may2023 - 21

growicz
E
than Begrowicz may be relatively
new to the ground handling
industry. But his appetite
for knowledge has allowed him to
gain practical experience and gather
an important perspective in a short
period of time.
After learning on the job for four
years and enrolling in a Dale Carnegie
course to hone his leadership ability,
he has risen quickly through the ranks
at Avflight Lansing. He was promoted
to operations manager last summer
and now leads a team of 14 people
while overseeing compliance and training
and ensuring top-notch line staff
performance.
For his dedication to personal growth
and his impressive professional achievements,
he has been named the 2023
Ground Support Worldwide Team Leader
of the Year.
As operations manager, Begrowicz
oversees quality assurance and line
services. He is tasked with keeping his
operation in compliance with FARs and
ATA 103 requirements. What's more, he
is in charge of training line techs and
ensuring his team is providing excellent
customer service.
After earning a degree in aviation
management technology, Begrowicz hit
the ground running at Avflight Lansing.
He began as line tech in 2018 and was
promoted to the second shift line technician
supervisor in December of 2021.
With a strong work ethic, he gained
experience quickly thanks to a busy
flight schedule at the FBO due in part to
sports team charter flights.
" Since we have Michigan State here,
we are busy from August to March
doing sports charters, " Begrowicz says.
" A lot of that responsibility falls on the
afternoon shift.
" Working as a line supervisor in the
afternoons has helped propel me quickly
into an operations manager position, " he
adds, noting that working with charter
flights has helped him build business
relationships as well.
Learning to Lead by Example
Early on, Begrowicz was mentored by Les
Jones, his supervisor at the time. Jones
emphasized the importance of a strong
work ethic and ensuring excellent customer
service.
A big lesson that stuck with Begrowicz
was doing whatever it takes to get
the job done.
" Whether we take 5 minutes out of
our day to do a small, menial task, it
doesn't matter. We've got to get it done, "
Begrowicz says. " For some of our hourly
guys, for these sports charters, it's a lot
of overtime. He instilled that we need to
either stay late or come in early to help
other teams - doing what it takes to get
the job done.
" Teamwork and communication are
critical, " he emphasizes.
Cover Story
Begrowicz put those lessons into action
when he became a second shift leader
and oversaw four line technicians.
" That helped grow my leadership skills
a little bit more, " he says.
Begrowicz's professional growth
continued as he prepared to become
operations manager. Prior to taking on
his current role, he enrolled in a Dale
Carnegie course to focus on leadership
training.
" The message that stuck with me the
most is that in order to be an effective
leader, you need to believe in yourself,
and you need to believe in your team
and you need to show your confidence, "
he says.
The 12-week program took Begrowicz
out of his comfort zone.
" It gave me important skills to lead my
team to success, " he recalls. " Probably my
biggest fear coming into that course was
public speaking. I just did not like getting
up in front of groups and talking. "
The course required frequent presentations
in front of the class, which included
about 30 people.
" By the end of the course, I was entirely
comfortable talking in front of a big
group of people and giving a presentation, "
Begrowicz says. " That's really
important for my role because I do lead
safety meetings. I lead team meetings.
Being able to speak publicly helps my
communication skills with my team. "
Begrowicz has paired his leadership
training with other lessons learned on
the job and has transitioned smoothly
into his position as operations manager.
According to Lynn Markowski, general
manager at Avflight Lansing, Begrowicz's
experience as a line tech and thorough
knowledge of the business has helped
him succeed.
" I think the biggest thing that impresses
me is he's right there with his team.
May 2023 || AviationPros.com || 21
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may2023

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