Do you like amusement park rides?

There are some pretty crazy rides out there.  For some people the crazier the better; for others the tamer the better.

There are all kinds of tastes in rides.  Some people love the rides that are up and down, others side-to-side, others are round and round riders.  Personally I can’t handle the round and round rides – for me that is a sure fire recipe for getting sick.

There are some people who are roller coaster junkies.  Or should I perhaps say, roller coaster connoisseurs. They just love roller coasters.  The bigger the better.  The faster the better.  The scarier the better.  One thing is for certain, riding a roller coaster makes you come alive in ways you perhaps never thought possible.

It is amazing the power of terror to supercharge your senses and awaken you at a deep level.  Roller coasters do just that: they insight fear.  They trigger an adrenaline rush.  They are “adrenalizing”.  And, they are “exhilifying” – both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

Merry-go-rounds do not have that same impact.  Merry-go-rounds are “nice”.  They do not illicit any powerful or profound emotions.  They do not push you to your limits.  They do not test your courage.  The do not catapult you into scenarios you are not sure you will survive.  They are safe and predictable.

The scenery never changes on a merry-go-round.  No high speed thrills, simply slow paced, slow speed, tedium doing the same thing over and over again: up, down, round and round.  One speed and one pace going through the motions of movement, but never getting anywhere new.  You keep going where you have always been, and keep getting what you have always gotten.

What a contrast in rides.  What a contrast in leadership.

Good leadership is like a roller coaster: it is “adrenalizing” and “exhilifying”.  It pushes you out of your comfort zone.  It leads other out of their comfort zones.  It tests your courage.  You wonder if you will survive.  Sometimes you have your hands up in the air in triumphant jubilation.  Other times you are hanging on for dear life.  It is thrilling.

It operates at high speed.  It’s always moving forward.  It’s an adventure and it demands wholehearted engagement.  And, even though you may wonder whether or not you have what it takes to do what needs to be done, you feel alive in profound and powerful ways because you discover that your comfort zone is actually outside your comfort zone.

Wholehearted leaders will never settle for merry-go-round leadership: they will slowly die inside.  Albert Schweitzer said,

“The real tragedy in life is what dies inside a man while he yet still lives.”

If you feel like you are dying inside it may be because you are trapped in merry-go-round leadership.  You need to step outside of your comfort zone into roller coaster leadership.  You will never truly come alive if you choose to let your fears dictate the parameters of your life and leadership.  That is being trapped on a merry-go-round.

In order to discover your true strength, your true capacity, courage and capability, you must choose to step out into roller coaster leadership.  Take risks, push through your fear, hang on and learn to enjoy the ride.  When we are engaged in roller coaster leadership, or perhaps when you feel trapped in someone else’s roller coaster leadership, you will always have a choice in regard to your response.

You can choose fear and regret and wish with all your might to get off the ride.  Or, you can discover your courage and learn to revel in the growth you experience when you are outside your comfort zone: when you are in the “adrenalizing” and “exhilifying” zone.

The reality is, life and leadership are more like a roller coaster than a merry-go-round.  So instead of doing everything you can to create a merry-go-round existence, learn to revel in the adventure of the roller coaster.

It’s no good to die inside while you yet still live.  Awaken yourself by stepping out of your comfort zone into roller coaster leadership – that’s where the life and the thrill is.