One Long Swim

I was fascinated all last week with Diana Nyad's attempt to make the longest swim in history without a shark cage.  She was trying to swim 103 miles from Cuba to Florida.  And she turned 63 last week.  I was updating my family at every meal where she was and how far she'd gone.  The thought of it fascinated me and terrified me.  Of course, a couple laps at my neighborhood pool terrifies me as well.  This was Nyad's fourth try.  She didn't make it.  She was disappointed.  She was in the water for 63 hours.  I can't even wrap my brain around that.  It made me think a lot about life and, especially, leadership.  There were a few things about her journey that stuck out, and they better stick out to all of us if we lead anything:

• She had a team with her directing her.  You can't be a "Lone Ranger" leader.  Yes, she was alone in the water.  Yes, only you can know exactly the hills you're climbing.  However, we need a team to direct us, guide us, encourage us and (for Diana), tell us it's time to get out of the water.
• There will be storms.  Diana ran into a squall or two.  They blew her off course.  If you lead anything for a decent amount of time, you're going to run into some squalls.  They're going to throw you off course.  It's going to make you expend extra energy and effort.  But expect them.  You can't possibly think you would do something bold and not run into storms.  If it was easy, everybody would be swimming from Cuba to Florida.
• There will be sharks -- and they'll be circling.  You just have to expect it.   Leaders shouldn't be surprised at the sharks.  Go in knowing what you'll be facing and have a plan.  Diana had a team emitting a low frequency electrical current through the water undetectable to humans but bothersome to sharks.  She had others helping her keep the sharks at bay.  Be prepared for the sharks.
• It was the surprises that got her.  It wasn't the sharks, the storms or the fatigue that ultimately got to Diana.  She had prepared and expected those.  It was those dadgum jellyfish.  They were worse than she thought they'd be.  And they stung her until she said that it wasn't fun anymore.  If there is a way to prepare for what you can't prepare for, it's worth trying.  Leaders have to expect the unexpected.

But here's the part that I love.  After it was over and they pulled Diana out of the water short of the goal., her operations chief said, "It's a cross between being down, being so tired because everyone wanted this so much, and a huge sense of accomplishment...Nobody in the world would even attempt this, but we did" (CNN.com).  We tried the impossible.  We came up short, but even coming up short was better than what anyone else did.  Leaders have to take risks. 

Pastors are often the world's worse.  We end up lone rangers.  We think it will all be smooth sailing.  We're surprised by the sharks.  And the unexpected hiccups get the best of us.  So we stop risking.  And when we stop risking, we stop doing great things for God and His Kingdom.  The same is true for the believer.  We can't stop risking and going out on a limb for Him, despite the disappointment from the last try or the fear of the storms and sharks that might lie ahead.  Your greatest accomplishment, doing the impossible, conquering your fears might be just ahead at the next risk you take.  Don't miss out on it because you wouldn't get in the water.