Helmet On... Now Run!

Paragliding MirafloresIn 2008 I was in Lima Peru with my brother Robert. We had met there to continue on to Cusco and eventually hike the famous ruins at Macchu Pichu. While in Lima we made our way to the costal suburb of Miraflores. We spent significant time seeing the sights and walking the famous cliff-side Larcomar shopping district that overlooks the historic La Rosa Náutica restaurant on the pier below. Anyone familiar with the area knows that to the north is the beautiful Parque de Amor (Lover’s Park) and just beyond that lies one of the most spectacular views in all of Miraflores, the cliff-side park atParapente. Standing there, in awe of the view, I had no idea that two years later I would find myself leaping from the two hundred foot high cliff on the southwestern edge of the park.

Like all cliff-side parks, this spot offers spectacular views of the ocean, the island in the distance, surfers that look like little bubbles on the water two hundred feet below, and the sky. Oh the sky! The view of the sky here is amazing. There on the cliffs of Parapente you understand how small and how fragile you really are. In fact, the sky that you see from that place is unlike any sky you will ever see in your lifetime; It is riddled with paragliders. You see, the winds that rise from the two hundred foot cliffs can raise a paraglider to over one thousand feet without effort, making this one of the foremost paragliding spots on earth. It was amazing to watch the ease with which these daring men and women became a strange subclass of Aves. The wind would pick up these birds, and in what seemed a choreographed dance of wonder wove them, in and out, over and under one another in a ballet of spectacular color. It is a wonder to behold.

As leaders we must remember that when we have the necessary skills to lead, from the outside our leadership can look choreographed and beautiful. Like the paraglider finding the balance in the wind, his own presence in the mix of others, and the sheer magnitude of the environment our leadership can be organized and beautiful. However, like the paraglider, if any one element fails, the ballet becomes a tragedy. Loss of wind, loss of any one other glider’s sense of presence and location, these things can change the makeup of the environment to be hostile or even deadly. Standing on that cliff, that beautiful ballet of color reminded me of how an astute leader has the ability to balance all the elements found in his or her organization and create a thing of beauty.

Fast-forward two years…

There I was, on that same cliff at Parapente, nervous yet excited as I waited for the wind to pick up so that I could paraglide for the first time. I had been here the day before, waiting. No wind, no ride. This was my last opportunity, I was leaving for home tomorrow. The wind, though the wait was excruciating, eventually cooperated.

I stood there after having paid my $35 and thought, “What on earth did I just do?” The apprehension grew a bit as they placed a helmet on my head and I told the pilot my weight. He gasped as he calculated the conversion to kilos in his head and I saw his countenance change… Not reassuring! I guess the wind was not strong enough for a 225lb., 6’-4” gringo. He hemmed, he hawed, he looked down at the $35 in his pocket and said, “Well, we can try!” … “Wait a minute… WHAT!” Clearly he was not going to give back my $35 so that left only one option… Pray and GO!

So there I stood, fifty yards from the cliff with my pilot strapping me into a harness that is attached to the biggest kite one has ever seen. I remember looking at the cliff fifty yards in front of me, and thinking one solitary thought, “Like this helmet is going to help!” Then, he tapped me on the shoulder and yelled, “Run!” Hesitant, yet obedient, I ran toward the two hundred foot cliff hoping that the drag I was feeling was the fully inflated glider behind me. There was no way to know.

Gasp!

This is the only time in my life that a non-spiritual experience brought the diametrically opposed feelings of dread and tranquility and slammed them together in an instant. Running off that cliff, and the tightening of my harness signaled the beginning of forty-five minutes of elation, beauty and indescribable wonderment. During that forty-five minute journey we ascended to over five hundred feet, smoothly traversed every manmade obstacle, mountain and valley within miles and above it all, the view was spectacular. There was not a hint of post-Parapente fear. Once the final step was taken, the ride was bliss (the landing however is another story).

Looking back at that experience I realize how many things could have gone wrong and I would not have known what to do. I was privileged to participate in a grand adventure that was only made possible by a highly skilled and trained pilot. As a leader, you must remember that at times your people will experience the fear of the unknown as they try to go with you on your journey. They must learn to trust your expertise and experience. As you sharpen your skill set and grow as a leader, you will instill trust in your abilities and provide excitement for the adventure. However, the trust of your people is paramount.

