Endurance
Since 1923, outside of World Wars, racing teams have sought to conquer the 24 Hours of Le Man. Three drivers per team rotate shifts for 24 hours. The team with the most distance traveled in that 24 hours wins. 3,360 miles in 24 hours is the record. That’s an average of 140 mph – with the pit stops to change drivers, brakes, tires, and more. Think about that! Speeds often reach 205 mph today. Over the years, 22 racers and 82 spectators have perished. The desired outcome for every team is to finish and, better yet, in the winner’s circle. Almost every one of them is prepared to die to get there. Winning, or finishing for that matter, requires they operate as a team and face incredible challenges and opposition from the weather, mechanical issues, mental fatigue, and of course, the competition. They strategize down to the detail and prepare for everything. And each racer prepares to stay focused on every lap and every leg they run. The race is a grueling test of endurance.
I put this in perspective when I consider the long hauls my wife and I have done. We have driven from Alaska to Florida, Florida to Alaska, and Alaska to Alabama over the last 15 years or so. We typically average about 10 hours a day. The mileage is just over 4000 miles and it takes us around 8 days. These racers at Le Man run around 3000 miles in 24 hours! It’s truly amazing what we are capable of as humans.
Throughout the challenging year of 2020, we’ve all been faced with multiple levels of adversity. And frankly, the significance of the year tested our endurance. As business leaders, we’ve rarely faced such a year. Near the beginning of the year, I had just executed an organizational structure change. That alone in most years presents its own set of challenges. Not long after those changes were in place, a pandemic formed that would rock the entire planet. Almost immediately, everything shifted. The 8 – 5, Monday through Friday in the office gave way to Zoom, Teams, remote work and more. As we were battling this virus, social unrest in the U.S. was once again front and center. To add to the chaos across the globe, we here in the United States were in the middle of one of the most contested and contentious elections years in our history. The division in the country created rifts between friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers across the nation.
It seemed like as the weeks passed, there was more to handle. The loss, heartache, and concern are a lot to process and as a leader of an organization, the burden is heavy. In fact, in just one week recently, I lost a friend, a friend lost his father, and we dealt with a suicide. I don’t think I’ve said “take it one day at a time” more than I have in the last 10 months. I think many of us wanted to put our hands on our knees and just find a breath to take. That’s about the time when doubt and mental opposition creep in. Sometimes it just seems like, “enough is enough.” Every leader faces it.
I’ve come to realize that some of these challenges are the catalyst to our greatest moments. Adversity can be a seed of extraordinary growth for individuals, leaders, companies, and countries. We can learn what we are capable of when we are face to face with challenges.
I remember clearly when my heart stopped. No, not a heart attack, but it did stop. I was in the ER and the nurse performed chest compressions to get it pumping again. It’s a strange feeling thinking you are for sure going to die. Soon after, they were running me into the MRI and Cat Scan area to see what was up. As you could imagine, I was amped up with adrenaline but very short on confidence. As they were rolling out of that room, I vividly remember feeling God’s presence. This overwhelming sensation came over me that it was going to be a long night, but I’d be there the next morning. It was like a fighter in the corner after taking some hits and the trainer said, “Hey, its going the distance, bud…I’ll be here.” Right at that moment, I felt like there was nothing I couldn’t endure. Ever since then, I’ve been a huge believer in the idea that we are far more capable than we think are. We can endure far more than we think we can. But why? And how?
Endurance and Purpose/Outcome
Ben Saunders and his partner did a four-month trek to the South Pole…on foot. When I went sheep hunting in Alaska, I carried a 50-pound pack up and down the mountains. These two dragged a 400 plus pound sled behind them for 900 miles to the South Pole and 900 miles back – 1800 miles! No one had ever done this before. Antarctica is unforgiving and the place of many disasters. But also, the place of incredible feats and triumphs.
Like Saunders, Ernest Shackleton accomplished something no one thought possible. In a book called Endurance, Shackleton and his crew attempted a sea to sea crossing but ended up caught in an ice block and their ship eventually destroyed. Yet, 500 days after surviving on ice and lifeboats, they reach land some 346 miles from where their ship was destroyed. There are few places on earth that test the endurance of humans like the Antarctic. The bitter cold, the wind, and the terrain make it for an unforgiving place. How do people like Ben Saunders and Earnest Shackleton beat the odds? They were relentlessly committed to their purpose and outcome.
