What on earth is that? Is it a rock? Is it sea weed? We paddled the kayak closer to see what this “unidentified floating object” (UFO) was. My buddy and I were kayaking and snorkeling in the Sea of Cortez looking for some adventurous fun. However, what was about to happen was nothing that we had anticipated, nor dared dream of.

We paddled closer and closer in an attempt to determine what the identity was of this UFO. As we drew nearer it began to dawn on us that this “island” was not inanimate. No, it was alive yet unmoving. Something that big can only be one thing…and then it happened – it breathed. Spray shot up from the blow hole with a power and might that was extremely intimidating for two grown men gingerly floating in a small plastic boat.

A humpback whale – the behemoth of the deep.

Wow. What a thrill. What a rush. Should we try to get closer or flee? We were torn. Let’s get closer. Let’s get out of here. We were exhilarated. We were terrified.

We were “exhilified”.

This was definitely an “exhilifying” experience for us. We had to get closer. We paddled as close as we dared and got within 20 feet of this massive demonstration of the glory of creation. Our hearts were pounding, our mouths going dry, our spirits soaring. It dived. We chased it. It resurfaced. We gazed in awe. It dove again. We chased it. It resurfaced. We gazed in awe.

We chased it over and over again, never quite knowing where or when or how close it would surface. We did this for probably 30 minutes. It seemed to enjoy being close to us, yet revelling in mysteriously disappearing into the depths only to resurface again nearby to create a wildly wonderful game of hide and seek.

On our final encounter we floated very near the whale drinking in the grandeur of this amazing creature before it dove and swam right beneath out kayak. I looked down into the deep blue waters and watched this glorious giant silently glide like a massive space ship right underneath the kayak.

Truly exhilifying.

Only afterwards did we realize the potential danger of being that close to a 35 ton wild animal, but we would do it again in a heartbeat.

That encounter, and the accompanying emotions, spoke to me of the wild adventure of leading. Leading is exhilifying. Leadership can be exhilarating and it can be terrifying. Some days you are scared spitless wondering how on earth you are going to make your way through the scenario facing you. Other days you revel in the grand adventure of equipping, empowering, envisioning, engaging, inspiring and encouraging a team to accomplish exceptional results.

Leadership is both terrifying and exhilarating. If we are not feeling some degree of terror and exhilaration in our leadership then we have probably gotten stuck in our comfort zone and it’s time to step it up and step out. We are playing it safe and it’s time to take a risk.

If you are a leader then your comfort zone is probably outside your comfort zone. Leaders must be willing to take risks. It you play it safe and refuse to take risks you will slowly begin to die inside. And worse still, your organization and the people you lead will begin to die as well.

Risk creates healthy fear, and healthy fear is often necessary for motivation. A very successful leader once told me he couldn’t remember the last time he went into work unafraid. He realized his comfort zone was outside his comfort zone, so he tried to regularly choose to risk. And, therefore, he continued to grow as a leader and grow his organization.

If you find yourself afraid as a leader it’s a good sign. It’s a good sign because you have stepped into something you are not sure you can handle, so you will be motivated to up your game. In addition, fear is the prerequisite to courage, and choosing courage always leads to increased courage.

So, take heart, if you are partially terrified and partially exhilarated you could very well be exactly where you need to be. You are exhilified and that’s a good place for a leader to be.