Connection over change

opinion

by Aircraft Investor Expert

24 August 2026

Smith, sporting a now unfamiliar necktie.

When I first started in banking, I wore a necktie and dress slacks to work every day. Back then, it was a big deal when we were allowed to wear a polo shirt or jeans on a Friday for a fundraiser. Words by Mike Smith, president, Scope Aircraft Finance.

Over time, dress codes relaxed, and then the great accelerator, the COVID-19 pandemic, triggered an almost instantaneous shift that coincided with hybrid work and work-from-home policies.

Now, here we are in late summer 2026, and I barely remember how to tie a tie. I’m not entirely sure my dress slacks fit anymore, either. It’s a reminder that things change over time and sometimes change remarkably fast.

We see the same pattern in technology. Not even 15 years ago, some borrowers were still mailing paper financial statements, and loan documents were routinely printed and signed with ink. The other day, a customer sent updated financials via FedEx, and I had to explain to one of our younger team members how normal that process used to be.

Yet amid all this change, some fundamentals have endured. The one that keeps coming to mind is the value of strong relationships. No matter how much technology we adopt, or how we dress for a conference, the connection between people matters more than anything else. In fact, in this era of accelerating technology, I’d argue its value is greater than ever.

We are in a business built on the idea that connection is important enough to justify getting on an airplane and flying across the country to see someone. Aviation is an industry built on connecting people, so it’s fitting that the importance of working with good people remains a constant in a changing world.

Perhaps instead of worrying about how quickly the world is changing, or whether artificial intelligence will diminish our role, we should spend more time investing in genuine connection. Pick up the phone and check in. Strengthen existing relationships and build new ones. Rather than focusing on change itself, we should lean into the enduring constants, especially connection.

As the calendar turns to autumn, we’re presented with the usual lineup of industry conferences and conventions, each offering an opportunity to prioritise those connections. It’s one of the things I look forward to most every year.

Now for the real debate: do I wear a tie or not?