Get Up, Keep on Going (Jeffrey Wood, Corner Office)

An excerpt from the John Geiger book “The Third Man Factor” is published in the October issue of Men’s Journal magazine.

I don’t have the book yet, but will get it. The magazine is a must, particularly for young professionals still mastering crafts such as making the ultimate omelet, picking the right suit or packing the right gear to survive in the Ecuadorian rain forest. Generally, MJ is for men who have a sense of adventure or who want to get it back, and I recommend it as one of the worthwhile monthly escapist reads. (Two years worth of exploits and insights are the price of one hardback book, a reminder that good periodicals are still a great bargain.)

A recent lengthy flight gave me time to dig into the excerpt. It is titled, “The Mystery of Survival.”

The marathon sub headline goes on, “What turns certain death into a narrow escape? For countless explorers, extreme athletes, and even victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a spectral presence, seen or sensed, has stepped in to save them: The Third Man.”

The sense of another presence in the face of peril has been documented over the decades by explorers like Ernest Shackleton, adventurers like Reinhold Messner and Charles Lindbergh and astronauts like Jerry Linenger. The central figure in the article is Ron DiFrancesco, a money-market broker who on Sept. 11, 2001, was working on the 84th floor of the World Trade Center’s South Tower.

United Airlines Flight 175, hijacked by Al Qaeda terrorists, plunged into the South Tower between floors 77 and 85.

DiFrancesco is one of only four to escape from above the 81st floor. He is believed to be the last person to make it out of the South Tower alive.

The article (and book) explores whether accounts of a “guiding presence” in traumatic situations are the “delusions of an overstressed mind” or “testaments of faith.” Regardless of what you believe, a litany of survivors of perilous situations say they believe an inexplicable presence helped them to safety.

DiFrancesco, the article says, is convinced divine intervention encouraged him through choking smoke and to run through three stories of flames before barely beating the building’s collapse. Geiger’s writing is too brilliant to try to recount further, so do yourself a favor and at least put the magazine article on your reading list.

God forbid something worth reading come in more than 140 characters.

I have never been in a life-threatening situation that compares to those Geiger describes. Let’s also not trivialize the extraordinary experiences of DiFrancesco and the others. To compare their survivals with the rigors of everyday life is as disrespectful and dimwitted as the sports scribes who use war metaphors to recount football games.

Instead, upon digesting the stories, what I hoped to do was relate some sense of encouragement to business owners and leaders who are feeling beaten right about now. In short, if Ron DiFrancesco can run through fire to save his life, surely we as business people can sharpen our pencils and minds to help hasten our own economic recoveries.

Maybe it’s time to restructure, rethink strategies or remake company culture. It could be that you’re doing everything right and you simply need to do a better job of telling your story.

Likely it’s time to seek business counseling or the mentoring of a trusted adviser. Personal bankers, CPAs, experienced financial advisers, out-of-market peers and groups such as the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of SCORE are good places to start.

The point is, do something. Sitting there staring at your real estate inventory, or looking hopelessly out that retail front and being afraid to make a move is going to accomplish nothing.

We increasingly hear from businesses on the uptick, and unilaterally it’s the ones that are haven’t been twiddling their thumbs and waiting on the government. It’s going to be up to you, and don’t be afraid to face your bills or the challenges as they come. Talk to people. Take action. Especially with the onset of the fourth quarter, it’s time to get up and finish strong so you can start anew for 2010.

You can do it, and if you’re willing to listen, you just might get a little help along the way.