Treats That ServeOur Basset Hound, Izzy, is a slave to treats. Simply uttering the word turns a stubborn, uninterested pet into a fully engaged, willing servant - ready to respond to every beck and call. A treat is, without a shadow of a doubt, the secret sauce to the undivided attention of Izzy.
The goal for Izzy is very simple: get the treat. Whatever is asked of her, whatever the treat-holder is requesting is what she will do. To say she is results driven is a gross understatement. But hey, it’s worked out pretty well for her so far! We, however, are not dogs. And, as leaders, we are inevitably the treat-holders. So, what do we do with them? It’s a more significant question than you might think. Wield too liberally and nothing gets done without a treat being given. Hold them too close and hopelessness begins to rear its head as despair steps forward. Just consider Izzy again. If she gets a treat every time she behaves appropriately, it won’t be long until she only behaves appropriately when she’s going to get a treat. The balance we strike is critical to our development and success. And, it’s really not a balance of power as much as it’s a balance of relationships. Why Should We Care? One of the primary characteristics of people on the path to excellence is their understanding of the importance of relationships. Those that value excellence fully understand, and intentionally live, the fact that the only relationship we have with others is identical to the relationship we have with ourselves. Those of us that are critical of others are usually critical of ourselves, though we would likely withhold announcing our shortcomings as publicly as we would that of others. Those of us that are kind to others are usually conscious of giving themselves grace when they fall short of their own expectations. Those of us that hold ourselves to high standards are usually the ones pushing the standards of the people around them. Those of us that are accepting of the differences of others are usually accepting of the fact that they too, are quite different. Treats fall into this category as well. REAL TALK - Action Steps As leaders, we should consider how we are using the treats at our disposal. Do they propel ourselves and our people towards excellence or do they provide them with the false sense of security that they’ve arrived at excellence?
Treats can serve a purpose. They should not be the purpose. Finding ways to recognize and support yourself and your team on the path to excellence. This is what treats are meant for. Enjoy the process - you’ll be much more likely to continue 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!
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There Is No ThereSummer seems to bring more travel for most people. As families set off on their much anticipated vacations, they inevitably punch the desired location into their GPS. No more folded up maps from the glovebox or printed sheets from MapQuest.
The GPS takes care of all of it. Estimated arrival time, remaining miles, and the time left in our trip are all displayed and adjusted in real time. Heck, they’ll even alert you to potential speed traps, obstacles on roads, and traffic jams. Of course, before any of these services are engaged we have to input our destination. Without knowing where we are going, none of the amenities our GPS offers are of any good. Although we would like for our pursuits in life to be as clean, and simple, as our GPS directions, they’re not. Could you imagine potential obstacle alerts, slowed traffic, or alternate route suggestions?! But the truth is, we don’t want it to be. Why Should We Care? Though we spend most of our time trying to keep life clean and orderly, we eventually realize it’s all the off-road, unbeaten paths, and wrong turns that make life worth living. Where we think we’re going is hardly ever where we end up. Or, if we do happen to end up at the destination we set out to reach, we recognize the process of getting there far exceeds the experience of being THERE. Society and personal growth gurus would like to have us believe that we all should be reaching up for the next rung on the ladder, climbing our way to a better future - always trying to get THERE. Good enough never is and some always leaves us wanting more. Of course, we bite. We work the extra hours at the expense of the people we love. We take the promotion, leaving a job we were perfectly suited for and enjoyed. We move away from friends and family in an effort to position ourselves for the next great opportunity to advance. All in the pursuit of THERE. The thing is, there is no there. Sure, we want to set goals and have ambitions in order to stretch ourselves. We want to work to maximize our potential and become the best we can possibly become at whatever we do. But we never find those things THERE. We always find them on the way. REAL TALK - Action Steps Our fulfillment isn’t positional. It’s operational. What and why we do things is what will determine our impact and fulfillment much more so than where we do it. Here’s a few ideas on how to “Make the Big Time Where You Are”, as Frosty Westering’s great book suggests.
There is no there. We are never getting there. And, truth be told, we don’t really want to get there. Life is only lived here, where our feet are. Stay here. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help! Change the QuestionI had a player that I was struggling to get the most out of. As a coach, or leader, part of our goal is always to bring the very best out of each member of our team. It’s not always easy, we fail often, but this is always the charge.
