 The Michelangelo EffectHow cool is this story?
David, the most famous sculpture in the world, was rescued from a block that was abandoned by two other sculptors, not good enough for either of them at the time. The attempts of the previous two left cuts in ways that limited what could be carved in the future. The block was eventually discarded, left outside and forgotten for the next twenty-five years, too flawed to use for any worthwhile projects. Remember, we’re talking about David! The larger than life sculpture that many consider one of the most incredible pieces of art ever. Enter Michelangelo. At only twenty-six years old, he claims the block. To him it wasn’t the ruined slab the other sculptors had seen or the trash it had been left for the last quarter-century. Michelangelo saw a giant trapped inside, waiting to be let out. Rather than the shortcomings and flaws, he saw the inherent strengths and beauty. Over the next three years Michelangelo would chip the marble away to eventually reveal David. The seventeen-foot specimen is dramatically precise and so alive with tension that he looks like anything but a piece of discarded rock. David looks freed. The veins in his hands. The furrow in his brow. The sling on his shoulder. Flawless. The descriptions border on perfection. Where others had seen trash in the stone, Michelangelo saw divinity. Why Should We Care? When I first started coaching and, if I’m being honest, more often now than I care to admit, I reverted to being a professional flaw-catcher rather than a true coach. I reduced coaching, and leading, to nothing more than identifying everything that’s wrong. It’s the complete opposite of what the best do. Michelangelo didn't look at that block and see its flaws. He looked past what it had been reduced to and saw what it could become. Isn’t that our job? Anyone can spot flaws. There’s little talent in that. Flaws are easy, they're right there on the surface. Everyone sees them. The skill lies in seeing the best version of someone before it shows itself. And then, coaching toward that instead of just managing the obvious shortfalls. Most people are led to the societal norm, the accepted expectation. Or, worse yet, to their low point and the worst version of themselves. Instead, we should be leading others based on their best moments or even the one that hasn’t shown itself yet. By leading that way, people start becoming who we see them to be. Think about the coach or leader who changed your life. Odds are they weren't the one who catalogued your mistakes best. They were the one who saw something in you before you saw it in yourself and treated you like that person was already in there. They were chipping away at the marble around you, freeing you to be that best version. REAL TALK - Action Steps For most, acting on the Michelangelo Effect is not natural. We’ve been trained to see the problems and identify shortcomings. It’s served us well but will also limit our ultimate impact if we don’t move beyond it. Here are a few ideas to do just that.
David isn't famous because Michelangelo fixed a flawed rock. It's famous because Michelangelo saw the best possible version of the stone and refused to settle for less. We should be doing the same for the people we are leading. 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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 The Life ScaleIt’s the spring of 2012 and Mr. Wesney, the coordinating principal at Centerville High School, is introducing me as the new head boys basketball coach. The group of athletes and parents that gather in the bleachers is modest. I do my best to make sure my message is not.
I address the expectations of our players, the emphasis on our core values, and the alignment we plan to create from our youth through varsity programs. The message is politely accepted, at least that’s how I read the casual nods. The closing declaration that we would be training and working to compete for a state title is merely brushed off as a new coach’s dream. Which, from the outside, is understandable. Centerville has been known as a football school for the past twenty years and has only advanced to the basketball regional tournament a few times, and never to the state tournament. The first several years will prove to be even more challenging than we anticipate. Time is a requirement for deep levels of trust and buy-in. We give it generously. Our coaching staff consistently chooses to confront behaviors that do not align with the culture we aspire to have. This friction is new to both players and parents, causing some to love the program even more because it’s special, in a hard way. It causes others to opt out, choosing something better suited for their desired workload. Countless hours will be spent watching film, developing players, and stealing every last inch that might give our team an advantage. Weeks will be eaten up by the meticulous planning to guide the progression from our youth to our middle school to our high school program. The first few years are a grind. Establishing the process is exhausting. There will be countless times, we will weigh the sacrifice to the potential reward. But, we always return. More than willing to trade the grueling one experience for the slightest possibility of an unforgettable ten experience. As is usually the case, the trade has been well worth it. We’ve leaned into a lot of ones, but have several tens to show for it. There’s plenty of people more than happy to live a life of fours and fives, but that’s just not for me. Why Should We Care? Most people will never experience a ten because they've made a quiet, unconscious agreement with themselves to avoid the ones. How sad is that - a life with no tens! A life full of fours and fives is comfortable. Welcome to mediocrity. It's not painful enough to quit and not fulfilling enough to light you up. It's just … fine. Fine. The enemy nobody talks about. It keeps us safe. It keeps us stuck. Fine. The most socially acceptable way to waste the one life you have been given. Ones are ugly, exhausting. They cost you sleep. Sometimes they cost you relationships. They invite doubt from others and, worse, from yourself. Any leader who has tried to intentionally establish culture knows this. Any parent who has tried to hold a hard line for a child who didn't want it has learned the exact same lesson. The ones are not a detour around the tens or an unwanted replacement for them. They are the only road that leads there. The problem is that the middle ground doesn't feel like a choice when it actually is. It presents itself as the reasonable option. Take the job that pays well enough. Stay in the relationship that's comfortable enough. Run the program at the level that keeps everyone happy enough. The scale tips slowly with nobody noticing … until they do. What no one wants to tell you is that you don't accidentally stumble into a ten. You have to choose those. And that choice always comes with a cost. When you choose the ten, you choose the one that goes with it. And, unfortunately, you always have to pay upfront. . The ones are not the punishment for wanting a ten. They are the price tag. REAL TALK - Action Steps Living at a ten requires a willingness to sit with a one. That's not a naturally comfortable position for most of us, so it has to become an intentional one. Here's where to start.
Are you willing to embrace the ones for a chance at the tens? Or, are you willing to settle for a life of fours and fives with no shot at a ten? Those are very different lives. Both can be deemed as successful by the public, but only one can provide fulfillment to the individual. 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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