In typical media fashion, I watched in awe as this man was hailed as the best airline pilot ever, how he calmly and collected he managed to bring this plane down in NY’s hudson river.

I watched as they raised this guy up to God status. I also noticed something, where was Mr. Sullenberger during all this? He couldn’t have possibly been so shaken up as to not want media attention. Why was this man not plastered all over the news giving interviews and talking with every media outlet out there?

To be perfectly honest I think he’s the greatest man since Chuck Norris, and that’s the point I am trying to make. He is a hero not because of what he did with his plane, but because of what he did when it was all over.

Quote me on this: Great men do not laud their accomplishments and triumphs before others like a parade, expecting gratitude in return. Instead, great men do great things and find true reward in the outcome of their work.

What most people had failed to realize about Mr. Sullenberger is the subtle impact of his humility. Here’s a man that saved 150-some people from certain death, is getting all the praise, yet he’s nowhere to be found.

The man was just doing his job. He did what he did, because he had to; it’s what he does. I’m sure he was proud to do it too and couldn’t wait to get back in the cockpit for another routine flight.

You see, Mr. Sullenberger is a rarity in these days. A man who knows something, knows it well, practices it, teaches others and is 100% dedicated to his craft. He is the embodiment of the word quality. America used to breed men like this generation after generation, these days it’s hard to find them; we’re lost in a sea of metrosexuals and single magazine editors in New York City, more worried about the background image on their iPhone then they are about helping others or being good at their job. We put in the minimum and expect the maximum. No wonder we are where we are today as a nation.

A simple verse of the bible lines this up perfectly:

“For who is regarded as greater? The one who sits at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? That’s the way things work in our world. But I am among you as One who serves.” – Luke 22:26-27

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