 Standards TalkTom Brady and Bill Belichick had a unique relationship. It was always respectful but never smooth, always successful but never completely joyous. As the 199th draft pick, Brady never overwhelmed with talent. And Belichick, with his all-business disposition never impressed with his personality. What both men did wholeheartedly embrace was Belichick's relentless expectations that unlocked something in Brady that even he didn't know existed.
Belichick recalled, "Every meeting I went into, I felt like I had to be as well prepared as he was." This wasn't about Brady being difficult - it was about Belichick setting an expectation that preparation would be mutual and excellence would be non-negotiable. When Brady would challenge him in meetings, asking detailed questions about opponents that forced Belichick to dig deeper, it became clear that high expectations had created a culture where everyone had to rise to meet the standard. To the rest of the team, these expectations communicated that no one - not even the legendary coach and starting quarterback - were exempt from the expectation of constant improvement. To Brady himself, it reinforced that his potential was limitless. There was always another level to reach. To the media and fans, it demonstrated that success wasn't accidental but the result of systematic excellence. It was something they prioritized and acted intentionally on. They left nothing to chance. To their opponents, it sent a clear message - we're not just trying to beat you today, we're building something that will dominate for years. Those expectations became the foundation for six Super Bowl victories, but more importantly, they created a standard that transformed everyone who encountered it. Brady and Belichick didn't just expect to win - they expected to redefine what winning looked like. Why Should We Care? High standards function as the ultimate communication system that operates on multiple levels simultaneously. When leaders set ambitious expectations, they're not just expressing hopes - they're broadcasting beliefs that fundamentally alter relationships and performance. Those we lead don't just hear the success we expect; they hear the capabilities we see in them that they hadn't recognized in themselves. This message of belief becomes more powerful than any strategy or technique because it changes the identity of our team. The most effective leaders understand that their expectations function as prophetic declarations that can either limit or unleash the potential of those they lead. This principle becomes crucial when we consider how expectations shape organizational culture and individual performance. Teams and individuals tend to rise or fall to the level of expectations placed on them, not because of external pressure, but because expectations communicate identity. When leaders consistently expect excellence, they signal that mediocrity isn't acceptable because it fails to honor who their people truly are. Conversely, when leaders lower expectations to be "realistic" or avoid disappointment, they inadvertently communicate that limitation is acceptable. The message received isn't just about performance targets - it's about worth, potential, and possibility. The ripple effects of high expectations extend far beyond immediate performance outcomes. When you consistently expect more from yourself and others, you create an environment where growth becomes inevitable and excellence becomes normal. People begin to see challenges as opportunities to rise rather than threats to survival. They start making decisions based on their potential rather than their current limitations. Most importantly, they begin to expect more from themselves, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of improvement that continues long after the original expectations were set. REAL TALK - Action Steps The power of expectations requires intentional cultivation - you can't accidentally communicate belief or casually inspire excellence. Here are three ways to harness expectation as a leader:
Your expectations are never neutral - they're either elevating or diminishing the people around you. When you choose to expect excellence, you're not just hoping for better outcomes; you're communicating a fundamental belief in human potential. 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!
0 Comments
 Misguided PrioritiesIt's October 1993, and Michael Jordan is shocking the sports world by announcing his retirement from basketball at age 30, his peak to this point in his career. He has just led the Chicago Bulls to their third consecutive NBA championship, is the league's most dominant player, and seems destined for more titles. But Jordan is drowning in pressure - none of which have anything to do with basketball.