Had I not trusted my pilot that day I would have feared for the entire forty-five minutes of my flight. But because I trusted both his judgment and his skill set, I experienced a life changing, smooth flying adventure.

It is not appropriate, as leaders, to throw our people a helmet and strap them to our vision or action, without first earning their trust in our ability to lead. Should we attempt to do so, they will sit when we yell, “Run!”

Afterthought:

Was there risk even though the pilot was skilled and trained? Absolutely. That is the way of leadership and that was the reason for the helmet. Not every decision is going to play out the way you anticipate that it will. Some—by luck—will gain altitude, but many of them will plummet. This fact is the reason why it is so important to constantly refine your leadership qualities. Either train and train hard, or get off of the cliff!

VIEW THE VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id04I013TVA

Discover the Unknown

The Amazon Rainforest is perhaps the most remarkable place on planet earth. It consitutes 54% of the earth’s total rainforest. It covers 2.5 million square miles, nine countries and produces 20% of earth’s oxygen. There are riches in the amazon, most of which await discovery.

- One third of the planet’s bird species reside here.

- Half of all plant species, some ten million, can be found here.

- Over 3,000 different edible fruits are here in the forest.

- Yet only about 200 of them are well known to the western world.

- It is estimated that there are approximately fifty undiscovered tribes within this lush, mysterious place.

Every tributary, every trail leads to new discoveries and a wealth of new information. It is the most undiscovered resource on the planet and as leaders, we would do well to learn from her.

When was the last time you explored your people as you would the Amazon? Whether you are aware of it or not, they are your greatest asset.

What talents, what wisdom, what new insights lie deep within them?

What treasures can you uncover to transform your organization in new ways?

You will never know the depths of your people without intentional, adventurous inquiry. Sit with them, begin to explore... The treasures that you will uncover will blow your mind and transform your leadership awareness as never before. Tap into the wealth, start the journey.

Trickle to a Force

High up in the Andes of Arequipa Peru, near a simple trickle marked with a white cross, is a melting snowflake. If that snowflake melts and drips to the West, it ends up in the Pacific Ocean. If it drips to the East, it begins a 4000 mile journey to the Atlantic, known as the Amazon River.

It’s an amazing thought that a melting snowflake on the cliff of a mountain called Nevado Mismi eventually becomes the world’s largest river. As the water joins with other waters is steadily grows to become a force. Until, at last, 219,000 Cubic Meters per second rush into the Atlantic ocean on the eastern coast of Brazil.

As leaders, we should remember that each little spark of an idea has the potential to become a transformational force in our organizations. We must constantly scan the horizon, asking; “What other ideas can I bring together with this one to create something bigger, something almost uncontrollable.” Truly transformational leaders possess the innate ability to see the bigger picture and assimilate data while on the journey. Just like the amazon, as you combine, connect, and let thoughts incubate, the sum of those thoughts become greater than their parts.

The next time you have that small, lateral thought, STOP! Throw it out to your team or your direct reports. See if the streams of thought come together as something larger, and continue to let it grow, turning your Trickle into a Force.

Refresh and Renew

The Malecon 2000 is an amazing sight. A completely redesigned, vibrant place to which travellers from the world over come to walk, shop, mingle and be seen. Located in Guayaquil Ecuador this riverside boardwalk has become the country’s safest, most frequented site for both tourists and locals. However, this was not always the case. Like so many Urban Renewal Projects, the riverfront was transformed because someone had a vision of what it could be. For years, the crime rose, the building became dilapidated, and finally someone said “Enough!” Because someone had vision, people were mobilized and monies generated.

As a leader, when was the last time you looked at your organization with eyes from the outside.

When was the last time you asked yourself:

• How does my organization look to the outsider?

• What do others see that I do not see?

• When will I finally say “Enough!?”

First impressions rule the day and the sad truth is that many of us have lost individuals because of that first impression. Whether it be something as small as a product or as large as an organization, you have a very small window of time to leave your mark.

It has been said that any prospect makes their decision in the first minute of the encounter and the remainder of that precious time justifying why, or why not, your product or service is for them.

If necessary, bring an outsider in, to speak frankly to your deficiencies. Eyes from the outside can see things that you never will. They can tell you what you don’t know.

