What It Takes

Like many of you, we sat glued to our television sets, logged onto various news sites, and listened to radio stations checking the latest status report on James Kim. Last Saturday, James ventured into the frigid Oregon mountains to save his lost family. Two days ago, we heard the heartbreaking news. We were crushed. Yet, to let his life leave in vain is to ignore the awesome lesson he taught us: Absolute resilience in the face of insurmountable odds. James fought over a week without adequate water and warmth. He swam across cold creeks with temps hovering in the low 20s. He climbed over vicious fallen trees. He traveled 16 miles through thick terrain, muddy rocks. He did all that going 11 days without food. He fought for his wife and two girls with every fiber of his being. He fought like a mutha-^^!&*@ until the very end. And yet, all of us are guilty of it at some point in our businesses: Giving up at the first sign of some trivial problem. We lose an employee: "I'm a bad manager." We lose a deal: "I'll never be good doing sales." We lose a customer: "I'm bad at business." James redefined -- for us -- what it means to fight until the end. We're grateful for that. This week, business became such a minuscule thing to us. We didn't know James, but his plight captivated us. His dedication enthralled us. His persistence dazzled us. There are badasses; then, there are true badasses. James showed us what the latter meant. And for that, we thank him.

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