 Follow To LeadLike most young boys, I loved helping my dad. It didn’t really matter if he was working on a car, splitting wood, or fixing something in the house. I loved it. Of course, my role was always the same. I was the gopher. Whatever dad needed that wasn’t within reach, that’s when my services came in.
A Phillips screwdriver? I would bring three to make sure one of them was right. More gas for the chainsaw? I would drag the can to him if I couldn’t carry it. Flipping an electric breaker? I would close my eyes and hope I didn’t get shocked every time. Whatever dad needed, I was willing to do. This is where leadership starts … with following. We all follow before we lead. Following is our introduction to serving. It’s where we find out how good it feels to help someone else. It lays the foundation for the desire to contribute to something bigger than yourself. Why Should We Care? Yet, as soon as we get a taste of leadership we stop talking about following and focus solely on leading. As a matter of fact, in some circles, following becomes a derogatory label. Think about that. The very thing that taught us the value of helping, serving, is viewed by some as a negative. A lack of motivation and purpose or purpose and direction are all used as the reason someone has gone ‘wrong’ and is ‘just’ a follower. It’s ridiculous when you really examine it. If excellence, performing at our highest level, is the objective, then we should all be leading and following. It’s not an either, or. It’s an AND. Depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the team, the most effective leaders are fluid in their movement between leading and following. A willingness to follow as the leader is also the mark of humility for a leader, an attribute that is more appealing than charisma or power. By choosing to follow, we can empower and uplift our team members without ever spending a dime or saying a word. REAL TALK - Action Steps Striking a balance of leading and following is positive for anyone, not just leaders. There is a definite tendency in leadership to dismiss the need to continue following. Here are a few ideas to maintain the balance.
The old adage of “be a leader, not a follower” needs to be retired. We all need to lead and we all need to follow. What separates the great leaders is the ability to know when to do each. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help!
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 Courageous & KindPart of my prayer every morning is that my kids will be courageous AND kind. I’m not sure I’ve ever read that or even said it often in everyday conversation, yet it keeps showing up in my head every morning.
It’s tough though, isn’t it? Courage is cool. We celebrate the arrogant confidence of the rising executive that takes measured risks to elevate his place in the company. We laud after the athlete that has the guts to take the game winning shot. Kindness is nice. We say please and thank you. We hold the door open. We like kind people. This is how society sees it, anyway. It’s not how I see it. Why Should We Care? To me, courage is vulnerability. It’s knowing you will be out of your comfort zone and going for it anyway. It’s being unsure, but giving it your absolute best effort regardless. Courage is owning your mistakes. It’s making sacrifices for others that can never be repaid. Kindness is choosing others over ourselves. It’s seeking to understand another person’s story before we create one for them. It’s giving over receiving. Kindness meets you where you are, no matter how far that is from where I am. It’s asking how you are, and listening to the answer. Courage without kindness is pretty common. People steamrolling over those in their peripheral areas with no concern for anyone but themselves is what the competitive world is all about. In these situations courage begins to look like unwavering self-belief, or confidence. However, it soon morphs into pushing others down as a means to appear elevated. Kindness without courage is also common. People all over the world are kind when it’s convenient, when it doesn’t conflict with societal norms. There’s nothing special about that. The combination of courage and kindness leads to another level that most don’t know exists. Courage and kindness embrace adversity while dispelling comparison. Together they allow us to see the good in people at their darkest times. They give us the persistence to continue, knowing that we aren’t what we used to be or what we’re going to be. Courage and kindness is the combination that lays the foundation of excellence in our lives. REAL TALK - Action Steps Becoming more courageous and kind is difficult but here are a few ideas to get you started.
Courage and kindness are a rare combination. It attracts people to you and elevates your team. The combination is a mix all leaders should be pursuing. Go ahead and throw it in that prayer tomorrow morning. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help!  Struggle RevealsWhen you squeeze an orange, you expect to get orange juice. Seems like a reasonable assumption. You don’t squeeze an orange and hope for apple juice or lemonade. You expect orange juice.