This particular player was beginning to become frustrated with himself. And, I can’t say I was not closing in on frustration myself. I continually asked myself what was wrong with him, what his deal was! His performance was declining quickly. In part due to his play and in part due to his attitude regarding his play. As the season wore on, it became clear that he may not come out of his funk at all. Our coaching staff racked our brains for the answer that would unlock this player’s potential. It could not be that significant of an issue - he was a good kid, played hard, and tried to do what we asked him to do. We eventually cracked the code with an exercise we call “Show Me Love” in which each member or our team shares how they best receive love and appreciation. The answers vary much more than you might think, but the power of the exercise doesn’t lie in each individual’s response. This exercise only comes to life when leaders and team members apply what they learned. In this player’s case, one of the ways to show him love was to tell him jokes. As odd as that sounds, knowing this was only beneficial if we acted on it. So, we did. Every day in practice one of our assistant coaches would write down a few short jokes to share with this player at various times during practice. The impact was incredible. The low energy kid, trudging through practice just to reach the end almost immediately turned into a laughing, smiling ball of joy that infected everyone around him. Why Should We Care? Following the season we went through our regular postseason reflection to examine what went well and what we need to do differently to improve for the future. Many things came up within our discussions including the drastic change in the player mentioned above. In contemplating the situation, we came to the conclusion that it was our fault it took him so long to realize and perform at his potential. Now, that’s not revolutionary, of course. As the leaders, we should be assuming the responsibility for everything that happens on our team. It’s all our fault. However, the fault didn’t lie in a lack of caring or action. Our mistake was more foundational than that. We were asking the wrong question at the start. The initial response by a leader for an underperforming team member is usually, “what is wrong with him?” This line of thinking places responsibility solely on the subject of the question while releasing you from any duty in the matter. “What’s wrong with him?” is the wrong question. We should be asking, “what happened to him?” and “how can I help him?”. These are questions that lead to fruitful answers and impactful actions. By sharing in the problem we take the first step in any positive relationship: trust. REAL TALK - Action Steps This is most likely not your default mindset - to immediately become curious about why someone acts the way they do. Yet, it is undoubtedly the mindset that sets us up to be the best version of ourselves. Here are a few ideas to help you ask the right question.
The questions we ask are often more telling than the answers we get. Oftentimes our undisclosed purpose lies within the very questions we ask. Consider them carefully. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help! Discouragement ThresholdOur basset hound, Izzy, fell down a lot as a puppy. Not because something was wrong with her, but because her ears were so long that she would step on them, sending her into a sliding front flip. It wasn’t a big deal, after all she was already pretty close to the ground, but there was clearly no delay in her response to the fall. She would immediately resume her chase time after time, never discouraged.
I’m sure most reading this are familiar with the failures faced by Abraham Lincoln. He certainly had plenty of opportunities to be discouraged. Like after losing his job in 1832 or when he was defeated for the state legislature the same year. Like when his business venture failed in 1833 or when his significant other passed away in 1835. Like when he had a nervous breakdown in 1836 or when he lost his bid for Speaker of the House in 1838. Like when he lost the nomination for Congress in 1843 or when he lost the renomination for Congress in 1848. Like when he was rejected for land officer in 1849 or when he was defeated for the US Senate in 1854. Like when he lost the nomination for Vice President in 1856 or when he was defeated for the US Senate again in 1858. Of course, all that failure culminated in being elected to the presidency in 1860, going on to become one of the most influential leaders in American history. The discouragement never got the best of him. His persistence won out. Why Should We Care? Nothing predicts our future as well as our ability to handle discouragement. Those that are discouraged easily are going to have a rough go of it because the discouragement is coming. And, it keeps coming. As leaders, there are few things we can do for those we lead as impactful as helping them grow their discouragement threshold. The mentality gained from this mindset literally impacts all aspects of our lives. We begin to see options where we once only saw obstacles. We see what could be rather than what can’t be. A high enough threshold for discouragement can actually eliminate discouragement completely. As we become accustomed to facing it we begin to realize its only discouragement if we allow ourselves to label it as such. Or worse yet, we entrust our feelings of discouragement to the opinions of others. Of course, this high threshold isn’t easy to develop. It’s a myriad of core beliefs and actions that come together to create persistence that isn’t dependent on events or circumstances. It’s dependent on only the present, dismissing the past the moment it happens. After all, discouragement can only live in the past. REAL TALK - Action Steps While there is a number of things that could go into our perspective on discouragement, below are a few that are critical to our ability to persist consistently.
