Anytime someone breaks a world record it is truly an extraordinary event. But not all records are the same. Some are just downright strange. To prove my point let me introduce you to Bob Salem from Colorado Springs.
An Extraordinary Record
At 9:00 AM MST on Saturday, July 9th, Salem embarked on a most-unique challenge. To celebrate the 150th birthday of the city of Manitou Springs (Co.), Salem began pushing a peanut up Pikes Peak using only his nose. Yes, you read that right! Salem would use something that can only be described a CPAP machine with a spoon attached to push a peanut up a 13-mile mountain.
Believe it or not, this had been done three times previously at Pikes Peak. The most recent was in 1963 by Ulysses Baxter. The entire record-breaking journey took approximately six days as Salem reached the top of mountain at sunrise on Friday, July 15th. You can read the full story here or watch the video above.
If you don’t think this is a noteworthy physical achievement, try simply pushing a peanut up your driveway with your nose. You will be exhausted (as well as laughed at by all your neighbors). To push a peanut for 13-miles up a mountain is extraordinary!
An Obvious Question
But the obvious question is “Why?” Why would a grown adult who could accomplish any number of things with his time and effort, pick this unusual task? The following are some of my proposed reasons why:
Leaders Like A Challenge
Bob described himself in the above interview as “eccentrically challenged.” Most leaders like a challenge. They willingly accept the challenge of building a great company, developing ground-breaking technology, inventing something life-changing, doing something that stretches them physically, or simply learning something new. But not everyone fits neatly into those type of boxes.
There are some leaders out there like Bob Salem who are, well, eccentric. Maybe I’m describing you.
Leaders Want To Serve Others
The only successful philosophy of leadership is servant leadership. Salem’s efforts raised a significant amount of money for the homeless community. Anything a leader does, up-to-and-including pushing a peanut up a mountain with their nose, should be done for the good of others.
Leaders Want To Honor Others
Great leaders build a culture of honor. In addition to serving others by raising money for charity, Salem was also celebrating the 150th anniversary of the city’s founding. What smart leaders know is you can’t move into the future without first touching the past.
Conclusion
Why do leaders sometimes do the strangest things? It is not really strange at all when you think about it. Leaders like a challenge. They want to serve others, and more importantly, leaders want to honor others.
When is the last time you did something strange as a leader?
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