While breathlessly watching Nik Wallenda’s teeth-clenching, death-defying, and awe-inspiring tightrope walk across the Grand Canyon last week, I started thinking to myself: This is kind of what being a leader feels like sometimes!

While most leaders are not literally going to plummet to their death if they make a mistake, as a leader it can often feel like you’re all alone in the world, trying to get your people from Point A to Point B, hundreds of feet in the air without a safety net.

So let’s see what, if anything, we can learn from a Flying Wallenda about the solo wire-walking act that leaders have to do every single day:

First of all, you may be asking, “What the heck is a “Flying Wallenda?” For those who may not know, Nik Wallenda, a 7th-generation aerialist from the acrobatic Flying Wallenda family, recently walked a high-wire across the Grand Canyon. Yes, you read that right: The Grand Canyon. Fifteen hundred feet above the Little Colorado River Gorge. That’s the height of the Empire State Building. In a gusting 35 mph wind. On a two-inch wide steel cable. With the world watching. And he did it in just under 23 minutes. Most of us couldn’t walk a perfectly straight line on a sidewalk in ideal weather for 23 straight minutes. If you need proof or want to experience what it was like, you can learn more about it here on the Discovery Channel website.

So while pondering this amazing feat, I was struck with these Ten Life Lessons in Leadership that came to mind:

[1] All Alone in the World – Sometimes, as a leader, it can feel like you’re up there all alone on a high-wire (and/or maybe even like you’re carrying a bunch of other people on your shoulders!). But if you surround yourself with a team of people who care about and support one another and are cheering each other on, it makes the journey much more manageable…and so much more fun.  Whether it’s creating your own personal Board of Advisors, or just having a trusted mentor, coach, colleague, friend, or significant other to talk to, it’s important to build yourself a support network that you can rely on.

[2] Knowing Whom to Listen To…and When – During the walk, Wallenda was hooked up by microphone to his father who was whispering in his ear the entire time – guiding and encouraging him. But while that was helpful at certain points, there were times that Nic Wallenda needed to tell his father to, basically, “shut up,” so he could focus on what he was doing without distraction. So while having a mentor, coach, or advisor is invaluable, there are certain times when you just need to quiet those external voices so you  can concentrate, focus, think, decide, and act on your own. 

[3] There are People Rooting for You… to Fall – The brutal reality is that there were people who were watching, waiting, (and hoping?), for Wallenda to fail. Just like people who watch auto racing just for the crashes, or hockey just for the fights. Similarly, as a leader – for various reasons – there are people who are rooting for you to fail. So it is important to know who you can rely on and trust, and who you can’t. And to surround yourself with people who have your back…and block out and stay away from those who will want to hold you back or drag you down.

[4] Don’t Look Down, and Don’t Look Back – Once you’ve begun your leadership journey, you need to move full steam ahead without looking back. When you second-guess yourself, it only serves to undermine your own confidence and others’ confidence in you. And, while it’s probably a breathtaking view, looking down will only make you dizzy and distract you from reaching your goal. So it’s important to avoid temptations and distractions, as well as self-doubt, and keep your head held high as you venture forward. 

[5] Stop and Catch your Breath Occasionally – A few times along the way, Wallenda stopped and paused for just a few moments. Yes, he just stopped and kneeled down. On the wire. To catch his breath. To take it all in. To re-group, re-calibrate, and re-focus.  Similarly, there are times that, even when there is a sense of urgency and a pressing deadline, leaders need to hit the pause button and take a deep breath before moving on to the next step.

[6] Keep Your Eyes on the Prize – Wallenda had one, and only one end goal: to get from one side of the Canyon to the other safely. That singlemindedness of purpose and unwavering focus led to his success. Too often, leaders try to please everyone and do too many things at once…and end up pleasing no one and getting nothing accomplished. 

[7] Confidence is Key – Harvard professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter once defined “confidence” simply as “the expectation of a positive outcome.” Having faith in yourself, backed up by positive self-talk, will help you to battle the negative voices of doubt and fear (what Seth Godin calls the “lizard brain”). Positivity, hope, and optimism, are crucial ingredients to a leader’s success. During his high-wire walk, Wallenda was talking to himself (as well as to certain “unseen others”), out loud and enthusiastically, from start to finish. As Henry Ford said, “If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” (*For more on Confidence and/or Overcoming Stress & Anxiety, please see these two previous posts.)

[8] Don’t START With the Grand Canyon – As a 7th generation aerialist, Wallenda had been working up towards this tremendous feat practically since birth. From walking on a plank, and later a rope, a few inches above the ground in his childhood backyard, to walking a tightrope across Niagara Falls last year (yes, he did that!), to conquering the Grand Canyon, this record-setting feat was years in the making. So while it’s important to dream big, it is equally important to recognize your limitations and have realistic expectations that will increase your odds of success. And then you can build on, and work your way up from, there.

[9] Practice, Practice, Practice; Preparation, Preparation, Preparation – Cervantes said that “To be prepared is half the victory.” Though we like to say that someone is “a natural” or “an overnight success,” it is more likely that we failed to notice the behind-the-scenes years of blood, sweat, and tears that led them to that point. Leaders need to be willing to take intelligent risks and have the resiliency to bounce back from (the inevitable) setbacks. That’s what separates those who make it across the Canyon from those who don’t.

[10] Reflection, Introspection, and Celebration – Lastly, when Wallenda finally made it to the other side, after the hugs and kisses and pats on the back (and a long sip of water), he took a moment – on his own – to walk back over to the lip of the Canyon to reflect in solitude and silence on what he had just accomplished. When faced with the question, “What next?” and asked about the rumors of his coming here to New York City to walk a high-wire between the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, his response was that he just wanted to rejoice in the moment before thinking about the future. That night was all about sitting down for a Prime Rib dinner with his family.

So as you ponder Wallenda’s amazing feat, and the leadership lessons learned that you can apply to your own life and career, I hope this piece will inspire you to great heights…whatever or wherever they may be.