Burn Your Ships

The Vikings did...

They set their ships on fire and burned them to the ground.

The Vikings were known for conquering.

Sometimes (ok all the time) things got very brutal in the process.

Let's not go into detail on the pillaging.

I want to tell you a story about ships is vitally important to your success today...

The Viking longships were the first of their kind.

While other explorers dared not cross the open ocean and lose sight of the shore, the Vikings sailed across the open dangerous waters into the unknown.

Their ships were long, narrow and graceful. 

They were nearly perfect in design and they got the Viking to their pillaging destinations time and again. 

As soon as they landed, the Vikings did the unthinkable!

They burned their ships.

That's right they burned their only hope of ever leaving the unknown lands they landed on.

This setting ablaze did two things...

#1 it sent a message for miles that they had arrived and had burned their only way off the island. This means that they were prepared to make this place home. Period.

#2 the burning served as immediate motivation for the men who arrived on the ship that there would be no other option but to conquer the new land or die.

My question to you is...

Have you ever burned your ship?

Or do you have a life boat tucked away behind a rock somewhere where you can go if things get too hard?

If you are faced with change.

If you are faced with fear. 

If you feel that your status quo comfort is in danger and you know you have a life boat...

Would you quit and run back to the boat?

It is human nature to react to uncertainty and change with an avoidance and instinctual retreat.

Unfortunately running back to safety no longer works.

The truth is there is no safe place to hide.

If you do try hide, you will never go anywhere important and you just must not do that to yourself.

Leaders burn their ships.

Leaders do not have to run an army or a country.

Leaders are leaders whatever they do and wherever they go.

Leaders actually lead example and not talk.

Leaders eat last but they are smart enough to eat.

Leaders raise people up so that their people decide they too can be confident enough in themselves to burn their own ships and survive.

There is no option to give up if you intend on becoming something you have not been before.

No, you may not throw a tantrum and be outwardly worried.

You can not do these things because you have other people's faith in your hands.

As a leader, you are being watched and it is best you be humbled by that.

There is no place for ego in leadership.

If you can't handle the responsibility then you should free your followers and go away.

We all know bad leaders…

But we must keep in mind the only reason we know what a bad leader looks like is because of the great leaders that have set the bar where it should be.

Give them honor and respect.

Back to the question…

And it is a question only you can ask yourself so there is no point in deception.

Have you burned your ship?

If not, will you?

It is up to you.

#strikeamatch #noexcuses