When YOUR Game Stands Tall
Don't forget to sign-up your managers (and you?) for our Certified LEADER program that kicks off the week of April 6. Email me for comments from companies who have their managers in the program.
I watched the movie, When The Game Stands Tall, recently with my young kids. This is a story about football coach Bob Ladouceur (played by Jim Caviezel), who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport.
I recommend it highly, not only for you but that you consider it for a team event and discussion. Here is why:
1 - Meaningful Work: "Winning a lot of games is doable. Teaching the kids there's more to life, that's hard." - Coach Ladouceur
Lots of people can build a company and make a lot of money. Selfish jerks do it every day. Lost people do too. Until you focus on WHY you do your work - WHY it is meaningful to you personally and a life changing effort, then you are incomplete. Your success is momentary and one day you will feel empty. Instead, focus on how you can change lives TODAY for your work and personal life will thrive.
2 - Perfect Effort: "We're not asking you to be perfect on every play. What we're asking of you and what you should be asking of each other is to give a perfect effort from snap to whistle." - Coach Ladouceur
We leaders must be role models of people who give 100% effort in everything we do. This "perfect" emphasizes "complete" effort. It is the 100-zero effort we have discussed before. Every moment of our work day we must model this to our employees. Only then can we require it of them.
3 - Define You: "...Don't let a game define who you are. Let your lives do that." - Assistant Coach Terry Eidson
De La Salle loses, yet Coach Eidson (correct spelling) makes a critical point: When you as a leader fail, how do you respond in a 100/zero way so you demonstrate a setback does not define you or your company? How are you teaching your people to say "I can do this" at their darkest moments? How are you responding to their mistakes?
Mistakes do not define a 3strands LEADER. Mistakes refine us. We welcome them as a rock climber does a new cliff to climb.
4 - Goals Always: "Our goal is to give the perfect effort on every play." - Coach Ladouceur
Every member of the De La Salle Football Team has goals at the start of the season. They announce them to the team. They report into the team how they are progressing towards achieving them until they do achieve them. They are clear on what means "success" to them individually, and how that contributes to team wins.
If Coach Ladouceur can do this with young men in high school, they why can't you and your managers consistently pursue goals in your adult daycare center of a business? (This is a habit issue. We can help. Sign-up for our Certified LEADER program today!)
5 - Team Effort: "It's not about the record. It's about the team." - former player Cam Colvin
How are you modeling a team effort? How well do you delegate? How often do you train? How consistently do you follow-up? How often do you keep your commitments? How SINCERELY do you encourage EVERY employee?
Or... are you trapped in bad habits that lead you to gossip, focus on the negative instead of the positive, and hurt relationships with people on your team rather than build them up? Get real about your habits so you can improve. Everyone can improve.
6 - Responsibility: "It's not about the game, it's about when you go out into the world that you are someone others can depend on." - Coach Ladouceur
Are we modeling and teaching our people how to be leaders others can depend on? HOW? I guarantee if you develop your people's ability to be trustworthy, fully responsible team players who others know they can count on no matter what... that you business will thrive. And you will be satisfied in your soul.
7 - Commitment: "Our tradition begins with a commitment. There is a qualitative value we place on that word - commitment. If I had to choose just one lesson a student would learn from participating; it would be learning how to make a commitment." - Coach Ladouceur (see What is a Spartan)
Do not confuse hard work and long hours with commitment. Leaders must demonstrate commitment means to work SMART first, for the team second, and hard third. Is this what you are demonstrating... or are you stuck on #3?
This movie has a lot of great content for discussion. I encourage you to see it and consider what you might want to discuss with your team. Here are some quick links to consider:
What is a Spartan
40 Leadership Lessons...
7 Business Lessons...
Invest the time and effort to make your game stand tall. Work to develop leadership habits that replace your bad boss habits. You will achieve this goal when you make the commitment to improve, engage others to help, and have accountability.
We help entrepreneurial leaders develop NEW habits to overpower their less productive ones. Contact me if you would like to become the leader you were designed to be and more positively impact the lives of others.