The good news is, that’s what you get - orange juice. The bad news is, that’s what you get - the real thing. In society it’s the norm to walk around in a facade, pretending. Make-up on, hair done up, clothes nice and pressed - all to make sure we look the part. The extent we go to convince others that we have it together and are in control of our lives is mind boggling. From the cars we drive to the shoes we wear, the primary driver for most people is the answer to the question - what will others think? Social media is one of the biggest culprits of this mindset. The overwhelming majority of social media is used as a vain effort to impress others. We’re doing our best to look the part of the orange. Why Should We Care? Then struggle and adversity latch on and start squeezing. And the facade is over. There is no more pretending. Struggle and adversity always point to the truth. They reveal what the make-up, fancy hair, and designer clothes had been covering up. They have no interest in the props your last Insta post got you. So, when squeezed, what everyone thought to be an orange is now being exposed for whatever it is. The real juice will flow. There’s no faking it. That’s the beauty of adversity - it always reveals. The work to become authentic is difficult, which is why so few people truly embrace it. Yet, without it, we ourselves are unsure of the juice we’ll release when squeezed. The most interesting aspect of struggle to me is that we are drawn to hide it in ourselves, yet value and appreciate it in others. We love the longshot stories and comeback heroes that found excellence by overcoming numerous obstacles. It’s an odd relationship. REAL TALK - Action Steps Here are a few ideas to help you be more aware and intentional in those moments of adversity and struggle. They may seem simple, but they’re not easy.
Struggle is a beautiful thing. We should embrace it more than we do. It not only reveals our true self to others, but to ourselves too. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help!  Choose Your RejectionWhat part of yourself are you willing to be rejected for?
I mean, in a world full of judgement you know you’re going to be rejected for something at sometime, right? Someone will find something they don’t like about you. You might as well count on it. Rejection may be a little strong, but you get the idea. People are always looking for ways to sort. Your beliefs serve as one of the many ways they like to do that. I should add that this isn’t always a bad thing for us. It often guides us into groups of other, similarly rejected people, that are closer in beliefs than those doing the rejecting. The willingness to separate is an issue. Rejection knows no bounds in today’s world and is the antithesis of unity and teamwork requires. As leaders, it’s important that we are secure in what we are willing to be rejected for as well as understanding and willing to withhold judgement for others. Why Should We Care? The only people that think they avoid this rejection are the ‘cold and timid souls’ Roosevelt talks about in his Man In the Arena passage - ‘they know neither victory nor defeat’ because they never stand for, or go for anything. So many people spend their life trying to appease everyone else, never considering what they believe and who they are. They become a facade, taking on the likes and dislikes of whatever company they keep at the time. I’ve seen it most prevalent in two places: middle school and the corporate world ... and both for the same reason. In middle school we think that being liked trumps everything else. So, all feelings and beliefs are subject to change. I think the same can often be said for those trying to climb the corporate ladder. This lack of commitment to something results in a commitment to nothing. REAL TALK - Action Steps You will be rejected. The good news is, you get to choose what for. Below are a few thoughts that will help you lead through it.
Rejection, like many other things in life, is neither good nor bad. How we choose to handle it will determine its value. However, the knowledge of yourself and the willingness to hold fast to who you will always be critical to your leadership and pursuit of excellence. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help!  You Can't Be Tough AloneI love wolves. I think they’re cool. For me, they have an aura of strength and power about them that other animals don’t. They exude courage, often hunting prey much larger than themselves. Yet, they also display massive amounts of kindness, staying behind to be with an injured packmate.
