A Front Row Seat to Awesome

My team released a half million dollar project live last night.  The project was incredibly difficult, and took months longer that what it would have appeared to take on paper.  It was fraught with "gotcha" moments, surprises, and way more complexity than expected.  And all the while, many in our company were tapping their feet, wondering where the finished project was, or when resources would finally get free up for their own projects. 

Despite the pressure, complexity, and the setbacks, the team threw themselves into the project; working multiple 24 days, working through too many weekends to count, cancelling vacations, waking up in the middle of the night, and living on Red Bull and Starbucks. 

Intense stuff.  Stressful stuff.  The kind of stuff that makes people quit their jobs.

But not this team.  Through it all, through every surprise and disappointment, they kept positive.  They kept a grounded perspective.  They kept a sense of humor, even in the worst of times.  And all the while, nary a complaint.  Not one peep.  They were remarkable.

The word "hero" gets thrown around way too often these days.  But for those that inspire us by showing exceptional fortitude in the face of adversity, I think the word applies.  And there were multiple heroes on this project.

The best part of being a leader is that sometimes you get a front row seat to some incredibly talented people doing extraordinary things. 

 

Indeed, the best part about my job is that I sometimes get to be awed.

Like now.