Not every team is ready for the road to their desired goal. The win or achievement is often thought of without considering the road that it takes to get there. The highest heights are rarely reached because the road to those pinnacle achievements is too treacherous for the average person. It is not for everyone and the
Great teams are careful about their attitude towards inclusion. When we tease each other, we must make sure that the message we send is endearing and not exclusionary. Teammates can have a lot of fun teasing each other around inside jokes and familiar themes they have shared in their time working together. Teasing is a problem when
Great teammates believe in the team’s ability to meet a challenge. Ordinary teammates are overly cautious about what they agree to take on because they fear failure. The spirit of a great team is found in the fearless attempt. Greatness is never realized without risk. Great teams must build around people who see failure only in shrinking
When teams understand that the time for the suspension of a normal rest routine has passed and then return to normal, it build credability in the future for those teammates who are naturally fearlful of burnout. Leaders who try to keep unsustainable levels of effort teach their team not to trust them to be reasonable in the
When circumstances require extra effort outside of the routine, it is important to understand that powering through has a “through” at the end. The unnatural state of powering through without much rest has to be temporary. When the unnatural demand becomes the new normal burn out is on the horizon. Great teammates know when to return to
There are always going to be times that require extra effort. Great teammates know when to rest but they also know when to kick their mindset into a different gear and power through a situation that doesn’t allow for the normal routine. This different gear requires a mindset that refuses to be entitled to business as usual.
Rest is something that requires timing or we will catch ourselves resting when others need us at our best. Every teammate should evaluate their week to better understand when it would be strategic to rest so that they can leverage their energy towards the necessary moments. This is easy to do when we play sports because everyone
Everyone has a “best” state. We also have a “best” moment. The challenge to is to make sure we are at our best when the moment demands it. Quality is just as much about timing as it is performance. Who cares if we hit a three-point shot in our backyard in the middle of summer when no
I used to teach my defensive linemen that if they got through the offensive line, something is wrong. The offense would not plan to let them go unblocked and that sense of ease should raise a red flag that screams “it’s a trap!” The reality is when we catch a break we often think we deserve it,
I am often surprised at the common expectation that things should go easily. Everything in life from a young age should set the expectation of consistent trials and tribulation. When I was a kid, I liked to watch the National Geographic and Animal Planet channels and I observed that life is generally a bummer and a struggle.