If your organization is to be all that it can be, always remember to “Refresh and Renew.”

Missing the Mark

Mitad del MundoIn 1736 French explorers set out on an expedition ordered by the King to prove or disprove the prevailing theory of the day, that the earth was not perfectly round but oval in shape, with the circumference at the equator being smaller than if measured through the earth's poles. Two teams were dispatched, one to the north pole, the other to the north of Quito Ecuador. Triangulation was done in the Andes along the tops of Ecuador's many volcanos, measurements were made, and the exact middle of the earth was marked. Today we call it the equator, and those French explorers marked the very spot at San Antonio de Pinchincha approximately half the distance between Quito and Ecuador's northern border with Colombia. Much effort went into these measurements and the marking of the earth's center was heralded as the greatest human accomplishment of it's day.

In 1978 a huge monument was constructed at the very spot where these explorers had marked. Several Interpretive Centers and Museums surround the great granite monument and it is today one of the major tourist attractions for those visiting Quito. Thousands come each year to straddle the line, one foot in the Northern Hemisphere, the other in the Southern. The tragedy, unbeknownst to these thousands of tourists...

The monument is in the wrong spot!

All that work, thousands of visitors who never actually accomplished their goal of straddling the equator, the cost of constructing the monument, all for naught! Problematic mapping datum and current GPS technologies have shown that the actual equator is 240 meters to the north. Thousand of tourists, coming from Quito have failed in their endeavor because of faulty information.

As leaders we must remember to acquire all available data before making a decision. To check and double check the facts. We must intimately know our current reality and embark upon our quest with adequate tools and resources to accomplish the task with excellence. If we fail to commit to these foundational actions we also run the risk of...

Building the Monument while Missing the Mark.

Afterthought:

So what now? How does Ecuador solve the problem? They don't! They propagate the lie. Thousands still come. They pay for this adventure and are not even aware they have been deceived. You see, the monument is too costly to relocate or to move. It makes for nice pictures!

Ask yourself...

How vested are you in a lie?

Is it time to do the right thing?

What happens when they find out the truth?

We must be leaders of integrity.

SEE MY VIDEO TITLED "MISSING THE MARK" FILMED ON LOCATION AT THE MITAD DEL MUNDO MONUMENT IN QUITO ECUADOR. THERE ARE TWO VERSIONS, ONE FOR LEADERS AND ANOTHER FOR CHURCH PLANTERS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FYYn-QJ9To

OTHER VIDEOS

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rickbcurtis&aq=f

Identity... Being who I was created to be

I reread Orwell’s Animal Farm tonight and was reminded of the corruption deep within the heart of man – or pig – should you be familiar with the satire. The story goes something like this: Mr. Jones, the farmer, runs his farm in the normal fashion, that is, until his farm runs him off in a quite abnormal set of circumstances. After years of living under dictator Jones, Old Major the boar, the wisest of the farm animals, sows the seeds of revolution, inspiring a revolt which places the farm in the hands of the animals. Farmer Jones’ Manor Farm is renamed Animal Farm and the animals actually manage the farm better than Jones.

You see, the pigs had wisdom and they stepped up to the role of strategists and ran the farm with the core truth of the equality of all animals. They recognized that one gift is no better than another, they are simply different. Each gift was used in a way that benefited the society as opposed to the individual. Communism at its finest. Ahem...

But the real problem was, after the death of Old Major the boar, there were two power pigs left to guide the farm, Snowball and Napoleon. Two pigs, two visions. Therein lies the problem. While Snowball ran the farm the farm ran well. He was inventive and always thinking of the farm. Napoleon however, had self interest and was tired of Snowball’s ingenuity. In a coup of epic proportions Napoleon uses his soldiers, the dogs, to run Snowball off of the farm. He forcibly takes control. What results is inhuman animalistic behavior perfectly typical of the fallen human animal. History of the farm is rewritten, laws subtly changed to mean something different, and Snowball is systematically vilified until his memory is a symbol of evil. Napoleon, the Hitler-pig sets himself as the supreme ruler of the farm. But that’s not all…

Evil has a way of taking hold and turning one into something unrestrained. Napoleon does not simply rule with an iron hoof but begins a campaign of genocide to intimidate and prevent questioning, and by way of admiration does the most evil of deeds... He begins to act human.

