bcg blog

I Doubt It

When my son, Gabe, found out he was going to be trying out for his first AAU basketball team, he was excited. When he found out the team was the North Coast Blue Chips he was nervous. The Blue Chips were Bronny James’ team. His dad, LeBron, had just relocated to Cleveland so they were creating a team in Ohio for Bronny to be able to compete. 

Gabe loved basketball, but had never played competitive basketball. He had been in the gym with me for practices almost everyday. He had spent hours in the basement or in our driveway improving his skills, but had really only played one year of organized basketball.

As a ten year old, Gabe was already dedicated to getting better. He practiced everyday, usually spending a few hours each day practicing the game he loves. Upon learning of the tryout opportunity in front of him, Gabe - not mom or dad - bumped that up to 3-4 hours each day.

He was obsessed about being as good as he could be at the tryout. He knew he had worked hard to that point, harder than probably 95% of kids his age. Yet, it wasn’t the confidence from his previous work that pushed him to double down on his commitment.

It was the doubt that he wasn’t good enough to make the team.

Why Should We Care?
We often think that our work and drive to excel is rooted in our purpose and our belief in ourselves. Remember, you can be anything you want to be according to your mom and dad. But the truth is that our drive isn’t nearly as connected to our confidence as it is our fears.

Gabe wasn’t driven to work three to four hours per day because he knew could be great. He was willing to put that type of work in because he was afraid he wasn’t good enough. The same is likely true for the hardest workers on your team. 

Those driven to work are fueled far more by doubt than they are by confidence. They are on a constant mission to prove themselves, unsure if they are good enough. This uncertainty provides the tightrope anyone seeking excellence must walk. Too much doubt and we are crippled by a lack of confidence that leaves us unable to perform. Too little doubt and we become over confident and soon begin to lack the value of the work we once put in. 

Some reflection will lead you to the same discovery. 
Those times when you went all in, gave every last thing you had, were usually times you weren’t sure you could get the job done. Doubt was present and you needed to do everything you could to give yourself a chance. 

And, when you came through, confidence and belief grew. 
Fulfillment was experienced.


REAL TALK - Action Steps
Here are a few ways to maintain a healthy level of doubt in your pursuit of excellence.

• Stay in the Complexity Ring 
  
  • Bill Eckstrom spoke about the Growth Rings in his TEDx Talk and in his book, Coaching Effect. He highlights four rings: Stagnation, where nothing grows due to no standards or a negative environment; Order, a comfortable environment leading to predictable outcomes; Complexity, an uncomfortable environment leading to unpredictable outcomes; and Chaos, where there is little or no control and growth is halted by turmoil. The Complexity Ring is loaded with doubt and uncertainty … but we persist.
    

• Stay Curious
  
  • My friend, Ryan Hawk, lives his core value of curiosity daily in his podcast, The Learning Leader Show. Having gotten to know Ryan well over the last few years, I’ve begun to notice curiosity, or lack thereof, in myself and others much more. To me, curiosity is a form of humility. When we wonder about something we are in essence saying, “I’m not sure, but it sure would be cool to find out. Let me check some stuff out.”
    

• Stay Indecisive
  
  • Let me explain. We’ve all talked to people that we casually ask for advice and they attempt to cram their perspective and logic down your throat with no consideration that there is any other possible way to solve the problem. Their way is the best, often the only, way it can be done. Don’t be that person. Suggest, don’t tell. Discuss, don’t direct. It’s likely we don’t know even half the story when we are giving advice. Besides, just because it worked for you doesn’t mean it will work for someone else. 
    

Doubt is so often viewed as a negative thought, but like virtually everything, it is what you make of it. It’s not the thought of doubt that matters, but our response to it. With an underlying faith that we will persist and find a way, doubt can provide the very motivation for your foundation of work.

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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