 Opportunity CostI entered college undecided on what I wanted to major in. My family has always been in education - my dad, a lifelong high school science teacher, and my mom, a school bus driver. It’s the world I grew up in so I knew the ins and outs of what each aspect of the school year brought. I was well aware of the things that lifestyle afforded us - summers free, holidays off, and access to facilities. I was also well aware of what that lifestyle did not afford us - money to do anything on those free summers and holidays.
What I was fairly blind to was the things a non-teaching lifestyle affords. As I began considering the options for my future, the list quickly narrowed to two professions, both of which I could see myself doing, and enjoying, for the rest of my life: teaching and medicine. Not much difference there, right?! As a doctor, I loved the idea of helping people in their most vulnerable moments. I loved the idea of studying and becoming an expert on something that was difficult to understand. I loved the idea of providing a caring, personal touch to service that had been absent in many of my experiences. Many of those ideas which I appreciated paralleled with teaching. I knew what a life as a teacher would feel like. I had no idea about life as a doctor. First of all, I wasn’t in love with the years and years of schooling required to become a doctor. Not that I’m opposed to school, but much of that time would likely be spent void of patient interaction. I didn’t like the time I would need to spend away from my family in order to gain a position that afforded me the option to be with them. Eventually that balance would swing, but the sacrifice to get to that point was significant. And, I didn’t like the debt I would undoubtedly be in following all the necessary schooling. The problem, of course, is that I couldn’t have the things I loved without the things I didn’t like. Why Should We Care? Let’s think about an example everyone seems to struggle with: youth sports. When you attend a game you have three options: you can be a fan and cheer, you can be a coach and coach, or you can be an official and referee. You have to pick one. By choosing one, you are, by default, not choosing the other two. You can’t be a fan and referee. You can’t coach and be a fan. You can’t be a referee and coach. It doesn’t work. And, yes, I realize this fact escapes most. This is a simple reality in leadership as well. Every choice we make has a corresponding cost that we are choosing as well. The opportunity cost however is not just the immediate sacrifice. It includes the myriad of opportunities that making a different choice encompasses. Of course it’s impossible to anticipate every potential possibility, but it’s negligent to not explore it. Excellent leaders understand both what they are gaining, as well as giving up, with each choice. REAL TALK - Action Steps It’s easy to see the opportunity costs after the fact, but excellent leaders anticipate and plan for it. Here are a few areas to consider and standards to have in place in order to be best prepared for the pending opportunity cost.
Opportunity cost is something we must deal with as a leader. It’s more than the immediate loss of potential gain. Navigating it with intentionality is a symbol of clarity, self-awareness, and excellence. Checkout Surrender the Outcome on Amazon and order The Score That Matters with Ryan Hawk & Brook Cupps. The latest blog from Blue Collar Grit can be found here!
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 Sweatpants & SermonsSeveral years ago we had a young player that was really struggling with performing under pressure. He was constantly comparing his stats to teammates and basing his evaluation of play on how many shots he made. Not only was his mood dependent on his performance, but his view of his worth to the team was as well.
Despite numerous conversations regarding his value to the team beyond scoring, his perspective didn’t change. And, despite numerous reminders of his incredible work ethic, commitment to his teammates, and willingness to play both ends of the floor; his confidence continued to fluctuate with each make or miss. The emotional roller coaster came to a screeching halt when, following a tournament that he failed to uphold his side of the comparison, with his head in his hands and tears rolling down his face he simply said, “I just want to be able to wear sweatpants to church again.” On the surface, that comment may not make sense so let me unpack it a little for you. “Wearing sweatpants to church” was his way of saying he wanted to be free from the shackles of attempting to please others. He felt like he was constantly being judged. And, he was, just not by the people he thought he was being judged by. In his mind he was letting other people down and not living up to the expectations they had for him. In reality, it was the judge within that he was failing. He was caught in the comparison trap. Why Should We Care? This player, twelve years old at the time, would go on to be the most decorated player in the history of our school. He would earn multiple Mr. Basketball awards, a scholarship to a tradition-rich college, and his high school’s only state championship. None of which were on his radar as a twelve year old. And, none would’ve been accomplished without embracing the need for mental, as well as physical growth. He’s also my son. So, when he was sitting in our living room crying, the matter quickly became urgent. Not the matter of basketball, but the matter of comparison. It was far more about life than basketball at that point. We wanted to provide him with the tools to become a faithful, confident person. The basketball would take care of itself - or it wouldn’t, it didn’t really matter. The fight against comparison is a fight we must be aware of. We’re all facing it daily. If we don’t intentionally fight the current of society, we will be swept away by it. It pollutes every aspect of life and injects one of the most common challenges we face: clearly defining success. Afterall, defining success is what comparison distills to, isn’t it? When we are caught up in the comparison trap we see success as gaining favor from those we believe are judging us, by the standards we believe they are using. Success is approval for most. When we escape the comparison trap we judge for ourselves, by the standards we believe in. REAL TALK - Action Steps Every person you are leading is drawn to comparison. It must be intentionally confronted or it will be unintentionally accepted. Here are a few ideas to fight the current of society.
As Jon Gordan stated, “leadership is influence”. Mere recognition of this fact is not sufficient. We should actively be considering where that influence is coming from and in what direction it is influencing for both ourselves and those we lead. No decision is a decision. Checkout Surrender the Outcome on Amazon and order The Score That Matters with Ryan Hawk & Brook Cupps. The latest blog from Blue Collar Grit can be found here!  Are You Batman or Robin?In sports, everyone likes to talk about the Batmen and the Robbins.
