A Big Game Hunter
You may not know the name Jack Waleri but he recently did something no one had ever done. While some know him as your average Ohio State University student, Waleri is actually a big-game hunter. But the game he hunts is not lions, tigers, and bears. Waleri hunts pythons in the Florida everglades and this past week, captured the largest Burmese python ever recorded.
Click the image below and watch the following WPTV News report for more details:
In addition to the above news feature, Waleri’s accomplishment was also reported in this USA Today article.
7 Things Required To Do Something No One Has Done Before
From these two news sources, we are able to learn seven things required to do something no one else has done before:
To Do Something No One Has Done Before You Must Think Differently Than Others Have Thought Before
Let’s address the elephant, rather python, in the room. Waleri’s behavior is not normal. “Normal people” do not seek out snakes, much less 19-foot pythons. But normal is over-rated. Waleri simply thinks differently about pythons and what is required to co-exist with them. As a result, we are reading about him today.
For you to accomplish something in your leadership no one has done before, your approach may need to be considered abnormal. You must think differently than others have thought before. The remainder of the post will help you develop this skill.
To Do Something No One Has Done Before You Need Opportunity
There is a difference between sensing opportunity and seizing it.
Burmese pythons first appeared in Florida decades ago as an invasive species. They have since become the apex predator in the Lake Okeechobee and Southern Florida areas. These snakes have disrupted the entire ecosystem and have eradicated many fur-bearing animals.
If you are a snake hunter, South Florida is an ideal location to apply your trade. There are no shortages of pythons. In addition, Conservancy of Southwest Florida biologist Ian Easterling noted the snake had probably just laid more than 100 eggs so more are still to come.
For a deeper dive into the leadership lessons from how the state of Florida is handling their Burmese python problem, read What Is Guaranteed To Destroy Your Organization’s Culture.
To Do Something No One Has Done Before Get Small Wins Under Your Belt
To achieve something unprecedented, prior smaller accomplishments are essential.
It takes months, sometimes years of training to climb a mountain. You have to work up to it. Strength, muscle-memory, learning how to properly use your equipment, making mistakes in a safe environment, and increasing oxygenation must be built up. This same approach is required to have elite performance in any profession, in this case snake hunting.
Waleri said, “I knew we were capable of it but I didn’t know it would happen. Last year my cousin and I caught a snake that was almost 18 feet long, and we realized we could handle a snake of that size.”
To Do Something No One Has Done Before You Need Evaluated Experience
Many young leaders confuse exposure with experience. Waleri is not a novice. Prior to this historic event, he had previously captured forty-eight snakes. Waleri had put in the work. He had perfected his hunting system and evidently has become a master of his craft.
Malcolm Gladwell famously introduced leaders to the 10,000 hours concept in his book Outliers: The Story of Success. Gladwell theorizes it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at something. As previously mentioned, Waleri and his cousin had caught a snake of similar size just last year. As a result, this past achievement gave him the confidence he could capture an even larger python today.
While we celebrate “fresh eyes and fresh perspectives,” the reality is accomplishing things no one has ever done before is often the result of years and years of deep practice, trial and error, and constant self-evaluation.
To Do Something No One Has Done Before You Must Prepare For Contingencies
To fail to plan is a plan to fail.
Helmuth von Moltke, a renowned 19th-century Field Marshal of the Prussian army who served for over three decades and was known for his exceptional war strategies, famously stated, “No plan withstands the test of enemy engagement.” Mike Tyson also said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
Waleri would agree with both sentiments. He said, “We were getting ourselves into a fight that was a little bit trickier than we first anticipated.” Waleri elaborated, “At first I just held on to the tail for dear life. And then one of my friends took a net and tried to pin its head down, and we quickly realized that was not a winning strategy.”
Doing something no one has ever done before will often make you realize you do not have a winning strategy. It will require you to anticipate challenges, expect the unexpected, and build in the necessary contingencies to be successful.
To Do Something No One Has Done Before You Must Have Uncommon Courage
Doing something no one has ever done before is scary. You are truly in uncharted territory. It can be unsettling and bring out your worst fears and insecurities. Waleri admitted, “It’s the only snake that’s scared me so much that I didn’t know what to do.”
You only get courage from doing hard things. Courage cannot be artificially manufactured.
For a deep dive on the subject of courage, read The Anatomy Of A Courageous Decision. 12 Steps For How To Make A Successful One excerpted from my book 2021 The Year In Leadership: The Stories Of Faith, Athletics, And Business Which Inspired Us All.
Doing Something No One Has Done Before Could Be One Of The Most Impactful Things You Ever Do
Waleri’s capturing of a world-record Burmese python is a metaphor for leadership. Doing something no one has done before could be one of the most impactful things you will ever accomplish in your leadership. The size of the snake and the size of the accomplishment are pictures of the size of what you could accomplish as a leader. Think about that as you read the following sentences:
Waleri said, “It’s concerning because these snakes are getting bigger every year. We need to pull these big females out of the ecosystem before they lay eggs.” Easteling explains why the pythons are getting larger, “They’re getting huge while eating our native wildlife.”
Your leadership accomplishments could be getting bigger every year. And “the leadership eggs you lay” could be signs of your expanding influence far into the future.
Conclusion
As a leader, I know you want to accomplish something great in your life. Perhaps even something no one has done before. If you learn these six lessons, I think you have a good chance to do just that.
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