Felix Baumgartner fell to Earth from a height of more than 24 miles during his death-defying daredevil skydive attempt, becoming the first human to ever break the sonic barrier without the benefit of an aircraft.  What possess some human beings to flirt with death on such a scale as Felix may never be known, but the there are 3 key leadership and life lessons  that anyone could apply to bring their life and business to new heights.

httpv://youtu.be/FHtvDA0W34I

1. Why not me?  The vast majority of people quickly discount many dreams or  projects as being “impossible”. Truly successful people choose to ask a better set of questions when confronted with a problem or challenge. Instead of asking, “Why me?” ask, “Why not me?”. Successful people also quickly build up a list of success building blocks from their past, create a circle of trusted advisors to encourage and guide, and recognize that fear exists…but move forward anyway.

2. Everyone sells and buys with emotion. Regardless of their vocation, age, or situation in life. Everyone is in some form of sales. Felix Baumgartner successfully sold an inner-circle of advisors on his idea of skydiving from more than 24 miles above the Earth. He also sold a large team of scientists and engineer types who helped make the jump possible.  Red Bull signed on to support the project once they realized the passion, dedication, and plan of this young daredevil. Most people get mired down in the day to day tasks of life, rather than investing a few moments to plan and think about what gets their juices flowing, and how they could share their passion with others.

3. Make split second decisions in the heat of the moment. While Felix was free falling, he began to tumble end over end. The force of that tumbling could easily result in Baumgartner’s death via hemorrhaging. He made a few split second decisions to correct his course and successfully completed the flight. What is often branded as “luck” by the casual observer is often the result of relentless practice and planning.

Most people will never skydive from space, yet we are all presented with opportunities each day which give us the choice of either leaping forward or maintaining status quo. What risks are you dealing with currently in business and life?