Chapter 6: Extreme
Leaders must be extreme as in, extremely committed, extremely focused, and extremely passionate. The movie “United 93”, which is about the commercial airliner that crashed in a Pennsylvania field on September 11, 2001, carries a power lesson of EXTREME leadership. In the movie, when Ben Sliney, the Air Traffic Control boss (who plays himself) realizes the scope of the 9/11 attack, he immediately orders all planes grounded. Every airplane commercial, military, and private in the United States on the ground NOW! The massive inconveniences, the logistical nightmares, and the financial costs to the airlines did not matter to him. He was a leader. He saw the dimensions of the moment and knew he had to go to the extremes of his professional knowledge and position.
Leadership requires that kind of extreme commitment, focus, and passion. Many people are captivated by what is called Extreme Sports. In these kinds of sports, athletes take a contest to its extreme outer limits. Over the years, I’ve learned that leaders are those who take life to its extreme outer limits. That’s why they are leaders. Others are content to let life lay there; leaders push it to and beyond the limitations that typically stop others. Just as only 5% of athletes ever compete at the extreme level, only 5% of people ever push to the extreme heights of life.
When I started “Find Your Why,” I was inundated with people who wanted to get rich. The dollar was their focus, but they weren’t extremely committed to the vision. So, I had to weed them out and go for something much better – extreme commitment.
This kind of extreme commitment is the result of a personal decision. Every one of you reading this book right now has the power to become extremely committed. It’s in you! All you have to do is make the decision to become EXTREME – extremely committed.
Wherever you are, stand up and say it right now: I AM A LEADER! I AM EXTREMELY COMMITTED!
Now, remember: every decision gets tested. That’s just the way life is designed. So, don’t be surprised when you get hit by a storm, a crisis, or a complete life reversal. If you are extremely committed, you’ll go through it. But, if you are not extremely committed, the storm will reveal that also.