If you think about it, without a full commitment for the outcome, there would be no hope. Without a burning desire, these men would have quit. Instead, they had a singular focus and purpose. Absent that, they quit or die. I look at it as the difference between should and could to must. In their minds, they must do it. In Elon Musk’s mind, humanity must go to space to carry on. The must do sets the foundation to build our endurance on.
Not long ago in a talk I gave, I explained my thoughts on the “must do” mindset. Abraham Lincoln had a “must do” mindset when it came to his commitment, his purpose, to save the union. At all cost he was to endure the challenges, adversity, and opposition to save the union. It wasn’t a choice of should we or shouldn’t we. It was a must. Speaking out of experience, Lincoln once said, “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” Why? Because the union must survive.
As you go forward in leadership, define your “must do.” It becomes the why statement to rally behind. For Ben Saunders, the outcome was human achievement. For Lincoln, the outcome was abolishment of slavery and saving the union. The why and must do is the foundation for your endurance. But you’ll not be without opposition.
Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.
A Man’s Search for Meaning. Viktor Frankl
Endurance and Opposition
The other night my 16-year-old son said awfully wise to my 13-year-old daughter. He said, “Why do you think you have to accept criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from?” I love that! The best part was hearing something like that from a kid his age. Critics are everywhere. The more you live your dreams, the more critiques you get. And here’s the thing about opposition…it is relentless! The enemy and detractors have zero interest in your accomplishments or your passions, visions, dreams, and successes. And any hint of a lack of commitment on your part is simply food for the opposition that comes from anywhere. None of us our exempt.
A story that always fascinated me is the angel who ran into resistance and opposition on his way to deliver a message to Daniel. For 21 days he was opposed. He had to be helped by the Angel Michael. Opposition literally comes from everywhere. And sometimes we need a little help; even our Angels need each other. The message was of such importance, the Angel was willing to endure the resistance and seek help to provide words and guidance to a mortal like Daniel. It was a “must do” situation.
Anything worthwhile, any “must do,” comes with setback, trials, challenges, critics, and opposition. In fact, there is no endurance without opposition. The bottom line with opposition is that it is going to be there. It’ll be there spiritually, mentally, and physically at some point. That’s why having a solid foundation of a passion, purpose, and clear outcome is so important – it’s the best way to overcome opposition.
If you are a leader, or soon to be one, once you define your purpose, the desired outcomes, and your “why,” it’s only a matter of time before the opposition comes knocking. That’s ok. It’s part of the deal. Every major leader in history faced opposition. Every major accomplishment faced opposition. We celebrate the perseverance, endurance, teamwork, and admire the commitment to the outcome because we know how hard it is to overcome that level of opposition. If you truly believe in the purpose and passion, stay the course.
In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.
A Man’s Search for Meaning. Viktor Frankl
Endurance and Success:
In a Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl said, “We needed to stop asking questions about the meaning of life, and instead think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly.” Racing drivers in Le Man tackle the 24 hours one hour at time, one lap at a time, one leg at a time. They constantly fight the battle between their wondering minds and focus on the track at 200 mph. Marathon runners often block out the 26 miles and focus one mile at a time or one landmark at a time. Frankl and the others in the concentration camp had to focus one hour at a time just to survive.
The point is, we often find ourselves in what we believe to be overwhelming odds. Maybe your boss or the board of the directors have given you an impossible growth goal. Or you have a task in front of you to turn around a corporate culture. As a leader, you’ve been called upon to help maintain focus and confidence in a pandemic. Whatever the case, the odds sometimes seem pretty stacked against us. My technique is to avoid trying to eat the entire cow in one bite; it’s ok if it takes a little longer. Lincoln once said, “I am a slow walker, but I never walk back.” I encourage you that you’ll find success in your journey by taking it one step at a time. Chip away…just keep moving.
Isn’t it pretty amazing how often something else is done on this earth that takes human endurance just a little farther? Whether it’s setting records for speed at Le Mans, trekking to the South Pole on foot, or leading organizations across the glow; people are constantly setting the bar higher and higher in human endurance. In almost every case of amazing feats of endurance there is a focused passion, a “why” statement. There is no doubt opposition that seems to increase the closer you get to your goal, or the bigger the goal is. And each one found success by chipping away in their training, preparation, discipline and mindset. You’ll be tested as a leader especially as you step into courageous goals. There’s going to be good days and bad days along the way. And you’ll absolutely need some help – take it! If the desired outcome is bigger than yourself, giving up won’t be an option.
Leave No Doubt…