relax when stressed and stay awake and vigilant while flying through the night.
• “Our life depends on the way we think. Once we’re aware of that, we’re free to think in every direction.”
• Failing so quickly and in such a public way on his first around the world balloon attempt liberated him, as he learned to no longer care what others thought.
• Why did they succeed in the around the world balloon flight when so many others failed? They never failed twice for the same reason.
• It took 13 years to complete the around the world solar flight starting with the initial announcement. While there were moments of doubt, that doubt allowed them to continue to refine their approach, adjust course, and surmount obstacles along the way.