What I like most about wolves though is their toughness. I think they have mastered what tough is all about. I know most people will quickly point out that lions and tigers are bigger, stronger … more intimidating than a wolf. To which, I agree. But you don’t see a wolf in the circus, do you? No, because for a wolf it’s not about the wolf. It’s about the pack. This simple, and profound, understanding is exactly what makes the wolf the biggest badass in nature. A wolf doesn’t try to be anything except a member of the pack. They understand they are no more, or less, important than every other member. They’re undeniably tough. But, that toughness isn’t the result of superior strength, speed, or size. It’s a result of the pack. Why Should We Care? I know there are leaders out there bigger than life, bigger than their organization. They have star power, deliver charismatic speeches daily, and move people to action with their mere presence. That’s not me. I’m not that good. I need other people. And, I’m good with that. I think that’s where true toughness resides - in a group, on a team ... we always beats me. For those of you like me, that are better in a pack, the question becomes: how do we find the right pack? The answer is simple. Wolves hang with wolves. That’s what makes a pack a pack, the other wolves. We need to search for other wolves. People that have similar mindsets, pursuits, and motivations as us strengthen both the wolf and the pack. We are hopefully all aware of how impactful the people around us are on our perspective and outlook on life. REAL TALK - Action Steps The purpose and drive to turn visions into realities must align but, the roles and process for each individual does not need to be the same. As a matter of fact, it shouldn’t be. The diversity adds strength.
To think we have ever truly done anything on our own is laughable. No matter how tough we might get, it pales in comparison to our toughness within a team. Just like there is no ‘I’ in TEAM, there is no TOUGH alone. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help!  Given the CircumstancesLet me just say it to start with: it doesn’t matter.
The circumstances we face never serve as justification for the result. Far too often, we search for excuses when things don’t go the way we want. We want to feel better, to soothe our ego. One of the most common, easiest ways to do this is to blame our circumstances. I had no choice … what was I supposed to do … I couldn’t do anything about it … Our circumstances are such a convenient scapegoat. And, if you don’t attribute the substandard performance to your circumstances quickly enough, someone will do it for you. One of your ‘friends’ will help you justify the result. The phrase ‘given the circumstances’ immediately lowers the expectation, which is what we’re going for. It relieves us of responsibility, and makes whatever the result is more acceptable. At least we think it does. But, it doesn’t. See, we know what we are capable of. We know, regardless of what we say out loud, that the circumstances must be irrelevant. We know the standard is the standard - not the standard is the standard as long as something doesn’t make it too hard to reach it. Why Should We Care? The problem isn’t the use of our circumstances as an excuse anyway. The problem is that we feel like we need an excuse. If our focus was on the process, on testing ourselves, on constant growth; then we would see excuses for the pitiful, useless waste they are. It’s our obsession with the result that drives the need for excuses. The search for unfortunate circumstances is simply a window to the focus of our mind. Shift to a process-centered mentality and suddenly the circumstances become irrelevant. Actually, the more challenging, the more adverse, the better. The difficulty gives us more opportunity for growth, which those in love with the process cherish. When we accept the circumstances, we are freed to commit fully to the process. Only then can we perform without the fear of failure and judgement. The performance process becomes very simple.
REAL TALK - Action Steps Accepting our circumstances while maintaining the standard is a challenge for those pursuing excellence within teams or as an individual. Here are a few ideas to simplify it.
