 Fighting AnticipationI’ve never been a golf guy. Time and money were, and still are, big detractors. Nonetheless, I have always respected the mental and physical skills it requires. Like in most professions, the best just look different. And, when you’re known throughout the world by a single name, you’re definitely different.
He stood over a six-foot putt on the 18th green at Augusta National in 2005, needing to sink it to force a playoff in the Masters. The crowd of 40,000 was dead silent. This was the moment that separated champions from contenders, and everyone knew it. But as he later described it, something unexpected happened just before he hit the ball: his mind went completely quiet. For most golfers, this is the moment anticipation takes over. The trophy ceremony, imagining the disappointment of missing, calculating what this putt means for their career and their bank account … the mind leaps to ‘what ifs’. But he was different. He didn't think about winning the Masters. He didn't think about the roar of the crowd. He thought only about the mechanics of his stroke, the line of the putt, and the feeling of the putter in his hands. "I became smaller and smaller until there was nothing but the ball and the hole," he said later. The putt dropped center cup, and he erupted in celebration, but the real victory had happened in his mind seconds earlier. He had mastered the art of staying relentlessly present. His ability to fight anticipation, to resist the mental time travel that destroys performance under pressure, became the foundation of his dominance. He understood that excellence lives in the present moment, and anticipation is its greatest enemy. Tiger was clearly the best. Why Should We Care? Tiger's mastery of present-moment focus reveals a critical truth - anticipation is the silent killer of excellence. When we allow our minds to race ahead to future outcomes, both positive and negative, we rob ourselves of the mental resources needed to perform at our peak right now. Leaders who get caught up in anticipating others' reactions, imagining worst-case scenarios, or prematurely celebrating potential victories consistently underperform compared to those who can stay locked into the immediate task at hand. This principle becomes even more crucial when we consider how anticipation affects decision-making under pressure. Leaders living in future consequences often make conservative, fear-based choices rather than optimal ones. They hedge their bets, worry about potential criticism, and hesitate when decisive action is needed. Leaders who fight anticipation and stay present, on the other hand, see opportunities others miss, make clearer judgments, and execute with precision. For individuals pursuing excellence, learning to fight anticipation unlocks a level of performance that feels almost supernatural to others. When we’re fully present, we notice subtle details that anticipation blinds us to. We respond rather than react. We make adjustments in real-time instead of being paralyzed by what might happen next. This isn't about ignoring the future - it's about refusing to let future possibilities hijack our present-moment effectiveness. The most excellent performers understand that the future is created through a series of perfectly executed present moments. REAL TALK - Action Steps The battle against anticipation requires specific practices that train our mind to anchor itself in the present moment, especially when stakes are highest. Here are a few ideas to make this approach a reality:
The leaders and performers who consistently achieve excellence have learned something that others struggle to grasp: the future unfolds through the quality of our present-moment attention, not through the intensity of our anticipation. Excellence isn't about predicting the future perfectly - it's about engaging so completely with the present that we create the future we want. 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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 Compassion Follows AwarenessI’m a huge Patch Adams fan. It’s one of my all-time favorite movies. While the movie doesn’t match real-life exactly, it does offer a few powerful insights into the true genius of Hunter "Patch" Adams.