The pressure Jordan feels isn't coming from the game he loves - it's coming from everything else that has been layered on top of it. Endorsement obligations, media appearances, public expectations, and the weight of being an icon have transformed basketball from a source of joy into a burden of responsibility. The death of his father that summer has given him perspective: life is short, and he is spending it serving priorities that aren't truly his own. So Jordan does something that seems impossible for someone at his level - he walks away. He chooses to play minor league baseball, taking a massive pay cut and enduring public ridicule, because it allows him to compete without the crushing weight of external expectations. For 18 months, he plays a sport where he is just another player trying to improve, where failure is acceptable, and where the only pressure is the kind that actually matters - the drive to get better. When he returns to basketball in 1995, he is a different player. Not because his skills have changed, but because he has rediscovered the difference between the pressure that comes from pursuing excellence and the pressure that comes from serving everyone else's agenda. He goes on to win three more championships, but more importantly, he has learned that the most destructive pressure is the kind we accept when we lose sight of what our top priorities actually are. Why Should We Care? Jordan's retirement reveals a truth about leadership most never recognize: the majority of stress we experience isn't imposed by our core responsibilities, but created by everything we've allowed to be piled on top of them. When leaders take on too many peripheral commitments, chase recognition, or allow external expectations to define their success, they manufacture pressure disguised as professional necessity. Basketball was never the issue for Jordan - he was drowning in everything that wasn't basketball. He eventually treated them all as equally important. This self-imposed pressure doesn't just diminish performance - it distorts our relationship with the work we're actually called to do, turning sources of strength into sources of stress. This principle becomes crucial when we examine how manufactured pressure affects leadership decision-making. Leaders operating under self-created expectations often make choices designed to manage their image rather than serve their organization's needs. They say yes to speaking engagements that drain their energy, pursue awards that don't advance their mission, or accept responsibilities that dilute their focus on core leadership functions. Conversely, leaders who have learned this lesson - that walking away from secondary pressures can restore primary effectiveness - can remain focused and strategic even during challenges. They understand that real leadership pressure comes from genuinely important decisions, not from trying to be everything to everyone. The pursuit of personal excellence follows the same pattern. High achievers who struggle with chronic pressure are often fighting battles like Jordan's - committed to maintaining standards in areas that aren't central to their actual calling or competence. They become overwhelmed by networking obligations, paralyzed by social media presence, or exhausted by trying to excel in every dimension of life simultaneously. But individuals who learn to distinguish between the pressure that comes from pursuing mastery and the pressure that comes from managing everyone else's expectations experience a different kind of excellence - one characterized by deep focus, sustainable effort, and the joy that only comes from doing what you're truly meant to do. REAL TALK - Action Steps The path from pressure-driven leadership to priority-driven excellence requires the same courage Jordan showed - the willingness to step away from what everyone expects in order to reconnect with what actually matters. Here’s a few ideas on doing it for yourself:
The most profound leadership transformation happens when you stop trying to manage pressure and start preventing it through clarity about what deserves your best effort. When your commitments flow from your purpose rather than external expectations, when your decisions serve your primary mission rather than secondary recognition, you discover a way of leading that feels both more effective and more sustainable. 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!  Be Before DoIt’s 2008 and the Graham Falcons are taking the floor in the Boys Basketball Regional Semi-finals against the Alter Knights at Wright State’s Nutter Center. For Alter, it’s just another year under legendary coach Joe Petrocelli, winner of numerous state championships and nearly thirty regional appearances. For the Falcons, who are not led by a legendary coach that has been to multiple state tournaments, it is new territory - the program’s first-ever trip to the elite eight.
Prior to the regional tournament, teams have approximately a week to prepare. The challenge, other than the best competition they’ve faced all season, is that the regional semi-finals and finals are only one day apart. Some would view the focus to be clear - win the next game, which is understandable. The Falcons approach it a little differently, though - they’re trying to win the whole thing. Of course the next game is important, but the goal is to win the last one. With this mindset shift, a critical decision quickly becomes apparent: invest all of your time into preparation on all of your potential opponents or double down on yourself. Neither choice disregards the other, but the clarity of the commitment will direct the focus and be apparent to the team leading up to the biggest game of their careers. They double down. The focus would not be on the perennial power they would face in the regional semi-final or the likely finals opponent with the seven-foot future NBA Draft pick. It would be on themselves. Who they would be in the moment took priority over anything they, or their opponents, would do. I’ve been very fortunate to coach several teams that have fully embraced this mindset. Each one has met, or exceeded, their potential. The 2008 Falcons were the first. Why Should We Care? Transformational leaders understand that identity drives behavior more powerfully than strategy ever could. When we focus primarily on what our people need to do - hit revenue targets, manage conflicts, execute plans, or just run the play - they often find themselves reactive, anxious, and passive. They are dependent on circumstances beyond their control. When they shift their focus to who they need to be in each moment - composed, decisive, supportive, courageous - they access a source of power that no external situation can diminish. This principle becomes especially crucial during high-stakes moments. When facing a crisis, giving difficult feedback, or making unpopular decisions, leaders who ask "What should I do?" often get trapped in analysis or make fear-based choices. But leaders who ask "Who do I need to be right now?" tap into their core values and authentic strengths, enabling them to act with clarity and conviction regardless of uncertainty. They understand that their team is watching not just what they do, but how they show up - their energy, their confidence, their integrity under pressure. For individuals pursuing excellence, this shift from doing to being unlocks a freedom that achievement-focused thinking alone cannot provide. Instead of being at the mercy of external validation, market conditions, or other people's responses, you can anchor your sense of success in qualities that remain within your control. This doesn't mean outcomes don't matter - it means your confidence and effectiveness aren't held hostage by them. When you know exactly who you want to be in challenging moments, you can perform at your highest level regardless of stakes, opposition, or uncertainty. Excellence becomes less about perfect execution and more about consistent embodiment of your best self. REAL TALK - Action Steps The transition from doing-focused to being-focused leadership requires intentional practices - especially when pressure mounts. Here are a few you can make a part of your leadership system:
The most influential leaders understand that lasting excellence flows from the inside out, not the outside in. 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!  Tough & TogetherIt’s spittin’ rain - just the way we like it. It’s uncomfortably cold, not make-your-bones-hurt cold but definitely not pleasant. A whistle draws the team together on the far back practice field, where most of the thirty young men are somewhere between anxious and scared to death about what is about to happen. Either way, the rain and cold makes it way better.
