Amy Appelhans Gubser is a 55-year-old neonatal nurse. She works in the University of California-San Francisco’s pediatric ICU unit. In addition to being an everyday hero who helps families deal with some of life’s most challenging issues, she just accomplished something no one else has ever done before.
Gubser recently swam the 30 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands without a wet suit. Now to be clear, she was in a one-piece bathing suit, but this is a very important distinction as the water temperature was consistently in the high-40s and dropped to as low as a frigid 43 degrees. The journey took over 17 hours.
There are three important leadership lessons from Gubser’s accomplishment:
The Power of Vision
A lot of people want to do something significant like a long-distance swim. Many people want to run a marathon, write a book, or retire early. But having a vision or goal is one thing, having a years-long dedication to doing what it takes to see it become reality is something else entirely.
The power of vision is what sustains you throughout the years.
The Value of Preparation
Gubser trained for over five years for this swim. This level of commitment, the sacrifices she needed to make, the work she put in, this is what is truly inspiring, not just the swim itself. The swim was the result of her preparation.
Leaders, you should know that your future accomplishments are the fruit of the years of preparation you have previously put in.
The Importance of a Team
For the swim to be considered a record, she was not allowed to touch the accompanying boat at anytime. However, those in the boat provided her hot chocolate and poured wam water on her throughout the journey. This was a vital service because of the water’s temperature.
We never accomplish anything significant without the help of others.
Conclusion
If you want to accomplish anything great, leaders must follow Gubser’s example and embrace the power of vision, the value of preparation, and the importance of a team.
Do these three things and see what you can accomplish.
This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.
