We all carry invisible ceilings – self-limiting beliefs that quietly dictate what we think we can and cannot do.
“I’m not good at that.”
“I could never do that.”
“That is impossible for me.”
But here’s the truth: real growth doesn’t happen in a training room. It happens when you take on something that truly scares you; something that feels completely impossible. When you go beyond what your body – and your belief system – says is possible, you come back changed.
That’s why Andrew Wood, CEO of The Unlimited, an authorised financial services provider, believes that businesses wanting to cultivate courageous leaders will find them not in textbooks, but at the starting line, doing a BHUG.
“When people take on a BHUG – a Big Hairy Unlimited Goal – they don’t just train for and finish a race. They discover new dimensions of themselves. They break through old limitations. And, what once seemed impossible is suddenly possible in all areas of life,” Wood explains.
BHUGs, a spinoff of the Jim Collins and Jerry Porras concept of Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals, have become a cornerstone of leadership at The Unlimited. These aren’t abstract goals on a whiteboard — they are tough, physical experiences: swimming the Midmar Mile, completing a first half-marathon, or tackling the ultimate test, the Comrades Marathon.
When individuals take on these challenges, something big shifts. They return tougher, more focused, more confident — not just as athletes, but as leaders.
“We’ve seen it again and again,” Wood says. “The courage and resilience built through BHUGs flow directly into the workplace in meetings, decisions, and strategy. People show up with stronger leadership, greater confidence, and significantly higher performance in business and beyond.”
BHUGs deliver lessons no traditional leadership programme can replicate:
- Resilience and adaptability when things get tough
- Follow-through and grit when motivation fades
- Self-discipline in the face of discomfort
- Confidence and self-belief to tackle huge goals personally and professionally
This philosophy is no side project. For over a decade, BHUGs have been woven into the DNA of The Unlimited’s culture. In fact, completing a meaningful BHUG is tied to bonuses. That’s how much the company values the transformation.
It’s also led from the top.
“Our Chairperson, Wallis Watt, set the tone by completing the Antarctic Ice Marathon and then, just six months later, the Comrades. She embodies what it means to smash limits, showing everyone that extraordinary goals are within reach.”
Head of Leadership and Culture, Helen Bredenkamp, shares a similar story. She couldn’t swim freestyle, battled panic and claustrophobia, yet committed to an open-water race. On race day, the calm pool she trained in gave way to a chaotic, choppy dam. She finished anyway.
“Crossing that line was more than a swim,” she recalls. “It shattered long-held fears. I realised I was capable of so much more than I had believed. As I walked out of the water, I wasn’t just saying, ‘I did it.’ I was asking, ‘What else is possible?’”
And that’s the heart of BHUGs.
It’s not about finishing first. It’s about unlocking possibility. Each BHUG is a deeply personal crucible – one that burns away self-doubt and forges new confidence, new capacity, new leadership.
Ordinary people. Extraordinary breakthroughs.
So, if you want to grow leaders in your business, don’t just tell them to be bold. Give them a chance to live it. Encourage one personal BHUG a year and support them through it.
“Because what they bring back is far bigger than fitness. They bring back possibility and unlock new horizons for themselves and will take your business further than you ever imagined,” Wood concludes.
