Extreme Leadership Is Like Extreme Sports!

Here’s your training regimen

What does “extreme” mean to you? In the realm of sports, it refers to the willingness to take known risks in the pursuit of excellence. Think about BASE jumping, parkour, deep-water diving—the kinds of activities that only the most daring people will attempt, and then only after extensive training, planning, and setup. I’m not about to suggest that any sane person try those, not without a thorough grounding in the essentials.
 

On the other hand, every day I take the term “extreme” and apply it to leadership in the business world. Because, think about it: If you are going to lead a company to higher places and new vistas, you’re going to have to take some risks, but you don’t want them to be careless or ill-planned. If you want to be the first person to clamber up to the proverbial summit, you’d better be sure you know what the heck you’re doing first; being unprepared can have some unpleasant consequences.
 
With that in mind, here are three principles to follow to be an effective Extreme Leader. They’re culled from years of research that have culminated in the creation of my Extreme Leadership Institute. Strap on your protective gear and follow me:

Before you make any serious plans, take the time to reflect on your personal “inventory,” much as an extreme athlete would make a list of necessary supplies and important resources before training for a record. What people, what philosophies, and what life experiences are in your arsenal that has made you the leader you already are? You might write down the names of people who care about you, along with current or former mentors, and then recall and add to the list various life lessons and notable failures, accomplishments and talents, and the like. Then, what do you still need? What missing things, people, or experiences must you add to that inventory to improve your leadership abilities? Figure out how to get what you need, and get started in obtaining it.

The next step is essential: Don’t hoard what you have on that inventory list. If you were on a mountain-climbing expedition and refused to do anything to help the other participants, you would lose popularity (and thus, safety) quickly. In the business equivalent, as your projects and plans go forward, your arsenal of skills and experiences becomes much more valuable if you also work out what on the list you can share, give back, or replicate for others’ benefit. Think back to how you have felt in the past when others would not reach out to you, would not mentor you, or would not share their good fortune. How valued did that make you feel, and how encouraged were you? Was that in the best interest of your business? Of course not, and it was not so good for your morale or your effectiveness, either. Now, think about your own subordinates, colleagues, and customers and focus on what you can do for them. If you’re any kind of leader, you already know that the more you share the wealth of your knowledge and ideas, the more successful the entire enterprise will be. And, of course, if you later stumble anywhere on the way up the mountain, you’ll have many grateful and appreciative people willing to give you a hand.

At the Extreme Leadership Institute, we often call this third step “Replicate Yourself.” You really can, and must, change the world by making sure that you have taught the people around you well and inspired them to go on and do the same for others. I believe so strongly in self-replicating that I’ve written the book on it: Greater Than Yourself, exploring the concept that the best leaders excel by mentoring others to become even better than they were. It’s in that way that a company grows, a business innovates, and, little by little, the world becomes a better place.
 
Look forward five years. Will the people you mentor today be talking fondly about everything they learned from you? Will they, in turn, be mentoring people in the same way? You aren’t done mentoring or leading until the next generation of leadership has taken all they can get from you and improved on it. So, before you go on the extreme-leadership adventure, have both the right equipment and the right attitude on board. You won’t get to the top any other way.
 

Steve Farber is the founder of The Extreme Leadership Institute, an organization devoted to changing the world through the cultivation and development of extreme leaders in business, nonprofits, education, and beyond. Listed on Inc.’s ranking of the Top 50 Leadership and Management Experts in the world, and #1 on Huffington Post’s 12 Business Speakers to See, Farber is a bestselling author, popular keynote speaker, and a seasoned leadership coach and consultant who has worked with a vast array of public and private organizations in virtually every arena. Visit www.SteveFarber.com Follow @stevefarber Connect Steve Farber