Practice is a week away and the only thing standing between the guys and a week of rest is our Final Conditioning - a workout full of bear crawls, crab walks, partner carries, burpees, and lots of running. The workout is sixty minutes. Finish and you receive a pair of work boot shoe laces. Don’t finish and well, you don’t get any shoe laces. But, you also know you didn’t finish. For guys in our program we hope that hurts more than missing out on any prize. Most guys don’t finish. Final Conditioning is the perfect capstone to our preseason. Finishing it or not finishing it isn’t the point - embracing the challenge of it is. We want players who choose to view the challenge as an opportunity, not an obstacle. Guys who are willing to run as hard and as fast as they can without knowing where the finish line is. Fortunately, the guys showing up for Final Conditioning have already demonstrated a portion of this by attending months of 6:00am workouts, open gyms, conditionings, and weight lifting sessions. Those averse to this perspective tapped out a long time ago. The young men remaining almost always possess the other characteristic that we think is critical - togetherness. People want to be a part of a group. So much so that they’ll do incredibly hard things for months with little to no hope of making the team. They may hate how hard it is but they love the camaraderie that comes with being on a team. As is always the case, love beats hate. The beauty of Final Conditioning is that it exposes both. Why Should We Care? Final Conditioning reveals a fundamental truth about high-performance: individual toughness and collective strength are multipliers - not competing forces. The most transformational leaders understand that true toughness isn't about going it alone; it's about having the courage to tackle hard things while creating environments where others want to struggle alongside you. When people know their leader will both demand excellence and support them through the difficulty of achieving it, they don't just comply - they become compelled. This connection becomes crucial when organizations face their own version of Final Conditioning that tests everyone's resolve. Leaders who have cultivated both personal resilience and deep team bonds can navigate these challenges in ways that actually strengthen their organizations. They don't just survive the tough moments; they use them as opportunities to demonstrate that shared struggle creates unbreakable trust. Their teams emerge from difficulties more unified, more capable, and more willing to take on the next challenge because they've experienced firsthand that they won't be abandoned when things get hard. Individual excellence follows the same pattern. Regardless of what anyone tells you, no man is self-made. The highest achievers aren't lone wolves grinding through challenges in isolation. They're people who have learned to be tough enough to embrace difficult growth opportunities while building networks of relationships that amplify their efforts. They understand that being "together" doesn't make you soft; it makes you invincible. When you combine personal resilience with genuine investment in others' success, you create a foundation for excellence that can weather any storm and reach heights that individual effort alone could never achieve. REAL TALK - Action Steps The synergy between tough and together doesn't happen accidentally - it requires intentional practices that build both individual resilience and collective strength simultaneously. Here are a few ideas to do just that for you:
When you combine the willingness to embrace hard things with the commitment to strengthen others, you create environments where people become braver, more resilient, and more capable than they ever thought possible - not despite the challenges they face together, but because of them. 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!  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!  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!  Right NowIt’s an average Wednesday night in July. Betsy and I have just gotten back from a walk with the family dog, Izzy. I say the family dog, but really she’s my dog. At least now, she’s my dog. That wasn’t always the case. She first entered the family as a birthday present for our kids, Ally and Gabe. But, that was seven years ago and she was an adorable, squishy basset hound puppy. They played with her and loved on her - until they moved out. That’s when she became my dog.
