“No one has a problem with the first mile of a journey. Even an infant could do fine for a while.
But it isn't the start that matters. It's the finish line.”
As I begin this post I am realizing that the title might be alarming to people who do not realize that Electroshock Therapy is a Tough Mudder obstacle. It is likely still alarming even after you realize that there is an obstacle where you are physically shocked by live wires. The video below brings this obstacle to life for people who have never seen or experienced it.
Once you get passed the initial shock (horrible pun noted) of this obstacle there are some leadership lessons that are inherently built into it.
1. Strategy - The great philosopher Mike Tyson once said that "Everyone has a strategy until they get punched in the face." This is certainly true with leadership and with this obstacle. People face this obstacle utilizing many different strategies. Some people try to carefully dodge the wires while others just run through as fast as they can. These pre-conceived strategies often go out the window as soon as you hit a live wire. I've seen countless people tumble to the ground (present company included) only to realize that they have to get up and keep moving with live wires all around. Leaders work along the same lines. The line that separates good leaders from great ones is the actions they take when the initial strategy fails. How do leaders respond to adversity? That's often the defining characteristic of many great leaders throughout history.
2. Flinch - People often don't realize that success is not an isolated event but more of a cycle of events. The basic foundation of success is failure which fosters growth and contraction. Along the leadership journey you continually encounter hurdles that progressively get higher as you move forward. This is also true with our journey in the mud. The hurdles will get higher with each event as we move towards the "World's Toughest Mudder". The temptation is often to flinch or hold back for fear of getting injured, failing, or even being publicly humiliated. At the end of each Tough Mudder event you are faced with Electroshock Therapy as the final hurdle before the finish line. There is always a huge crowd around to watch participants go through. You have several choices as you enter this final obstacle. You can flinch, slow down, and try to anticipate the shock or you can run full speed knowing that the shock will occur but you will move through it. During our trip to South Carolina we were actually dared to walk through the obstacle instead of running. We are never ones to back down from a challenge so we gladly accepted. This meant not flinching or even running through the obstacle but embracing the conflict that was about to unfold. Honestly, it was not nearly as bad as initially anticipated. This is typically the case with conflict or change from a leadership perspective. Once on the other side of an obstacle there is a certain pride and sense of accomplishment. Push through your leadership obstacles and you will feel the same thing we do when we complete this obstacle (without the tingling feelings from being repeatedly shocked).
3. Finish - This lesson ties closely to the quote that started the post. Anyone can start a journey but finishing takes great strength, courage, and perseverance. Electroshock Therapy is the very last obstacle that you encounter and you can see the finish line before you start it. The only thing keeping you from the finish line is 10,000 volts of electricity. Keep in mind that you can always elect to walk around any obstacle but that's not why you train, sign up, and start the journey. As leaders the most intimidating obstacle occurs right before you complete an initiative. Anyone can start something but great leaders finish what they started.
Leadership lessons abound on the course and these are just a few from the final obstacle. It may be important to note that this is not the only obstacle/time where electricity is involved. I'll save the Electric Eel and Shock on the Rocks for another time.
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