Support Your People!

Experiencing failure and pain is the price we pay for character.

Yes, my hands were frozen from frostbite. Just part of the learning experience. Was that a reason to quit? No, it wasn’t a reason to quit.

This is coming across Willow Lake toward the finishing line. Oh, what another exciting moment. Look at my dogs, don’t they look happy? It was a happy moment for me. A brand-new newbie, who took on two races in Alaska, who had never raced a dog before. I finished two races and brought all of my dogs home; I took care of them, so they took care of me. I didn’t know beans about what I was doing. Except for the few hours that Mitch had in prepping me and getting me ready for this, I knew nothing. I just went for it. That’s how you become successful.

This is the finishing line, and you can see Mitch standing there on the other side of me, Mary right behind me, and Jared is there taking a video that went all over the world—some of you might have seen it. There’s Josef giving me a big hug. The rewards. There’s Janae video recording, Matt hugging me. My team was there to support me. They flew all the way from Utah to be there at the finishing line to support me. How do you think that made me feel? Like I had value, like I had self-worth, like I meant something to them other than just their boss.

That’s what you need to do to all of your people—make them feel that they’re something special. I can’t tell you in enough words how special my team made me feel when I came across that lake to the finish line, and they were there to greet me. I knew the sacrifices they made to fly up there on a commercial flight and drive 150 miles from Anchorage to be at that finishing line.

Yes, sometimes all it takes is just giving a little bit to change another person’s life and perspective. Give to the people in your organization, and they’ll be there for you.