Patch was a suicidal college student who voluntarily admitted himself to a mental hospital in 1969. What he found there fundamentally changed how he would eventually practice medicine for the rest of his life. The psychiatric ward was cold, sterile, and run with military efficiency. Patients were merely numbers and human connection was actively discouraged. Patch, a patient at the time, watched his peers shuffle through their days like zombies, medicated into compliance but starved of any genuine human interaction. A key turning point for Patch came when he met fellow patient Arthur Mendelson. Arthur was an elderly patient who constantly asked questions. For weeks, everyone - doctors, nurses, patients - dismissed Arthur as incoherent, responding to his constant questions with frustration until they eventually just ignored him. Patch, however, became aware of something others missed: Arthur wasn't asking random questions. He was desperately trying to connect. So Patch started answering - as if Arthur's questions mattered. After weeks of careful observation and intentional compassion, Patch’s reply finally garnered a smile from Arthur - the first since Patch had known him. In that moment, Patch realized that his awareness of Arthur, the person - not the patient, had unlocked both his own compassion and Arthur's ability to connect. This experience became the foundation of Patch's relational approach to medicine - the understanding that healing happens not just through treatment protocols, but through the profound act of truly seeing and caring for another human being. Why Should We Care? Patch's revelation highlights a fundamental truth: compassion and awareness are interdependent - each strengthens the other. Without awareness, compassion becomes shallow and ineffective - we offer generic comfort instead of addressing real needs. Without compassion, awareness becomes cold data - we see what's happening but fail to understand what it means to the people involved. The most effective leaders understand that these aren't separate skills to develop independently, but they're interconnected capabilities that amplify each other's impact. This connection becomes crucial when we consider the daily pressures we face as leaders. Under stress, it's natural to retreat into task-focused thinking, treating people like variables in an equation rather than complex individuals with unique motivations and concerns. But leaders who maintain both awareness and compassion during difficult times don't just preserve team morale - they unlock insights that other approaches miss. They notice when a high performer is struggling before it affects their work. They anticipate when group dynamics are shifting and address the emotional undercurrents that drive team behaviors. For individuals pursuing excellence, the awareness-compassion connection offers a pathway to influence and impact that is far bigger than mere competence. When you develop the awareness to truly see others - their struggles, aspirations, and unspoken needs - and combine it with genuine compassion, you become someone others truly trust. This creates a multiplier effect where your success becomes intertwined with helping others achieve theirs. THIS is leadership. REAL TALK - Action Steps The bridge between awareness and compassion isn't built through grand gestures - it's constructed through small, intentional practices that gradually expand your capacity to see and care simultaneously.
The most profound leadership transformations happen when awareness and compassion stop being things you do and start being who you are. Excellence becomes not just about achieving your own potential, but about creating conditions where everyone around you can achieve theirs. 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!  Normalizing ExcellenceLet’s talk Kobe! He’s at the top of his game, the apex of his career, and he’s alone in a gym working on the same fundamental footwork drills he’s done thousands of times before. Oh, yea - and it’s 4 AM. For his teammates it wasn’t just his dedication that stood out, but how routine it seemed. While other players treated early morning workouts as special occasions that required extra motivation and mental preparation, Kobe had normalized this behavior to the point where not showing up at 4 AM would have felt strange. He didn't need to psych himself up or rely on fleeting inspiration; this routine had become his default setting.
Tim Grover, who trained both Kobe and Jordan, observed that elite athletes don't just do difficult things - they make difficult things feel normal. They create systems and environments where behaviors that would exhaust most people become as automatic as brushing their teeth. Kobe's 4 AM workouts weren't acts of heroic willpower - they were Tuesday. This normalization extended beyond himself to how he influenced his teammates. When new players joined the Lakers, they quickly learned that Kobe's standard wasn't something to aspire to occasionally - it was the baseline expectation. Players who initially balked at the intensity found themselves adapting because the culture made excellence feel inevitable rather than extraordinary. Why Should We Care? The power of normalizing difficult behaviors lies in our ability to remove the emotional friction that prevents most people from achieving consistency. When we treat challenging activities as special events that require enormous willpower, we create mental barriers that make them unsustainable. Every workout becomes a mountain to climb, every difficult conversation becomes a heroic act, and every challenging goal requires us to summon superhuman motivation. But leaders