On May 2, 2011, a group of Navy Seals stormed a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, successfully completing their operations of killing Osama Bin Laden. Since that day, it seems that the world has been fascinated with the Navy Seals, and rightfully so. There have been multiple best selling books like No Easy Day and Fearless and some big blockbusters like Lone Survivor and Zero Dark Thirty that have ridden the tide of public interest in the mystery that is the Navy Seals. Everyone wants to better understand what makes this group so successful.
My personal fascination began last year when I had the privilege of sharing the stage with Kevin Lacz. Lacz is a former Navy Seal sniper, breacher and and combat medic. Since meeting him, I have read multiple books and studied more about their operations.
One of the success secrets of the Seals is learning to get very comfortable with being uncomfortable. Whether that’s carrying heavy packs, crouching down for extended periods of time or being in hostile war environments, the Seals are taught to learn to be comfortable in the most uncomfortable of situations in order to survive and thrive.
The same principle can be applied to all of us in the business world. Growth does not happen in comfort zones. Great changes are not made by staying in the shallows. You may have to make that phone call that you don’t want to, put yourself out there in a tough situation or boldly ask for help when you need it, but you can’t get to a higher level by being comfortable. Growth & greatness are just outside your comfort zone.
So if you want to be successful get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