Remember, it’s not the excuse that’s the problem. The excuse is the symptom. The real issue is that we think we need to provide an excuse. When we know where home is, excuses become completely irrational because they only lead us away from it. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help!  What Are You Chasing?More is usually the answer - more wins, more money, more fame. You work for it, plan for it, and network for it but do you ever have enough? Enough wins, enough money, or enough fame? The pursuit of more is not only exhausting, it’s a waste of your time. Yea, all that time you spend “grinding” is pointless if it’s in pursuit of the wrong thing. What are the wrong things? Well, money for one. Like everything else, money isn’t inherently good or bad. It’s just money. What we choose to do with it, what we will do to get it, and our purpose for making it will determine the good or bad. Status, or fame, would be another. Similar to money, the pursuit of status will never fulfill you enough. More simply leads to the desire for more. The likes, rankings, and rewards may lead to short-term motivation and results but it doesn’t provide the substance to maintain. Happiness. That’s right, happiness. Chasing happiness is one of the surest ways to not achieve it. With happiness as your focus, comfort becomes the most logical means … and comfort kills. Happiness, like money and status, isn’t something to be pursued; it’s the byproduct of pursuing the right things. Why Should We Care? So, what are the right things to be chasing? These are going to seem simple. They’re not. Progress. That’s right, progress. One of the most motivating, inspiring things in the world is progress. The feeling that you are further along today than you were yesterday creates an undeniable energy that drives you to do it again the next day … and the next, and the next. Consistent progress is the only path to excellence. ChopChop. Contribution. When you provide value to someone or something else, you feel needed. The contribution doesn’t need to be publicized or even significant in the eyes of those outside the arena. You must feel like you contributed. That’s it. The feeling of contributing to something outside of yourself is powerful and a worthwhile chase. Meaning. For some this would fall under faith, it does for me. But, in any case, seeking to understand why you are here and what you are here to do is a noble pursuit that will lead you to a way of life that is unordinary. People who understand their meaning and purpose in life are different. You can tell from the moment you first interact with them. Their presence inspires because how they do everything is an offshoot of their purpose. The simplicity and clarity they live with is clearly the result of a fantastic chase. REAL TALK - Action Steps To focus on what you should be chasing is challenging. Most get pulled off track and down the road of the wasted pursuits. Here’s a few ideas on how to help those we lead in this chase.
The things we should be chasing seem simple. And, they are. However, simple does not mean easy. The ability and toughness to stay focused on the right chase, is available to all but only embraced by those striving for excellence. Make sure you’re running the right race. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help!  Do Things That Take AwhileI’ve been a high school teacher and coach for over 20 years now. Everyone wants to talk about how different kids today are and how much they’ve changed. Some of which is true and some is not - like every generation before them, I suppose.
I’d like to focus on one aspect of society, not just our kids, that has changed drastically since I first started my education career: the willingness to persist. It’s not debatable. I’ve personally watched the steady decline in grit. As a whole, society does little reinforce the need for it. Actually, we do the opposite. We expect immediate service at the drive-thru window - forget the fact that you are sitting in your car doing literally nothing, while someone else is fixing your food for you. We expect immediate replies to our text messages - never mind the rest of the other person’s entire life that should now be on hold to reply to your likely trivial request. We expect our teams to click and have great chemistry within the first week of being together - disregard we are typically pulling together individuals from completely different backgrounds with completely different expectations to try to accomplish a common goal. Why Should We Care? That has changed. It’s different now. It wasn’t that way 20 years ago, but it was trending in that direction as it probably always has been. Our expectations grow with each advancement. What hasn’t changed? The best things aren’t achieved quickly. It hasn’t changed and isn’t going to change. The best things require us to wait ... as they should. Work must be put in, obstacles have to be overcome, and failures must be confronted. Teams are the perfect example. The organic nature of team development is on it’s own timeline. We can influence it, guide it, even push it but we can’t force it. It’s going to take time. Time for shared experiences, time for knowledge of each other to develop, and time for vulnerability to be embraced and trust to be built. I think our obsession with instant gratification is a major player in the significant increase in poor team performance in all arenas. Leaders, team members, and stakeholders are not accustomed to waiting. This lack of patience is a considerable problem in the team setting, mainly because there is no way around it. Even the best teams, ones that perform well early in their time together, have not tapped into their true potential at the early stages of existence. They may be good, but they’ll be better later. REAL TALK - Action Steps The interesting part of this is applying it. Even if we recognize it, how do we defy the societal norm and embrace the time excellence and true teams require? Here are a few thoughts to help pave the way.
Just as teams require a certain amount of time to truly develop, the same can be said for individual performance. We take time too. Excellence requires time. As Trevor Moawad’s book title states, “It takes what it takes.” Accept it and embrace it - for yourself and for your team. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help!  My Bad I’ve heard several hard-nosed disciplinarian leaders recently share their disdain with their people uttering the phrase “my bad”. It seems to be viewed by these leaders as a way to shirk off the responsibility of the necessary action and remove themselves from the accountability of it not being completed up to standard.
