Who Are You After The Game?

March 26, 2012 By

When the game is over, the locker room is empty and the fanfare has come to a halt, there’s a moment of deafening silence…the silence of one’s own heart facing life head-on. From the stadium walks not an athlete, but a man; a man who stands in his street clothes – just him, his personality, his character. When it’s all said and done, he has nothing else. Whatever he owns, whatever limelight is shining on him now, will eventually dim and all he will have left is himself.

The trappings of life; the gold, the glitz, the glitter, and the glamour can fade at a moment’s notice. Just ask one of the 78% of NFL players who find themselves traveling to the intersection of broke and busted within five years of retiring. Only those who are ingrained with a sense of personal accountability will drive to post-career satisfaction and personal victory.

But what about you, the entrepreneur? Without your business, without your enterprises, who are you? What identifies the core of your character?
Maybe it’s time to take an assessment of who you are today, at this moment. Every key person and each key circumstance in your life has helped shaped you into the person you’ve become. You may have chosen to allow bitterness and anger, or self-pity to take root due to life circumstances. Or, you may have chosen to allow life to empower you and strengthen your inner resolve.

Have you been stuck at the intersection of broke, busted, and disgusted? Have you cruised on the highway of gold, glitz, glitter, and the glamour of a successful career? Some of us have driven in both worlds.

I think most of us have in mind what emotional, spiritual, physical, financial, relational, and vocational destinations we see ourselves arriving at; where we’d like to be at a certain stage in our lives. Sometimes I think we focus entirely too much on the destination and forget to enjoy the everyday moments that teach us the lessons that will help us value and cherish those destinations. So, take some time to evaluate where you are right now and who you have become.

“Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves, to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterday by our today, to do our work with more force than ever before.”
Stewart B. Johnson

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Shifting

November 26, 2010 By

One of the things I love most about football is that it’s a game of wit. Basically, it comes down to each team trying to outsmart the other. That’s what shifting at the line is all about. As soon as the quarterback yells, “set” the offensive line cannot move. However, other players on offense can shift, meaning they’re allowed to release from their set position, move to another place on the field, and then get set again. Defensive players can shift all they want before the ball is snapped.

A smart quarterback is master at reading the opposing teams’ defense and calling changes at the LOS (line of scrimmage). Payton Manning is, in my opinion, the smartest quarterback of all time. There are many other powerful quarterbacks, but Manning is the smartest, followed by Tom Brady. They may not be my favorite QB’s, but I respect their ability to intelligently lead their teams.

How does this relate to you as a business person? Plenty. As you act as the quarterback of your company, you need to “read” current business trends as well as respond and make quick decisions based on those trends. You’ll need to be prepared to “shift” as you see changes in your competition and the economic climate. What is the best way to be a smart company quarterback?

1. Educate yourself. The best way to anticipate trends is to be a proactive trend hunter. Do some online research to discover the latest trends. Most successful businesses are born through spotting trends and meeting a need that those trends reveal. Trend spotters are the ones who make friends with the future and create innovative solutions to perceived needs.

2. Identify and Analyze the REAL competition. As a smart company QB you will in essence, “study game tape” to know your competition inside and out. By evaluating your competition, you’ll gain intellectual access to their weaknesses and vulnerabilities, and thus you’ll be ready to fulfill the unmet needs of the client. You’ll also gain knowledge and power in the process on how to most effectively serve your clients.

3. Position yourself for success. When players shift, they have to come to a stop before the play begins. Use the knowledge gained from the previous two steps to stop and position yourself as the most desirable, most logical choice. It’s natural for clients to shop for the best deal and solution so encourage your clients to compare in the areas where you have a favorable edge. You can prosper and gain a significant advantage even with higher prices if you set yourself apart by providing something the competition does not. When you’ve identified what your competition is not providing, and make that your mission, clients will naturally be drawn to you.

When you’re in the set position at your company’s LOS and you “read” that the defense (competition) has shifted, you have options. Try the steps above; educate, identify, and position. Know and identify the trends and position yourself to capitalize on inevitable shifting. You will become a smart company quarterback who knows how to lead your team to victory.

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Mixing it Up on the Playing Field

July 11, 2009 By

A basic fact about football is that an 11-inch long ball bounces funny. How does a coaching staff develop a strategy that compensates for an odd-shaped ball that bounces funny? Depends on the coaching staff. Some like to run, some like to pass, some like to mix it up.

Teams that can both run and pass are the most successful. Teams that can play effectively in icy weather as well as scorching weather will have a better chance at victory. Teams who have superb running games in cold weather will most likely dominate, just as teams who play in domes on artificial turf will have an edge with faster players. Of course, it also depends greatly on the talent of the team. Combinations are important: Consider the former combined talent of Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, Brett Farve and Dorsey Levens, Joe Montana and Roger Craig.

The best way to plan a game strategy is first to know the “personality” of your opponent, both strengths and weaknesses, and then for the offensive line to ask the question: What do we do best, run or pass? After all, those are your only choices to move down the field, no matter what your strategy.

On the business field we must ask ourselves what our strategy is on a daily basis. We need to know as much as possible about our opponent (competition) and how a strong game plan can dominate our arena.

Ask yourself the following questions to analyze your game and make it the best it can be.

What do I do best?

Am I focusing on those things?

Are you reading industry-specific playbooks to further your field knowledge and motivational books to keep you and your team going?

Do you use combined talent with those you partner with?

Do you mix it up on your playing field by choosing a combination of running and passing strategies (creative problem-solving) outside the box?

Do you conduct business on a mundane and predictable basis?

The truth is: Life bounces funny. There’s never just one way to accomplish a task or solve a problem. Start using a run/pass game to mix it up on your playing field and I bet you’ll find the spark you need to win daily success.

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Protecting the Dream by any Means Necessary

July 11, 2009 By

In the old days of football, receivers used a substance called Stick-Em, a sappy concoction that would make the ball stick to their hands, allowing them to make one-handed catches easily. These days, possession receivers will sometimes wear gloves that have sticky palms so when a leather ball on a dry day hits them, the ball sticks on the glove, making it easier to catch.

Coaches are always admonishing players to protect the ball by any means necessary. We’ve all seen the horrifying plays when a great pass is intercepted by the opposing team. Or maybe when a running back is not protecting the ball well and it’s stripped away from him in an instant.

It’s the same thing with your dreams. The ball represents your dreams and when you watch a football game, it should remind you to protect your dreams by any means necessary because you see what can happen when you lose the ball.

Let’s face it. It’s exciting to birth a new vision or dream and by nurturing it and feeding it, we watch it grow and develop, just as we would a child. It’s ours and it’s special.

I have found that not everyone is worthy of sharing my dream with.

People with small minds, content to live a life of mediocrity, will scoff at your dream. Others will remind you of mistakes you’ve made in the past and admonish you to forget your dream and play it safe. Still others will attempt to rip that dream out of your hands with relentless pursuit.  Maybe it’s because it reminds them of their own lost dreams or because of insecure jealousy or a cynical outlook at life.

It’s important to have teammates in your life who will aid and defend you as you move your dream forward. Share your dreams with people who truly value you and who will help protect your dream with unflinching devotion.

When I think of moving a dream toward the goal line, I think of Barry Sanders who played with the Detroit Lions. Swivel hips himself, Barry went every direction on the compass but he always ended up going toward the goal line. With his ballet-type moves, Barry was a delight to watch in replays over and over in slow motion.

You may have to move in different directions in pursuit of your dreams but as long as you’re moving toward your goal line, you’re doing well and you will win your game.

So, protect your dream by any means necessary. It’s YOUR dream and you deserve to see it fulfilled.

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