Why Did the Wright Brothers Succeed?

Start of a glide; Wilbur in motion at left holding one end of glider (rebuilt with single vertical rudder), Orville lying prone in machine, and Dan Tate at right, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on October 10, 1902. # Library of Congress 

I recently listened to the audiobook “The Wright Brothers” by David McCullough and loved it.  The author goes into painstaking detail to document everything Orville and Wilbur Wright did in the process of inventing the first human carrying flight machine, AKA the airplane in 1903.

But one of the things that stood to out me in their story was that during this time there were other inventors, academics, and entrepreneurs from around the world who were also in the race for creating the first successful airplane.

There were teams that were better funded, larger, and more experienced. One even had the support of the U.S. Government.

So how was it possible for these two brothers from Dayton, Ohio, who ran a bike shop, to beat all of these teams?

I haven’t studied the other teams in detail but I made 3 observations about the Wright Brothers that I believe contributed to their success.

1. They Were Focused- One Problem At A Time

What I found most amazing was how focused the brothers were on the process of building the plane and nothing else. Everything they did went to support this idea.

The Wright Brothers did it all without borrowing one penny. They had a successful bike shop and its profits were used to help support their dream. 

Other teams seemed to be focused on competing for more media attention during this time. They’d invite the press to see them work, they held conferences often to give updates, and to show off their attempts at flying. They seemed just as focused on building the plane as they were on getting the media’s attention.

The Wright Brothers worked in seclusion.

They intentionally picked Kitty Hawk which was a long stretch of land in the middle of nowhere Ohio and infested by mosquitos, because of its strong wind, massive size, and most importantly privacy.

They made a model, tested it, and when it failed they focused on the thing that caused the failure. Then they created a solution and started the process all over again.

It was a process of constant, but tiny improvements. Each failure brought them closer to the goal.

2. They Were Committed

The Wright brothers were committed to their vision. It wasn’t just about money or fame.

Of course, they wanted the financial rewards, but the sacrifices they went through, the constant failures and disappointments, and the ability to come up with creative solutions for technical problems they had never faced went beyond the simple desire for external rewards.

These guys were committed.

The Latin root of the word commit comes from two words: com and mittere which combines the words “to connect or combine” and “to release and let go”.

When you commit to something you are joining yourself to that one thing letting go of the rest. That’s why we normally use the word commitment when talking about marriage. 

The bothers were both equally committed to seeing their vision come to life. With every setback, failure, or broken part the brothers were actually getting closer to solving the problem of human flight.

At no point did their commitment weaken.

They were being led more by commitment than by their feelings, fame, or money. To me, commitment is one of those heart words because it defies logic.

In the book,  “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek, he credited the brothers’ success to them knowing their “why”. But to me it’s more than that.

This is more than just motivation or inspiration. I think it’s stronger than having a logical reason or explanation.

3. They Were Obsessed

I love the idea of quietly working on a big problem and gradually working away at it. The Wright Brothers weren’t necessarily smarter, harder working, or better funded then the others groups.

However, I got the impression they were more focused or maybe obsessed is a better word.  I know the word obsessed has a negative connotation, but it doesn’t have to be.

It all depends on what you’re obsessed about. Something people are obsessed with shopping and some with finding a cure to cancer.

You can be obsessed about things that matter. Or you can be obsessed about solving a big problem.

We’re all obsessed about something or things. Some of us have obsessions we haven’t recognized.

The Wright Brothers had a life outside of building an airplane. They had other interests and responsibilities in their communities, but their mission was crystal clear.

 So, what about you? Are you focused, committed, or obsessed about anything that’s important to you?