So, what does it take to discourage you? Work to push that line or eliminate it completely. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help! Behavioral IntegrityIn the cupboard at my mom and dad’s house, there is still a list of friends from high school. This worn roster of names and phone numbers was my ‘little black book’ for pickup basketball games throughout the mid-nineties. With adult structured games far less common, we took it upon ourselves to organize our own games. And, I was the one that did all the organizing.
When I would call guys to play, I always knew certain guys would play no matter what they had going on. I loved those guys. Then we had a group of guys that would play if they didn’t have any conflicts. I would always call to check with them. Then, there were the two groups of guys that found themselves crossed off my list. First, the guys that always had an excuse for why they couldn’t play. I didn’t mind these guys too much. Afterall, they didn’t waste much of my time. I figured out pretty quickly to stop calling them. The group that I was the least accepting of were the guys that would say they could play, then not show up. This was a one strike deal for me. After the first time, they were crossed off my list and never called again. Integrity, specifically behavioral integrity, is one of the most important characteristics a person can possess. It’s equally as important for a leader. Why Should We Care? Our willingness to choose - and to be clear, this is a willingness to choose not a talent or skill - to do what we say we’re going to do is first, and foremost a message to ourselves. We are either reinforcing our consistent discipline to align our behaviors or we’re reinforcing our inconsistent discipline to align our behaviors. Each repetition builds confidence or doubt in ourselves. We’re the only ones we can’t fool. No amount of justification or viable excuses will suffice our personal truth. We always know. The second most important aspect associated with behavioral integrity is the impact on those we lead. As a leader, there is no place to hide. You’re always ‘on’. As much as we would like to, we can’t step out of our leadership role at our convenience. Your 1st grade teacher is always your teacher - you probably still even refer to them as Mr or Mrs. Your behavior can’t opt out either. Integrity doesn’t clock in and clock out. Behavioral integrity is the foundation for trust in any relationship. Those watching us are constantly evaluating whether or not they can trust us. It’s not a deposit we can make and forget about. It’s a daily donation we must make in order to garner the respect needed for others to allow us to lead them. Likewise, we are constantly checking the behavioral integrity of those within our team. The first we earmark as needing to go almost always lack the willingness to choose behavioral integrity. Trust is impossible without it and reaching your potential as a team is equally unlikely. REAL TALK - Action Steps Behavioral integrity is not complicated. It’s actually simple. Here are a few thoughts on how you can simplify it for yourself.
Much of our impact is dependent on our willingness to uphold our behavioral integrity. With it, we are virtually unstoppable and can lead anyone. Without it, we are doomed and can’t lead anyone - including ourselves. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help! The Light or The BulbWe’ve all received the poignant advice from an elder to “do what I say, not what I do.” Of course, as we grow up and learn more about life and leadership we realize just how unrealistic that request is. Our actions are often heard far before our voice.
In this regard I’m always reminded of the coach in the huddle of his players, with veins popping out of his neck, yelling at the team to “calm down!” If that sounds a bit ironic, or hypocritical, that’s because it is. But, it’s certainly not an occurrence that is relegated to only sports. The lack of alignment between what one says and what one does is spread throughout all aspects of society. We have plenty of people sharing great messages, while putting very little into action. And, we have plenty of people doing great things which no one is aware of. Considering the questions Campbell poses in the opening quote - am I the bulb or the light, the answer seems clear if excellence and leadership is the objective. We must be both. Those that view themselves as only the bulb fails to add what only they could add to their story. Those that view themselves as only the light fail to apply proper value to their vessel. Why Should We Care? Excellence requires that we impact the people around us. The idea of impacting others is central to the purpose of anyone’s life. A purpose void of impact on others is merely a goal. In order to maximize our impact, alignment is vital. What we do and what we say must match. Most leaders focus on being the light. We share our thoughts and ideas on what we believe, how things should be done, and why it's the best way to do it. All of our focus in educating and training leaders is dedicated to guiding the light. We need to pay just as much attention to the bulb that carries the light. It’s no less important than the light. As a matter of fact, it could be argued that the vehicle is equally as important as the light itself. Afterall, it is the bulb that determines the wattage, isn’t it? In giving more consideration to the bulb, we begin to realize the importance of our health and energy. We embrace the reality that our presence and appearance as leaders is important. And, we begin to see leadership as much relational as it is informational. REAL TALK - Action Steps Being both the light and the bulb should seem like a challenging proposition because it is. It’s supposed to be. Aspiring to excellence is supposed to be hard. The one that’s not hard is called mediocrity. The world will gladly allow you to accept that one. Here are a few ideas to help you serve well in both roles, the light and the bulb.