who achieve sustained excellence understand that willpower is finite - it's our systems and normalized behaviors that create lasting results. The exact same principle applies to leadership development. The best leaders don't inspire their teams through occasional grand gestures or motivational speeches - they create environments where high performance becomes the natural way of operating. They normalize behaviors like giving direct feedback, taking risks, and maintaining high standards not through force or charisma, but by making these actions feel like the obvious thing to do. When difficult behaviors become normalized, they stop being difficult. The psychological energy that used to go toward overcoming resistance can now be channeled toward innovation and growth. For individuals pursuing excellence, normalizing positive but challenging behaviors is perhaps the most practical path to transformation. Instead of relying on bursts of motivation or waiting for the perfect moment to change, you can gradually shift your identity by making small, difficult things feel routine. This approach recognizes that excellence isn't about occasional peak performance - it's about raising your baseline. When showing up early, preparing thoroughly, or having tough conversations becomes as natural as checking your email, you've created a foundation for sustained high performance that doesn't depend on external circumstances. REAL TALK - Action Steps Here are a few simple, actionable ideas for normalizing excellence in your world:
The most powerful leadership development strategy isn't learning to do extraordinary things extraordinarily well; it's learning to do difficult things so routinely that they stop being difficult. In this way, what seems impossible to others becomes inevitable for us. 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!  Adapt & OvercomeIt’s 1997 and Reed Hastings is in shock. He has just been charged a $40 late fee for returning Apollo 13 to Blockbuster six weeks late. He is convinced that the entire model for video rental is a disaster. It isn’t just about avoiding the fees, however it is admittedly a big part of his motivation to find a solution. This experience needs fixing and Reed Hastings is just the man to do it. His solution? Netflix, initially a DVD-by-mail service that simply eliminates late fees.
By 2007, Netflix had shipped its billionth DVD and seems to have found its niche. Blockbuster’s late fee model had been debunked and a successful, profitable business had been born. Hastings, however, had no intention of stopping there. While their DVD business was still booming, they made a decision that seemed almost suicidal at the time - they began investing heavily in streaming technology. There were indications that the internet may make physical media obsolete, but choosing to invest in something that would virtually cannibalize their profitable DVD operation seemed questionable at best. In 2011 Netflix announced that it would split its DVD and streaming services - raising prices significantly - customers revolted. The company lost 800,000 subscribers in a single quarter, and its stock price fell by 75%. Experts were sure of Netflix’s demise. According to them, Netflix had moved too fast and alienated their core customer base. But Hastings and his team never wavered in their conviction that streaming was the future. His team wasn’t done there though - they doubled down on their belief in the change. Rather than simply licensing content from traditional media companies, Netflix began producing its own original programming in 2013. This transformed Netflix from a technology company that delivered content into a media company that created it. Today, Netflix has fundamentally reshaped how the world consumes entertainment. The company that started with DVDs-by-mail now stands as one of the most influential media companies on the planet. Why Should We Care? Netflix's transformation illustrates a fundamental truth about leadership and excellence in today’s world: the most dangerous position isn't being behind the curve - it's being comfortable at the top of the current curve. The best leaders are willing to disrupt their own success before someone else does. The leaders who create lasting impact recognize that adaptability isn’t reactive - it’s proactive. They're the ones who continuously evolve their approach as circumstances change. This forward-thinking adaptability is what transforms companies from industry participants into industry leaders and individuals from victims of mediocrity to champions of excellence. Excellence is for those who can sense inflection points before they become obvious to everyone else. They view their past successes not as proof they've found the right formula, but as evidence they have the capability to succeed again, regardless of the circumstances. Netflix created an environment where questioning the status quo wasn't just tolerated but expected. This adaptable culture enabled them to make massive pivots without losing their core identity or mission. They remained focused on delivering entertainment value to customers, even as the methods for doing so transformed completely. REAL TALK - Action Steps Change can be scary, but we should also recognize it’s vital. Here are a few ideas to help you adapt to adapting:
In a world where change is the only constant, your capacity to adapt isn't just a competitive advantage - it's the pathway to sustained 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! |
About bcI'm a teacher, coach, and parent seeking excellence while defining success on my own terms. Archives
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