So last time I talked about the first four lessons about zipline-style leadership based on my personal ziplining experience in my group coaching program “Discover Your Passions, Live Your Purpose, Leave Your Legacy.” (Yep, that’s me getting ready!) Here they are:

1. Thinking about it is worse than doing it.
2. The first step off is always the hardest.
3. Baby-step it if you must.
4. Your team is waiting on you.

Now, here are four more lessons:

New view, new perspective.

Well, it’s worth repeating: It really is hard to see the forest for the trees. Walking along the path until we reached each line, I couldn’t help but witness the quiet, majestic beauty of trees. They stood upright like soldiers, branches swaying in the gentle breeze, their feet planted firmly in the moss-covered earth. Eighty feet up was a different story. No longer did the trees grab my attention, but I sought out the curve of the valleys, the wildlife hiding amongst the brush, the possibility of a stream.

Sure, I’m asking the obvious, but what are the trees of your life, the ones you’re standing so close to that you can’t see the bigger picture? And if you were standing atop the mountain of your career (or life, for that matter), what would be your view? Do you need a fresh perspective? Do you need to get out of the trenches and climb high so you can see? 

Play it safe, and you’ll miss out.

Ironically, my brand is about adventurous leadership and adventurous living because I want—no, need—to have a no-excuse reason to get out of my comfort zone so I can pursue personal and professional excellence. Did you get that? No excuse. I’ve lots of excuses, and probably so do you, why I should play it safe.

Yet, playing it safe can actually be a form of failure. Were I to have played it safe, I would have stayed home and missed the rush. Have fun everyone else! Let me know how your adventure goes! Wish I could (ahem) join you!

Opportunities only present themselves when you’re looking, when you’re willing to truly see, when you’re willing to step outside your box—regardless of risk—to experience life and work anew.

A higher, more thrilling adventure awaits.

Once the zip tour was over, I was ready for something bigger and better. Zipline? Puh-lease! That’s nothing! I’m ready for bungee jumping. Well, maybe not bungee jumping, but parasailing perhaps?

Likewise, one risk leads to the next, and soon enough you’ve become an adventurous leader, in the workplace or otherwise. Don’t settle for good enough; strive for excellence. Keep seeking, because great rewards are always around the corner.

The ride is fast.

The one disappointment from ziplining is that the ride is too fast. Before you know it, it’s time to go home. Yes, the thrill and challenge was satisfying, but too soon the adventure was over.

Your career adventure will be over before you know it too. Are you taking enough risk? Are you confronting the challenges? Are you basking in the rewards? Are you making the most use of your time? Leadership is part of your overall legacy. Where are you going? Who are you taking along for the ride? And for what ultimate purpose?

So there you have it: Leadership—zipline-style. Unfortunately, you can only learn so much from my experiences. Really, you’ve got to get out and explore for yourself.

Your comments and ideas? Put them in the box below.

When is twenty miles per hour freakin’ fast? When you’re strapped inside a harness and propel through the air across a zipline. Yes, that’s a picture of me a week ago. Can anyone scream, “Ahhhhh!”

Well, I didn’t. I wanted to, but once I stepped off the platform, it all became surreal, like watching a character from an adventure flick. I felt like Tarzan (or perhaps Jane?), although I was simply a business owner, leading a team of other would-be-adventurers.

You can learn much about leadership from ziplining. Here are some zippity-fast lessons:

Thinking about it is worse than doing it.

As one of my participants shared, thinking about it was the most challenging part about ziplining. Before we arrived at Snow Snake Mountain, we laughed about the potential dangers ahead, though we secretly carried around some level of anxiety. When I asked everyone how nervous they were on a scale of 1 to 10, all were at an 8 or higher. After the experience, however, we all agreed that perception was worse than reality. Ziplining was not only fun, but also easier than we had thought.

So leader, when you consider an upcoming project or idea, or when you contemplate some changes you might make, remember this: It’s probably not as difficult or scary as you imagine.

The first step off is always the hardest.

We zipped across ten lines. At each new line, we would step onto the platform and then hook our cable onto the line. Did I mention that the platform was teeny? Barely enough room for my feet to stand on? And did I mention that you can’t help but look down when standing on that platform? Thankfully, I don’t suffer from vertigo! But once on the platform, the only real next step was to jump off (that, or back out, hanging my head down like a dog, listening to the taunts of the group).

Similarly, when trying to accomplish a goal, the first step is often the hardest. Refusing to take that first step (because it’s the hardest) is what keeps us stuck. For example, I had a client who wanted to make a career change, but in a sea of choices, couldn’t bring herself to do anything. Rather, she preferred to analyze and re-hash every option available to her. Upon prodding, however, she finally decided to take the first step—setting up informational meetings with those whose careers most interested her. From there, everything careened along smoothly.

Baby-step it if you must.

When I saw the first of the ten lines we would zipline, I thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m paying for this? This is for babies.” It was a short line, no more than ten feet off the ground. By the time I got to the sixth line, when we were eighty feet off the ground, I thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m a big baby. Did I really pay for this?” Strategically, the instructor had us do the “baby-line” first as to increase our confidence.

Baby-stepping is a great way to build your self-confidence. Suppose you have a game-changing plan for your company or team. While big-picture-thinking is essential, it can also be paralyzing and overwhelming. So what’s a small, first step you can take? Too often we give up too soon (or never step off the platform to begin with) because we envision a monumental outcome—one that seems destined for failure. Break up that idea or project into small steps, and a successful outcome will be much more likely.

Your team is waiting on you.

Several participants of my passion, purpose, and legacy group coaching program accompanied me. If truth be told, I wasn’t sure about ziplining. Sure, it was on my bucket list, but I was nowhere near ready to kick the bucket!

When I stood on the platform to fly across the first line, I hesitated. (Okay, I hesitated on at least half of them.) I was under pressure. People were waiting in line for their turn. It was either jump or get pushed off the edge by thrill-seeking daredevils.

You have people, too, who are waiting for you to lead. So jump. If you don’t, they may push you aside so they can experience the thrill that awaits. And who can lead if there is no team?

So are you ready to leap?

Perhaps you need more convincing. Next week, read part 2 with four more zip-line leadership lessons. Until then, I’d love to hear your personal experiences in having applied some of the lessons above. You can put them in the box below.