Leadership is at its best when the bulb and the light align. When the bulb is just strong enough to perfectly accentuate the light, it is at its very best. Consider our leadership impact the same way. Both your message and the delivery of that message determine the impact of the light you share. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help! The Light or The BulbWe’ve all received the poignant advice from an elder to “do what I say, not what I do.” Of course, as we grow up and learn more about life and leadership we realize just how unrealistic that request is. Our actions are often heard far before our voice.
In this regard I’m always reminded of the coach in the huddle of his players, with veins popping out of his neck, yelling at the team to “calm down!” If that sounds a bit ironic, or hypocritical, that’s because it is. But, it’s certainly not an occurrence that is relegated to only sports. The lack of alignment between what one says and what one does is spread throughout all aspects of society. We have plenty of people sharing great messages, while putting very little into action. And, we have plenty of people doing great things which no one is aware of. Considering the questions Campbell poses in the opening quote - am I the bulb or the light, the answer seems clear if excellence and leadership is the objective. We must be both. Those that view themselves as only the bulb fails to add what only they could add to their story. Those that view themselves as only the light fail to apply proper value to their vessel. Why Should We Care? Excellence requires that we impact the people around us. The idea of impacting others is central to the purpose of anyone’s life. A purpose void of impact on others is merely a goal. In order to maximize our impact, alignment is vital. What we do and what we say must match. Most leaders focus on being the light. We share our thoughts and ideas on what we believe, how things should be done, and why it's the best way to do it. All of our focus in educating and training leaders is dedicated to guiding the light. We need to pay just as much attention to the bulb that carries the light. It’s no less important than the light. As a matter of fact, it could be argued that the vehicle is equally as important as the light itself. Afterall, it is the bulb that determines the wattage, isn’t it? In giving more consideration to the bulb, we begin to realize the importance of our health and energy. We embrace the reality that our presence and appearance as leaders is important. And, we begin to see leadership as much relational as it is informational. REAL TALK - Action Steps Being both the light and the bulb should seem like a challenging proposition because it is. It’s supposed to be. Aspiring to excellence is supposed to be hard. The one that’s not hard is called mediocrity. The world will gladly allow you to accept that one. Here are a few ideas to help you serve well in both roles, the light and the bulb.
Leadership is at its best when the bulb and the light align. When the bulb is just strong enough to perfectly accentuate the light, it is at its very best. Consider our leadership impact the same way. Both your message and the delivery of that message determine the impact of the light you share. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help! Autonomy of ChoiceIn the basketball world, the skill trainer industry has exploded over the last ten to fifteen years. In the early 2000s, this type of instruction was relegated to professional players seeking to master nuances of their craft.
That’s certainly not the case any longer. Kids as young as seven and eight years old now have trainers, and not just for skill development. No, parents are now hiring people specifically to improve their shooting, agility, and strength. In this world, these training sessions are viewed as special, extra work the players are putting in. They’re also viewed as exclusive, something others are not getting. Neither of which are true anymore. The majority of players now work with a trainer. They call them, schedule a few days a week for a specific time, usually an hour, and pay the trainer before their sessions begin. And, from most trainers' perspective, everyone’s money is the same. It’s only as exclusive as their schedule dictates. I’m not here to say no one should use a trainer or that trainers are necessarily bad. What concerns me is that we are now eliminating the most important skill: choice. Why Should We Care? We schedule workshops for employees that aren’t motivated to attend. We set up workouts for athletes that feel obligated to practice. Rarely do we provide them the choice to decide on their own. That’s what they need to improve so choice isn’t an option. Nick Saban’s siege advice is certainly true - “The fact of the matter is that if you want to be good, you really don't have a lot of choices,” Saban said. “It takes what it takes. You have to do what you have to do to be successful.” There are not a lot of options on what you need to do. However, the option to do it, or not to do it, remains the ultimate question. See, the work is different when you are choosing it. When we’re talking basketball, it’s the intensity, creativity, level of detail, and sheer volume of work that is elevated. In the professional world it’s the depth of understanding, the application to different areas, and embracing the transformational aspect of the work. The truth is we can’t force others to choose. Our role as a leader is to create an environment that enhances the desire of those on our team to make the choices that most benefit themselves and the team. This is the essence of culture creation. The challenge, of course, is not getting pulled off the path by daily success and setbacks deemed important by society. By focusing on creating the best environment to drive the choices we want, we are doing our most important work as a leader. REAL TALK - Action Steps The question then, is how do we create this environment without mandating it? How do we make it an option when we know it needs to be done in order for our team to perform at its best. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
What is missing from this entire concept is that the training of the skill that we think is so important lags far behind the importance of developing the mindset to choose to do the work on our own. And, as long as we make that decision for those we lead, they will never do it for themselves. For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. We would love to know how we could help! Bearing BurdensIn the sports world, you usually don’t have to look too hard to find signs of selfishness rising to the surface. As a matter of fact, in the modern sports media it is often recognized and celebrated to the point that some are fooled into believing this behavior is what we should be striving for.
