Skydiving & Leadership - Ready...Set...Jump!

This past weekend I crossed another item off my bucket list – skydiving. Yes, I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane.  It was a tandem skydive – I was attached to Robbie, my new friend, and 15-year veteran skydiver. What a rush! Wicked awesome! It was scary, exciting, exhilarating…and so much more.

Sometimes we have to get really high to see how small we are.   

How does it feel? It’s almost impossible to put into words. Without using any fancy words or trying to come up with something unique - it truly does feel like flying. Sitting in the airplane with everyone else (who were all skydiving pros), I quickly became aware of the reality of my decision, and honestly, I was terrified. Once that door opened, an immediate rush of cold air hit me right in the face. Robbie, my partner (whom I was very attached to – quite literally) told me to “start the waddle” towards the door and listen to every word he said. I probably don't have to tell you that my legs were like spaghetti. Once we were at the door, I looked down and saw the ground...13,500 feet below me. For a moment, I asked myself, “Am I really going to do this, or should I just back out now? What if I break something? What if I die???” 

But, I didn’t back out. I leaned back into the “banana position” (as Robbie called it), trusted in my partner and within mere seconds I was soaring.

If I could stand in an open airplane doorway two-and-a-half miles above the ground and will myself to step into empty space, then I could do anything.   

While freefalling, I experienced so many feelings. It really is sensory overload – in a good way. It was windy and a little cold (just cold enough). My adrenaline was pumping like crazy and I couldn’t stop smiling. In the plane, all I could think was, “What if our parachute doesn’t open? What if we land the wrong way, and I break my leg?” But, as I was “floating” through the air, free as a bird, none of that crossed my mind. I didn’t think about anything. I was free…and loving it.

It was over before I wanted it to be. I could have stayed in the air forever. 

After looking through the hundreds of pics and video of this unforgettable event, I started to think about my somewhat new role as a Cisco people leader and how skydiving and leadership have some similarities. 

• Sometimes leadership can have the speed and force of skydiving. It can make us nervous, dizzy, and sometimes anxious.
• It involves taking a leap of faith. Sometimes, as leaders, we jump in with no hesitation...with complete certainty in our decisions and actions. Other times we need a gentle push or someone to “jump with us”.  It involves trusting yourself – and others.
• Just like leadership, skydiving makes you face your fears. Both take courage, trust, and faith. 
• Similar to my tandem skydive, when you have good mentors and a great support system, you’re more likely to be successful and have smooth, gentle landings.
• When leaders take time to pause, “breathe it all in”, and take time to reflect…they can see things with a whole new perspective.
• Last, but certainly not least, (as Robbie says) there are no perfect skydives. There is always room for improvement. There are no perfect leaders. No one is perfect. Leaders, like everyone else, make mistakes. Good leaders learn from their mistakes and are constantly searching for ways to improve.

When it comes to leadership, much like skydiving, you take leaps, you jump in…even when it’s uncomfortable. You soak it all in, you learn, you get better, and you keep “working on yourself”.  

Those who don't jump will never fly.

I'm ready for my next jump out of a perfectly good airplane ..maybe by myself this time. Even then, I know I'll have a great support system in the air with me, guiding me as I freefall, coaching me every step of the way, so I can enjoy the "flight" and be even better the next time I take the leap.