In 2012, Mike Libecki led a team of 4 climbers to Antarctica’s Queen Maud Land. The mission was to be the first to climb massive rock walls at the bottom of the earth. The location was so remote that any rescue would take weeks to arrive (and only if the weather cooperated). Later that year, National Geographic named Mike Libecki one of the “Adventurers of the Year,” heralding his many trips to the “remote edges of the world.”¹

In Antarctica, Libecki’s team faced unrelenting katabatic winds that carried cold dense air down the mountainsides. Libecki described the extreme weather and isolation, saying, “Once you get disconnected and pushed into the wild remote wilderness it really pulls you into the moment of now.”² Libecki went on to describe that the expedition experienced 2 distinct moments: he called these moments either “pre-joy” or “joy.” He said, “In my optimistic state, if you are hating life, just suffering … that is just ‘pre-joy.’ But soon joy is coming. The cool thing about that is that you always get to use the word ‘joy.’”

Peter Drucker famously said that “the only definition of a leader is someone who has followers.”³ This definition calls attention to how much leaders—and leadership styles—can vary. Mike Libecki’s outlook on being present in the moment and accepting life’s challenges as pre-joy exemplifies his unique leadership style, one that could motivate fellow adventurers to face challenges together.

As I continue my own leadership journey, I often think of Mike Libecki’s example, along with the many leaders in urology that I have had the pleasure of working with. It is easy to forget that every urologist is required to be a leader, whether running a service as a chief resident, managing a clinic, or leading a team in the operating room. However, precious little time is spent cultivating critical leadership skills.

When I first started the Stanford Kidney Cancer Research Program and then later became Chief of Urology at the VA Palo Alto, I was thrust into my own “moment(s) of now.” Interdisciplinary and cross-campus collaboration for the Stanford Kidney Cancer Research Program required that I exercise new skills to build partnerships. While managing a clinical team, we faced significant burnout from understaffing compounded by a pandemic, the high cost of living, and increasing clinical volume. I also discovered that leadership roles can be isolating and lonely. Facing these katabatic winds clarified the leadership skills I want to continue to build.

As Jack Welch described, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”⁴ Through the AUA Leadership Program I look forward to being a source of empowerment for the talent around me in a space where we embrace the joy (and the pre-joy) that comes while working toward a shared goal. No one should climb alone, and our field of urology will benefit from more of us learning how to lead better. Summit views can be profound—illuminating new regions beyond the edges of the map. I look forward to sharing those views with all of you.

Conflicts of Interest: The Author has no conflicts of interest to disclose. The contents of this article do not represent the views of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. Government.