If there is anything selfishness is good at, it is shirking responsibility. Rather than reflecting on what they could have done differently to impact the undesirable outcome, selfishness sees only the justification of its decisions. It views results through the lens of the individual, themselves, rather than the team. Never at fault, selfishness breeds selfishness. Why Should We Care? In leadership, servanthood, relationships … life our impact and fulfillment will always be tied to our willingness to take responsibility. We will never achieve beyond the level we are willing to bear burdens. The more burdens we are willing to bear, the more impact we are capable of having. Yet, we are drawn to dismissing our responsibility when those burdens present themselves. Rather than jumping out of the way, we should be charging towards the very burdens we seek to avoid. Stepping towards rather than away from burdens forces us to honestly assess our actions and behaviors. It pushes us to improve while establishing our position as a servant to those we lead. Void of the improvement we are shackled to our current state. Void of the position of servant, we become nothing more than self-serving hypocrites. Burden bearing is an aspect of leadership in which an understanding, and acceptance of, is a must. People are more than willing to give their burdens away. Purpose and courage go hand in hand as the foundation for the bearing of burdens. It’s not for the faint of heart. REAL TALK - Action Steps I used to be averse to the phrase in sports, “My bad.” I mean, if you miss a ground ball and say “My bad” after you boot it, I want to say, “No kidding, I didn’t boot it.” Thankfully, my perspective has changed. Now I can see the power of “My bad” when it comes to burden bearing when it’s said and processed genuinely. Here are a few thoughts when “My Bad” is a good call.
Bearing burdens should not be viewed as a duty, rather it’s an honor we should embrace to lighten the load for those we serve. When we bear the burdens for others, they will often begin to bear our burdens as well. This is the essence of a 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! Humility WorksHumility is the shortcut.
We do several assignments in our leadership classes in which students are asked to self-evaluate their work. They give themselves points, and a grade, based on how well they feel they performed. The scoring of their work is more of an insight into their thoughts on themselves than it is on their work on that particular assignment. As I get to know the students more and more throughout the year, there is a clearly consistent theme to the character traits that reveal themselves for the different types of student scoring. Here’s a brief rundown:
Why Should We Care? The application of humility has more impact on our leadership, and impact, than any other attitude, technology, or tool we can find. Humility literally colors every aspect of our leadership and life. When applied, large doses preferred, who we affect, how we affect them, and to what level we affect them are all enhanced. Humility is welcoming. It draws others to us. As much as we think we like the motivational, charismatic speech that gets our blood pumping, what we realize quickly is that it never lasts and fails to create long term connections. Humility does the opposite. It binds people together, not through a single grand gesture but through a thousand small, seemingly unimportant, acts. It’s the consistency of humility that draws people in. Humility is transformational, not transactional. It aims for deep connection and significant purpose, not superficial motivation and bravado. Humility sits well with us. It inspires us to become better versions of ourselves. It doesn’t waste time on fleeting motivation. Humility prompts work. It’s hard to justify the need to work in the absence of humility. If you’re already good enough, why would you work? Humility impresses on us that we are never as good as we can be. We can always improve, always get better. This should not be mistaken for a lack of confidence. The humble are very confident. Confident in their ability to accept. Confident in their ability to persist. Confident in their ability to appreciate. REAL TALK - Action Steps Growing humility is not an easy thing to do. Just when we think we’re getting good at it - poof, we’re no longer humble. Here are a few ideas to help you think about how you may be able to grow your humility.
Humility is the shortcut. It’s also the only way to be our best and to have the transformational impact we aspire to have on the people we lead. We need to humble ourselves before someone else does it for 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! |
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