August 2010 it all became very real for me. Life itself became about today, this moment I have now. Not tomorrow, or when I am ready, nor the next budget period, or when we have the buy-in from everybody, but now.
I was lying there on the side of a mountain, my bike somewhere further down below with my head burst open. That Sunday morning I miraculously survived a terrible mountain bike accident. That Sunday morning it should have been my last day, my last memory, my last breath.
"REGRETS" .....well there would have been heaps of them. No one's fault but my own. My own choice to think that I am, like we all do, invincible. We live like we are guaranteed a tomorrow. We live like we are guaranteed a next moment with a loved one, that the argument we had earlier can be dealt with 'tomorrow'.
I have learned a lot over the last 8 years and I have been blessed to get involved with many people and companies on many different platforms. All with the purpose to help them be more successful, more fulfilled, and more engaged in their lives at all levels. Helping their executive teams to be more united and stronger....less 'vulnerable' to the demands and pressure placed on them by life.
The most important thing I learned was that we are all called to be leaders. It starts with yourself. You are the leader of your own life! What does that look like? Are you taking action, taking responsibility and being accountable or are you blaming others. Are you still holding on to the excuses and reasons to justify yourself? How is that working out for you so far?
What I have come to learn is that we can't do this leadership journey alone. I have learned that no 10 steps to becoming a good leader is going to transform anything in your life either. I needed someone I can build a relationship with, someone I can trust, someone who has lived life and experienced the realness of the 'dark side' in the mistakes they made and lived through taking full responsibility for correcting it. Someone who when I am bleeding, can show me their scar. Someone who when I am about to take the wrong turn can prevent me from making the same mistake they made. Not because they think they know better, but because I know they have my best interest at heart. Someone who will stand up against me...for me!
I have had the pleasure to see lives, companies and families change in front of me over the last 8 years. Where getting me involved made no business sense, but it made every leadership sense. Then after a couple of months, not to mention years, it made all business sense as I hear the bottom line shout 'thank you'.
I have also had the sad experiences where following my initial presentation to the Exco the majority wanted to walk a journey with me. Yet because of one or two the journey never started. Why, I don' know. It might be their ego, their own insecurities or ignorance. They might have something to hide and fear being exposed. The sad thing is that the CEO or President of that company knew it was necessary. The CEO knew the team under that executive member is struggling and crying out for help. The CEO knew that some of his executive team members are under severe stress and pressure. The CEO knew his executive team member was having an affair or under financial stress, and his vulnerability was placing them all at risk. Yet the CEO kept quiet and did not stand up, making a call that could have prevented what today is written in the pages of history.
Maybe the best staff in that operations team would not have resigned to go find a better and healthier working environment. Maybe the efficiency of the team could have been 20% higher and we achieved our targets. Maybe $1m would not have been wasted on an internal investigation to unethical behaviour. Maybe the companies market share would not have halved over night. Maybe a marriage could have been saved or the child not sitting in rehab. Maybe the heart attack could have been prevented. Maybe....and yes maybe that suicide could have rather ended in another breath being taken with a new perspective on life.
For some of us there may be another 1000 days, for some another 20000 days and more, but for some of us there might only be today. What are you going to do with today. When are you going to wake that leader up within yourself and do what you know is necessary. When is the CEO and the President of their company going to stand up and do what is good, what is best regardless if all agree. Because that is your company, it is your people, it is your family....it is your conscious and your legacy.
In August 2010 I got my second chance at life. What are you going to do with yours?
What is your next phone call going to be, who is your next coffee going to be with?
May you all, wherever you are, have the courage to stand up and take leadership! You are worth it!