The animals--at one time--had a mantra, a summation of their core beliefs, it stated; “Four legs good, two legs bad.” It was the foundational belief that helped to free them from the oppression of man. However, over time, man is exactly what Napoleon aspired to be. He learned to read, to bargain, to speak and to write. He even learned to drink alcohol and eventually walk on two legs. He changed the mantra to; “Four legs good, two legs better!” He became the object that inspired revolution in his previous master, Old Major. He became evil through self interest. He exalted self and forgot about others. In fact, the book ends with the animals peering in on a conversation between their leader, Napoleon the pig, and their enemy, the humans. They glance back and forth from pig to human and from human to pig, and in the final words of the book, it was impossible to say which was which.

Jesus called us light in darkness, light that cannot be hidden. The ones peering into the windows of our lives should be able to readily tell if we are darkness or light. They should not be pushing their noses to the window and trying to discern whether we are pig or human, sheep or goat. This world is an animal farm for sure, and I choose to be a sheep, I choose to hear “Well done good and faithful servant!”

I will be who I was created to be. I will be as good to my neighbor as to myself. I willseek humility not authority. Authority is given by God. Created a sheep, I will remain a sheep, and be the best sheep I am able to be.

When It Rains It Pours

[Note: Written a few years]

The beauty behind storms of adversity is that they tend to reveal who you truly are. For me it means focus and a sharpening of mind and action. But it also means a hint of calculated, emotional removal from the circumstances. Down to business. Hear Father. Do as instructed. I do not know whether this is a good or bad, healthy or harmful. I will leave that to the reader. However, after a week like this one, I thank Father for the ability to focus in the downpour. Life is grand and full of tragedy at the same time and I am often reminded that without the knowledge and covering of Father’s sovereignty it would at times be too difficult to bear. May I share?

The funny thing about storms is that--many times--they come out-of-nowhere. Skies are clear and then, “Crack!” Lightning splits the sky. Saturday was such a day. The skies were clear and the weatherman had given the “Thumbs Up!” On the sidewalk before me I saw the first drop of water darken the concrete. Little did I know it would be a violent and vicious storm.

Crack!

My elderly grandmother, who had always been both physically and mentally strong, suffered a massive stroke. Grabbing the umbrella, I braved the weather and made my way to her side. Praying into her--I believe--understanding ear, I shared Father’s spiritual and physical healing abilities so that she would have hope. It gave me hope as well. He and only He could speak through the noise of the rain and clear her storm.

Crack!

The next wave of the storm came in the form of a hostile dialog with an individual with whom I had to stand my ground for what was morally right! Without getting into it, Father was being portrayed as evil in a storm of hostility and I had no choice but to stand for Him. So again, I grabbed my umbrella. You see, I love Him--He gives me breath--and I had to make a stand on the side of righteousness. It brought harder rain, but I chose to ignore the downpour and do what was right.

Crack!

The storm had now grown to the height of its intensity. A call from the Sheriff’s Department… “Chaplain, we need you right now! We’ve got a dead baby! The guys are having some trouble handling the scene. We need you here.” So I grabbed the umbrella again, and flying to the scene I ministered in the storm.

It seems that the eleven-year-old babysitter decided she would give the one-year-old baby boy a bath. She was distracted and left the room. It was raining so hard by now that the child was left floating in one of the enemy’s puddles.

The baby was without a heartbeat for more than ten minutes and when I left the chopper was preparing to transport the child to Children’s Hospital. What did I do? I placed my umbrella over the child. I laid hands on him and prayed to Father. As the child was being prepped for flight, he opened his eyes and began to have a seizure. Is he alive today? I may never know. I did my part. I covered him with my umbrella. I protected him from the rain. It was all that I could do. That was all I was meant to do.

Clear Skies…

Right now, as I write, the umbrella is closed and in my hand. I have peace. The umbrella of Father’s sovereignty gives me that peace. The storm lasted four days. The sky still has clouds in it, they have not fully rolled away. Grandma is still in the hospital with little improvement, the hostilities from my moral stance are unsettled and I still have no idea about the child. However, the umbrella is right here in my hand, and I will open it again when the first drop of water appears on the road before me.