Jordan needed Pippen, Montana needed Rice, and Seaver needed Bench. The best players in their respective sports are almost always tied to another very talented teammate. There is no question that the elevation of ‘Batman’ was aided by the pairing with ‘Robin’ and ‘Robin’ clearly benefited from siding with ‘Batman’. They’re symbiotic. From a performance standpoint, that is clear. And, since the performance was excellent in comparison to others at the time, we assume it was symbiotic in all other ways as well. The most significant consideration to examine is Robin’s feelings about his position. It’s not something we typically think about. Is it really beneficial to both if, deep down, Robin wants to be Batman? Of course, we would be naive to think envy and jealousy do not play a part at all. For every Robin that is content in his role, there are at least five that are longing, or worse yet, scheming to be Batman. Even Batman isn’t always happy - sometimes he wants to be Superman. Embracing a role is a real superpower. Why Should We Care? We all imagine ourselves as the center of everything that runs through our mind. We always see ourselves as the main character. And, that’s perfectly normal - I mean, why would you cast yourself as anyone else? But, step back and think about that for a minute. Although we see ourselves as the main character, others don’t share that perspective. As a matter of fact, they have the complete opposite perspective: they see themselves as the main character. This simple reality exposes a difference that every team, and leader, must deal with. After all, our perspective is our reality and for most of us that means … We think we are Batman. Contrary to most professional sports team’s approaches to roster construction, the best teams are not full of all Batmans. This turns out to be great news for those of us that come to the realization that we aren’t Batman, but not such good news for those of us charged with helping others realize they are not Batman. So, how do we help those in roles outside of Batman to not only accept their role, but to embrace it in such a way that they drive the culture and performance of the team upward regardless of their position, or role, on the team? How do we remove resentment? REAL TALK - Action Steps Commitment to one’s role is the most defining mark of a team member's commitment to the team. Here are a few simple ideas on helping your team members embrace the role you are asking them to play, even if it doesn’t involve a cape.
Roles are empowering. They provide you with a clear path to contributing the most you possibly can to the team. No role is more important than the other. There are no MVPs on real teams. Checkout Surrender the Outcome on Amazon and order The Score That Matters with Ryan Hawk & Brook Cupps. The latest blog from Blue Collar Grit can be found here!  Waiter - Rocket - GooseIt’s camp season for most high school basketball coaches right now. While it’s fun to provide young players with opportunities to have fun around the game, it’s equally exhausting. Bloody noses, phantom injuries, and restroom breaks litter every day of youth camp. Then, of course, there is the actual teaching of basketball fundamentals.
If you are running a basketball camp, one fundamental that must be taught is shooting. Although there isn’t enough time to make a significant improvement over the course of a few days of the summer, you still have to address the most valuable skill in the sport. In an effort to simplify for our campers of all different skill levels, we break shooting down into three parts that focus on the top half of the mechanics: waiter, rocket, goose. Waiter refers to the player keeping their wrist flexed and elbow under the ball. Rocket addresses the need to shoot the ball up rather than out. And, goose emphasizes the need to flip the wrist and keep the shooting arm high. While talking through it at camp this week I realized this simple three word reminder applies just as well to leadership. Why Should We Care? The Waiter We’ve all had waiters, or waitresses, that turn a simple meal into an unforgettable experience. They are kind, thoughtful, understanding and anticipate your needs even before you realize them. First and foremost, waiters serve. The best are proactive in creating a relationship, regardless of how seemingly insignificant, with you. Although it’s a tiny slice of both of your lives, it’s not a stretch to say the best servers in the world are able to transform in that minimal time frame. The best leaders do the same. Regardless of time, regardless of obstacles, regardless of available excuses - they serve and they transform … in spite of (shout out to Mike and his R2O team). The Rocket Rockets go up. They elevate those with them. They don’t push out, they push up. Isn’t this the mission of every leader - to be a lifter? Ask any leader what the most fulfilling aspect of the calling is and some version of helping people go places they didn’t know they could go. Notice it’s not taking them where they want to go. They will always shoot too low if the choice is left to them. It’s the leader’s job to press the edges of what is comfortable and raise them to what they are capable of, not what they desire. The Goose If you’re leading, you have to finish. Most people are ok being done. Leaders know being done is incomplete. It lacks follow through. From a tough conversation to a big time project, the difference is often in the follow through. After the project is complete, and most have moved on, the excellent leader circles back to reaffirm the deal. Following a tough conversation that same leader will reconnect to be sure the other person knows they are still valued. They hand write thank you notes. They call. While most think these things are ‘extras’, excellent leaders simply view them as part of the process. It’s less what they do and more who they are. REAL TALK - Action Steps All three of the items above are important parts of leading effectively, with excellence. And, I’m sure you probably have many things you do that fall into each bucket, but here are a few ideas that you may not have consider:
Waiter - Rocket - Goose: as good for those aspiring to become better shooters as it is for those seeking excellence in leadership. Serving, lifting up, and following through … if only the execution were as simple as the verbiage. Checkout Surrender the Outcome on Amazon and order The Score That Matters with Ryan Hawk & Brook Cupps. The latest blog from Blue Collar Grit can be found here! |
About bcI'm a teacher, coach, and parent seeking excellence while defining success on my own terms. Archives
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