Raising the Bar: What the Air Force Thunderbirds Can Teach IT Teams About Excellence

This week, I watched the Netflix documentary on the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds — the elite flying demonstration team known for their breathtaking precision and high-stakes aerobatic maneuvers. While the documentary certainly delivered on spectacle and excitement, what struck me most wasn’t the aerial stunts themselves, but the underlying philosophy that drives their success.

One insight stood out: by choosing to perform increasingly difficult tricks, the Thunderbirds actually made their program safer. That may sound counterintuitive — after all, harder stunts should mean more risk, right? But the opposite was true. By increasing the complexity and precision required, the team was forced to operate at a much higher level of training, awareness, and discipline. The bar was raised — and so was the safety margin.

This is a powerful lesson for IT professionals and technical teams.

Excellence Comes From Pushing Beyond “Good Enough”

In many IT environments, there’s a strong temptation to settle for the easier solution — the quick fix, the lowest common denominator approach, the “good enough for now” workaround. These decisions can feel pragmatic in the moment, but often carry hidden costs in the form of technical debt, reduced performance, and increased operational risk over time.

Much like the Thunderbirds, IT teams that intentionally embrace higher standards — even when they’re more difficult — often find themselves in a stronger position long-term. Here’s why:

1. Higher standards force better training. When expectations are raised, team members must deepen their knowledge and improve their technical skills. They’re no longer just “managing to survive”; they’re working to excel.

2. Complex solutions require better documentation and processes. If you’re tackling a harder technical challenge, you’re more likely to think carefully about architecture, scalability, security, and automation.

3. Teams become more resilient. Just as fighter pilots train to handle extreme conditions, well-trained IT pros are better equipped to handle outages, cyber incidents, or unexpected system behavior.

The Real Risk is in the Shortcuts

Often, the “easier” path comes at a steep cost:

• Poor understanding of systems leads to misconfigurations, outages, and inefficiencies.

• Quick fixes become permanent solutions, leading to brittle infrastructure.

• Delayed investment in learning or consulting results in missed opportunities to improve.

Many IT teams limit themselves simply because they lack deeper knowledge of the tools and technologies they use every day. In some cases, a 30-minute conversation with a peer, or a few hours with a knowledgeable consultant, can lead to breakthroughs — both in terms of capability and confidence.

Conclusion: Choose the Harder Path — For the Right Reasons

The takeaway is simple but profound: Don’t confuse ease with efficiency. Don’t mistake familiarity for best practice. And don’t assume that a harder approach is inherently riskier. In many cases, doing the hard thing — the right way — actually reduces risk, improves outcomes, and builds a stronger, more capable team.

So the next time you’re faced with a technical decision, ask yourself: Are we choosing this because it’s better? Or just because it’s easier?

Just like the Thunderbirds, greatness comes not from avoiding difficulty, but from embracing it — and rising to meet the challenge.