FLITE
PILOT
VAST
It’s a complete leadership and execution model built around three interlocking frameworks PILOT, FLITE, and VAST designed to develop leaders, align teams, and build high-performance organizations. Each framework supports a specific level of leadership: mindset, action, and structure.
PILOT is leadership in concept. It builds the mindset and fundamentals leaders need: Purpose, Initiative, Leadership, Opportunity, and Tools.
FLITE is leadership in practice. It’s an execution system that helps teams launch, track, and evaluate work using a structured, repeatable process.
VAST is leadership in context. It provides a strategic design for your business aligning value, activities, systems, and targets so the entire organization runs efficiently.
They were developed by Brian “Maddog” Maddocks, a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot turned corporate strategist. He combines battle-tested discipline and mission-first thinking with decades of leadership experience in the business world.
Yes, but they’re most powerful when used together. For example, you can use FLITE to improve project execution on its own, but pairing it with PILOT creates stronger leadership and initiative. Adding VAST ensures the whole business design supports execution and strategy.
By putting purpose, clarity, and initiative at the core of leadership. According to Gallup (2024), only 33% of employees are engaged, but highly engaged teams see a 23% jump in profitability. The PILOT framework focuses specifically on driving initiative, which is the leading indicator of engagement.
It works for corporate teams, small businesses, startups, nonprofits, and even government organizations—anywhere leadership and execution matter. It’s especially effective for leaders who want to create lasting culture change, not just check boxes.
You don’t need fancy tech. Most teams run the FLITE framework using simple tools like Microsoft Teams, Trello, Notion, or JIRA. The emphasis is on process and clarity, not software.
It’s more than training. It’s a working system. While leaders and teams do learn, the focus is on execution in real time, not theory in a classroom. Think of it as on-the-job leadership transformation.
That depends on your team size and goals. Some teams can launch a FLITE plan in a single day. Full adoption across an organization may take several weeks or months. But from Day 1, your team starts operating with more clarity and alignment.
FLITE empowers team members by making roles, tasks, and expectations crystal clear from the start. Through short daily “stand-up” meetings and consistent use of a Common Operating Platform (COP), like a Kanban board or project tool progress is tracked transparently. This keeps everyone aligned without hovering, and it allows leaders to coach and support instead of constantly checking in.
PILOT builds leadership from the inside out by focusing on the mindset and behaviors that drive real influence. It helps leaders clarify their Purpose, take Initiative, provide clear Leadership, create meaningful Opportunities for growth, and use the right Tools to support their team. Instead of relying on position or authority, PILOT-trained leaders serve first, communicate clearly, and consistently elevate the performance and engagement of those around them.
VAST gives you a repeatable, strategic structure for scaling. It aligns your value proposition with the activities you perform, the systems that support them, and the targets that measure success. When these four elements are designed intentionally, your business can grow without growing chaotic. It’s like building a machine that stays aligned as it expands delivering consistent results even as complexity increases.
