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Week 8: (Almost Literally) Burning Down the House & Leadership Lessons from Sexy Firefighters
My wife asked if we should call the fire department as soon as we walked in the door.
At least that’s what I was greeted with upon returning home last Thursday. While there was no smoke to be seen, the burning plastic smell was alarming and something was definitely wrong.
By the time the firefighters arrived, we’d narrowed it down to the basement. The firemen went over every appliance, socket, outlet, and light. They covered the whole basement with the infrared looking for heat blooms. They pulled back particle board walls and peg board panels. They crawled low and got on step ladders to go high.
Nothing.
Nothing but the continued smell of burning plastic.
We searched for almost two hours.
One of them got an idea and turned out the lights in our storage room and removed the fluorescent bulbs. Melted plastic dripped on the floor immediately after removing them. A quick laser temperature reading put the rapidly melting plastic at 320 degrees (hot enough to melt PVC). The fixture had shorted earlier and continued to heat up more and more.
They said if left unchecked and unfound, it could have progressed into a catastrophic event.
PSA to everyone out there: If something smells like it’s burning in your home and you cannot locate it, please call your fire department.
They might just save the day. Or at least give the neighbors something to talk about.
Shout out to our first-responders. Y’all are amazing.
Leadership
As the fire department left our house, I was filled with profound appreciation and newfound respect for that side of their work. While sliding down poles and into fire gear, then rushing out to fight fully-involved fires gets all the sexy press, this aspect of being a firefighter seems even more important.
And it held a lesson.
I wrote on piece of paper earlier this year that a great deal of my job as a sales leader is “putting out fires.”
I guess that sounds good in passing? I don’t know. Maybe it gives me something to talk about?
But wouldn’t it be next-level leadership to never have the fires in the first place?
This past week I learned a powerful lesson that fire prevention beats firefighting.
It might be less heroic, but it’s a way more efficient use of time and resources.
So that’s my new goal; not finding ways to put out the fires, but rather preventing them from jump.
Fewer alarms also mean less stress and more restful nights.
Sounds like a worthy allegory to me.
Couch to Ultramarathon
This past weekend was the first time I’ve woken up with anxiety about running a 50k in January. I’m now 18 weeks out, and while training is progressing, I had a couple hard runs and I’m tired.
Which makes me question literally everything.
What is this insane quest I’ve now set upon and put into the public domain?
Am I disciplined enough to see it through? Motivated for the right reasons, or is it vanity? Was I seduced by pretty pictures and well-edited videos? Can I really do this?
Am I as tough as I think I am?
All valid questions for the time being.
There’s this common mantra or affirmation these days that “if you believe something, you can achieve it.”
Bullshit.
Sure you have to believe it, but this simple phrase leaves out one very important ingredient to achievement.
Putting in the work.
In ultrarunning, like most of life’s endeavors, there really is no such thing as a free lunch.
So maybe I’m not cut out for this. Or maybe I’m not tough enough.
But there’s only one way to find out.
Onward.
Adieu
In closing, here’s a quote that encapsulates this sentiment well.
“Vision is not enough; it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps; we must step up the steps.” Vaclav Havel
If you want to do something, all you have to do is do it.
Live triumphantly. See you next week.