In any case, the walk went well, aside from the time Izzy sat down and refused to walk. Not surprisingly a belly-rub generated the perfect amount of energy to make it back to the house - just in time for a facetime call from Ally & Gabe. These are regular occurrences now. I assume my usual position - scrunched into our striped chair beside Betsy to partake in the conversation. We listen to their updates intently, trying to gather all the information we can. We’ve realized what they don’t say is just as important as what they do at this point. And, how they say it provides far more information than the actual words they choose to use. Gabe loves one word answers so follow-up questions are essential. Ally loves thousand word answers, no follow-up questions needed. We offer guidance here and there, but more than anything we joke, laugh and smile. Betsy and I look forward to the calls as much as anything in our day. When the calls are over, we usually recap them with each other - what stood out, how are they, how could we help? And, we both experience a swelling feeling of gratitude. Grateful for our kids. Grateful for our good fortune. And, grateful for right now. Why Should We Care? True greatness rarely looks dramatic - in sports, leadership, or life. It’s found in showing up with intentionality, doing so consistently, and remaining present, regardless of the circumstances or distractions available. Excellence has a lot more to do with the ordinary than the extraordinary. As leaders, we are drawn to results - the KPIs, the recognition, the applause. But excellence isn’t built in moments of spotlight - it’s forged our smallest of choices. How we listen, how we respond, and whether we pause long enough to absorb what’s unspoken is the life blood of excellence. Seeing meaning beyond words is discernment at its core, a skill every exceptional leader must cultivate. Leadership honors the moment we’re in. It doesn’t dwell on what could have been or obsess over what might be. It lives fully in the present moment. The truth is we’ll never be younger than we are right now. In thirty years we would trade every award we’ve ever won and bonus we’ve ever earned to be where we are right this second. This should make something very clear for us: achievement and money are not the most important things. The present moment is. REAL TALK - Action Steps It’s one thing to acknowledge the importance of being present. It’s another thing to intentionally live in a way that makes that possible. Here are a few ideas to prioritize right now:
Be present … appreciate the right now. It enhances our gratitude, sharpens our perspective, and reminds us to value others not for what they achieve, but for who they are. 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!  The Quiet Power of SimpleStories about legendary personalities grow with time. Like Paul Bunyon’s bounding strength and size, the tales often become bigger than life. One of those legends, at least in the coaching world, is John Wooden. His ten national championships in twelve seasons garners the most attention from pundits and fans, but it’s what his success was built on that most miss out on.
After eleven years as a high school coach, Wooden jumped into the college ranks at Indiana State. He was immediately successful and parlayed that success into an opportunity at UCLA. While UCLA is held in high regard now, the program he took over had never won a national championship and had only two conference championships in its eighteen years of existence before Wooden’s arrival. He would win conference titles in each of his first four seasons. Wooden, who was over twenty years into his coaching career before winning his first national championship, possessed a level of clarity that immediately distinguished him from other coaches. No doubt perspective on life was instilled by his parents - Wooden carried a note given to him by his father at all times that read: Never lie. Never cheat. Never steal. Along the same lines, Wooden’s UCLA teams operated by three simple rules: No profanity. Don’t criticize a teammate. Be on time. Very clear, very simple. Wooden’s spiritual life was the biggest driving force in his life. His conviction in, and commitment to, his faith created a powerful fulcrum in which daily decisions that other coaches struggled with were made easy. This clarity carried over to all aspects of his leadership with his team. Everything was grounded in the basics. Most have heard stories of Wooden’s first meeting with players. He began his talk, every season, by demonstrating how to properly put on socks and tie shoes. Blisters, he reasoned, would result from poorly worn socks and could sideline a player for days. And if you can’t play, you can’t contribute. Wooden’s commitment to simplicity wasn’t just a coaching philosophy - it was score belief. He knew that clarity, consistency, and attention to detail were the bedrock of sustained success. Why Should We Care? In a society obsessed with the next new thing and of the belief that more is always better, Wooden’s legacy reminds us that simplicity is not a limitation, but a superpower. His success wasn’t built on a fad of the times. It was built on his core beliefs and purpose. Wooden consistently chose the simple over the complex, the foundational over the extras. Wooden understood something that many leaders miss - confusion is costly. When values are vague and priorities multiply, individuals drift from their primary purpose and teams fracture. By contrast, Wooden built his teams on a foundation of three simple behavioral rules and a deeply personal moral compass. That clarity didn’t dilute his leadership - it amplified it. Simplicity gave his players freedom - not to do whatever they wanted, but to focus fully on what mattered most. Wooden didn’t need complexity to achieve greatness. He needed courage to hold fast to what he valued most. REAL TALK - Action Steps Simplicity doesn’t just happen - it’s a discipline, a daily decision to pursue clarity. Whether you’re leading a team or striving for personal excellence, here’s a few ideas for staying simple when it matters most:
Coach Wooden’s superpower wasn’t his basketball intelligence, his charisma, or his work ethic. It was his conviction. He taught, coached, and led with a steady hand rooted in purpose and simplicity. And his legacy endures not just because of his championships, but because of his principles that have outlasted the trends. 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
December 2025
Categories |
RSS Feed