It usually comes off like this: “My bad? I know it was your bad. Who else’s bad was it? It wasn’t mine.” I can see, and appreciate, this perspective, but I believe it neglects a few significant benefits that “my bad” can provide. It’s not all bad … there is actually some significant good that can come from “my bad”. However, it will require a shift in our mindset. Why Should We Care? “My bad” simply means, it was my fault. It is meant to accept responsibility, not avoid it. From this view we can begin to see the value in saying “my bad”. Owning our mistakes is clearly a much needed attribute of a good leader, and anyone pursuing excellence for that matter. Great leaders take more than their share of the responsibility for mistakes, they take all of it. Everything that goes wrong on your team is your fault. It’s all your bad. If you aren’t willing to accept that, then don’t lead. A leader’s job is to serve the team members. Make their job easier, improve their experience, and help them perform at their best. Accepting responsibility for their mistakes is part of serving. I’m a basketball coach. If my team doesn’t execute something in the game properly, that’s my fault. Maybe I didn’t allow enough time in practice for it. Maybe I didn’t explain what I wanted well enough. Or, maybe I had the wrong players in the game. In any case, I could have done something better. Of course the player should have remembered the play or followed through on his job and what he had been coached to do. But he didn’t. If he chose to not do it intentionally then you have a whole separate set of problems, but that’s not the norm. Most people want to do their best and want to contribute to their team. So, there must be a reason he didn’t. That reason is the responsibility of the leader. REAL TALK - Action Steps The application of this mindset requires us to know our team in order to balance accountability with support. Both are needed and possible with “my bad”. The key is knowing who needs what. The diagram above is Jeff Janssen’s Commitment Continuum. It does an excellent job of breaking down the buckets most team members fall into.
On elite teams, there is no “My Bad”. Everything is OUR bad. Each mistake, mishap, and failure is viewed by everyone on the team as their problem. All contributed to it and all will own more than their share. It’s one of the things that makes elite teams elite. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help!  Bet On UsOne of the most common phrases being thrown around professional sports right now is the flamboyant proclamation of arrogance, “I’m betting on myself.” I guess it’s supposed to impress us with the unwavering confidence this athlete magically possesses or shock us by the determination he maintains through a difficult situation.
It does neither for me. Don’t get me wrong, confidence and determination are critically important in achieving our goals and maximizing our potential. We have no shot without them. However, other things matter too … and maybe more. Why Should We Care? Proclamations mean nothing. Action is what matters. In the pursuit of excellence claims, slogans, and promises fall by the wayside. It’s too tough, too challenging, and takes way too long. The emotional claim to bet on yourself is only significant if the following actions and habits reflect this newly found commitment. Habits persist far beyond any bet. I’ve found that those who proclaim the most, persist the least. One of the aspects of teaching and coaching that I’ve always found interesting is what different people do when things get hard. We all know that anything great is on the other side of hard. We like to think of doing hard things as an option, but it’s really not. Atleast, not if excellence is what we seek. If things are going to get hard, then clearly we have to find a way to overcome them. Our ability to display toughness during adversity is a critical element of excellence. And, I believe those betting on themselves are attempting to be as tough as they know how. Here’s the thing though ... you can’t be tough alone. Atleast, you can’t be as tough as you can be alone. By going it alone, we are leaving money on the table. There is more in us that only others can bring out or that we will only give in order to help a teammate. If it’s only about me, it will never be enough. And finally, humility matters. Betting on yourself implies that you’re in the position you’re in solely as a result of you - your efforts, your sacrifices, your work. It’s absurd. Think of all the people that have contributed to making you the person you are. Of course, your family and friends but also people you’ve observed, mentors that have given their time for you, and your competition that provides the challenge that pushes you further and further. REAL TALK - Action Steps So how do we go from focusing on ourselves to focusing on us?
Instead of betting on ourselves, we would be better off betting on us. The willingness and desire to pull together when things get tough rather than scatter and attempt to solve the problem on your own is the mark of a true teammate. They may still be betting on themselves, but they’re doubling down on us. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help |
About bcI'm a teacher, coach, and parent seeking excellence while defining success on my own terms. Archives
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