Why I'm Liking Diana Nyad Right Now!

 
"Never a solitary sport, it's a team."

So said Diana Nyad after completing her record-breaking swim from Havana to Key West.  Ms. Nyad, at 64 years of age, had tried this epic swim four times before.  Now, she had made it.   If ever there was a time to celebrate individual achievement, this was it.   Instead, to what did Ms. Nyad focus our attention?     She pointed to her team.

How often have we heard these sayings associated with leaders?  "It's lonely at the top."   "It's not my job to be liked."    "I sacrifice a lot."  All of these statements, spoken by the leader, focus the attention on. . .well, the leader.  And how difficult it is to be a leader.   And how hard the leader has worked.

Nyad's a leader who swam non-stop, day and dead-of-night, through jellyfish and shark invested waters.   Did we hear how hard her job was?   Not really.    We heard her credit her team.

Ms. Nyad is correct about her accomplishment, it wasn't a solitary sport.  Leadership, by its very definition, is not solitary.   If you don't have a team, you're not a leader;  having a team that follows you is what makes you a leader.

Thinking deeper about Nyad's (and her team's) accomplishment, we find these things to be true:

Her team was multi-skilled and multi-talented.   Did she hire a bunch of people who were just like her?   Who were all great swimmers?   Nope, she built a diverse group of multi-talented individuals who could advise her regarding nutrition,  tides, safest pathways to success.    She thought carefully about her task, decided what talent she needed and formed her team around that criteria.

Her team was as dedicated to her success as she was.     Granted, they weren't in the sea at all hours swimming through choppy waters - but they were physically with her from start to finish.   The team stuck together to accomplish what previously had not been done.

Her team came ashore first.  At the completion of the grueling swim, members of  her team beached first to assure that Nyad's pathway to success was clear and without obstacle.  They paved the way for her, and ultimately the team's, success.

They all celebrated their afterward.   If they would have been working in some businesses, they would have rewarded with:  "Nice job, but get back in the water, we all have work to do."   Never forget the importance of recognizing team achievement with appropriate recognition and celebration.

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Brent Frerichs is the author of "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" available on Amazon Kindle for e-readers, tablets, PCs and Apple products.  If you are a member of Amazon Prime, "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is now part of the lending library!