LTL 144: Global Leadership Summit Takeaways Part Four

Nelson Mandela once said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” I know few people who embody that quote more than Bear Grylls. This is the fourth and final part of my key takeaways from the 2019 Global Leadership Summit.

I hope you have enjoyed listening to these episodes as much as I have enjoyed recording them! I’ve tried to keep them simple, short, and practical. My intent is always to make valuable use of your time. If it’s crap, you should shut it off and I should shut it down. Fortunately, there was a massive amount of content from the Global Leadership Summit.

Bear Grylls

If you don’t know who Bear Grylls is, let me give you an idea. A former member of the British Special Forces, Grylls has climbed Everest, crossed the Arctic Ocean in an inflatable boat and starred in his Emmy-nominated TV show Man Vs Wild (which became one of the most-watched programs on the planet with an estimated audience of 1.2 billion).

He also hosts NBC’s hit show Running Wild with Bear Grylls as well as groundbreaking series on National Geographic, Netflix and Amazon. He is a number one best-selling author and has sold over 15 million books. These include his autobiography Mud, Sweat and Tears, and this year a powerful new book on faith called: Soul Fuel.

Not As It Appears

If you know who Bear is, then you know him for all his successes. They are astounding. Just watch a single episode of Man vs. Wild and you’ll capture a glimpse of his incredible sense of survival. But Bear is more than the sum total of his many successes.

His humility is equally astounding. In my notes, I titled his session Learnings from the Valleys, Battles, and Struggles. I don’t recall if that was his title – but I suspect it was. Often, when we see the end result, we gloss over the difficult road one must travel to their destiny.

I knew Bear was British Special Forces. What I didn’t know was that he didn’t make the six-month cut. So, as you can imagine, he was gutted. Man, you don’t have to be special forces to feel the pain that happens when you fall short. Especially when you have spent massive time and energy to achieve an outcome that is alluding you.

More Failures Than Successes

As is often the case, his pain became his progress. So please, PLEASE, listen closely to what he said. Bear said he had far more failures than successes. What’s your response to failure? Because how you answer this question very well could determine your destiny. Failure is a part of your journey.

Because of this, Bear says that there are no shortcuts to your goals that avoid failure. Think about this for a moment. You will never experience fulfillment without hard work, but hard work is no guarantee that you will succeed. Harsh, but true.

Nothing More To Give

He said that your reaction to failure is important because life doesn’t always reward the brilliant or talented – and I would add that it doesn’t always reward your hard work. Just the opposite at times and you know what I mean if you have ever been kicked in the teeth for doing the right thing.

Bear was saying that during Special Forces training you literally encounter points where you have nothing more to give. I know some of you live and work this way. You dig deep each day and leave it all on the floor holding nothing back. He calls this being mighty in spirit.

I don’t know if this will surprise you, but it surprised me. He said that of the four of them that graduated Special Forces training, three had failed previously. I guess failure was a part of the journey!

Fears, Battles, and Giants

Bear said that we all face battles and giants. It reminds me of the famous quote from the late 1800s:

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
Ian Maclaren

Our job, Bear says, is to embrace the difficulty. Because life rewards the dogged. Life is meant to test us, so when you encounter trouble, you are living! The answer to fear is facing it.

So here’s another really important thought: the marks and the scars make us real. This is REAL life. Not cushion, comfort, or simply cruising but crushing. The things that leave a mark confirm we have been living. The only way past fear is through fear and Bear says fear is a constant part of every journey map.

Fire To Move Forward

Don’t allow discouragement to take a foothold. You have to move forward when everything in you wants to give up. Those are hard times. You might be having one of those times right now. Lean into it and find the fire to move forward. He calls this finding the extra. It’s a small word, but important. Because it’s the difference between ordinary and extraordinary.

When you look around and you see everyone else giving up, let that be your trigger to give more. I heard this statistic recently and may have even shared it on a previous episode, but physical trainers believe that our minds want to quit somewhere between 40% and 60% of our actual physical capacity.

Back in episodes 078 and 079, Brandon Bruce addressed this when we were talking about his massive bike rides for Alzheimer’s fund raising events. He said one way he increased his mental endurance was by always reminding himself that he could ride twice as far as he had ridden. That kind of endurance is needed for life.

Remember, you can handle twice the adversity you’ve seen – bring it because you can take it. What if David had thought he had met his max battling a lion and a bear? Do you think Goliath would have fallen that day? I don’t. Your struggle produces growth.

Blow On The Ember

Bear says it only takes an ember to ignite that flame. Hang onto those embers so you can fan the flame of endurance! Never. Give. Up. The storms make you strong. And that leads to Bear’s final “F” word.

Faith

You will need faith to keep going. He says that the summit is coming. We all have our Mt. Everest to conquer, but it’s up to you to silence the voice of doubt.

Where does your strength to persist come from? Bear finds his strength and power in Christ. He calls life a journey of courage. As a result, he chooses not to walk that journey alone. A critical aspect of his relationship with Jesus is that he is known, loved, and forgiven – even when falling and failing.

Final Thoughts

I’ll leave you with these final thoughts from Mr. Grylls. Your dreams will require failure and the presence of fear. If they aren’t present, then your dreams aren’t big enough. Never. Give. Up.

You will find true wealth in being grateful and kind. Seek humility and know your place. Don’t be an idiot – so remember you are lucky to be alive! Be kind and helpful.

True wealth is in relationships – so don’t miss out on the true value in life. YOU ARE VALUABLE, SO STAND TALL!

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

The Leader to Leader Podcast Episode 141: Global Leadership Summit Takeaways Part One

Leader to Leader Podcast Episode 142: Global Leadership Summit Takeaways Part Two

The Leader to Leader Podcast Episode 143: Global Leadership Summit Takeaways Part Three

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