Hypervigilance and the Right Influence Tony Kern, renowned safety expert and CEO of Convergent Performance, once again challenged attendees on the opening day of the Bombardier Safety Standdown. As he introduced the theme of influence, he turned it back on the audience: "What influences you? Who influences you?" Kern explored how business aviation professionals can enhance safety by combating complacency and fostering vigilance. Using Venn diagrams to illustrate the overlap between unexpected events, apathy, and lack of vigilance, he noted: "What if we could replace that? What if we could influence ourselves and others to avoid that complacency?" Key insights included Kern’s perspective on risk in aviation. Drawing attention to human factors as primary sources of risk, he stressed the importance of honesty in evaluating safety: “The risk is not where you think it is… It can happen to us, and we must believe that it will.” He also shared his philosophy on hypervigilance: “Not abnormally alert, but normally alert for abnormal things.” With the inherent dangers of aviation, Kern encouraged professionals to stay continuously prepared and responsive, emphasizing that hypervigilance is "a core competency for the chaos we're navigating." Kern urged the audience to embrace a mindset of constant improvement, readiness, and humility—traits he sees as essential for effective teamwork and individual growth. "Expert readiness doesn’t happen by accident. You need that burning desire to get better," he said, challenging attendees to spread this mentality throughout the industry. His final message was powerful: “Be the example others need. Influence others with vigilance, readiness, and an eagerness to improve. Your impact can ripple beyond what you’ll ever see.” A profound reminder that safety and influence go hand in hand, especially in a high-stakes field like aviation.