There Goes My Hero

I spent a good portion of my youth in Mission Viejo, California. It's a great little Orange County nugget, a 20 minute a bus ride from California's golden shore. Like most 5th grade kids, I spent the sunny California afternoons playing sports: skateboarding, baseball, hoop and football. I had a lot of loyal friends, our kinship was strong. Our greatest bonding experiences were pick up games against the kids from the other side of town. There was a pride in our neighborhood and sports were our vessel.

So, you can image our excitement when the great Todd Marinovich left Mater Dei and came to Capo Valley High School. There was a massive national back story to Todd, he was known as robo-QB. My friends and I didn't really read Sports Illustrated but watching Todd Marinovich play made us proud of our hood. We loved watching him play! During games we would walk to the other bleachers to challenge the kids from the other side of town to tackle football games. We represented our big brothers and sisters and Todd Marinovich was our leader. He inspired us to be better.

As time passed, the media came to understand what we knew: Robo-QB was a kid like everyone else. It didn't offend my friends and I, but the rest of the world was furious. Todd wasn't perfect. People get mad when their manufactured heroes turn out to be human.

More than training or fundamental football knowledge, Todd Marinovich had a massive competitive spirit. He was an awesome basketball player, he fought the super-sized Food Nelson on the Viejo Elementary playground, he showed young people like myself to have pride in our effort. His crowning moment came after a game winning touchdown pass. An opposing team member offered to help him up after knocking him down. Todd offered him a middle finger. He had friends to lift him up, as did I. It made sense to everyone who followed his leadership!

Then we all grew up. We continued to play sports with the intensity that we learned from Todd Marinovich. After an improbable Rose Bowl win, it felt as if he had given us everything we needed. We were now ready to carry the torch. I saw Todd at my sister's wedding years later and said hello. I told him I liked his music. That was the extent of our conversation. I had hoped he might appreciate the fact that I didn't ask him to sign my tuxedo.

With great power comes great responsibility.

Is it realistic to think that a teenage sportsman should be a role model? Should not one be judged for how they play the game not what they do off the field. There are those who hold their heroes on a pedestal (and when they fail, they die inside). Others find their heroes in the hallways of their own home and forgive athletes when they lose a game. Football is just a game that happens in 60 minutes. The game of life does not have a clock and the goal lines are often cloudy in the distance.

I was really happy to see the Great Todd Marinovich was given an opportunity to tell his story on ESPN last night. Todd did not blame his Dad for an upbringing destined to unfair expectations. He didn't make excuses for falling from grace. He advocated youth sports and it's essential contribution to his human character.

As leaves turn and waves roll in, time becomes the ultimate judge of character. We grow stronger through our experiences, we learn to forgive, we forget heartbreak and we discover that challenges exist on and off the field. As my son races through the California sun with a football under his arm, I am thankful to Todd Marinovich for teaching me how to play the game.

"There goes my Hero....he's ordinary" - Dave Grohl

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave        

Determination Interpretation

I live an interesting dual existence:
One Part: Creative
One Part: Competitive
~ This can be a dangerous combination!

As I grow older I find the competitive side giving up ground to the compromise of mutual acceptance. I look back on some of my competitive behavior with shame....because my motivation was flawed. Yes friends, your humble narrator used to be a royal pain in the ass! As a young upstart, I was impatient and only out for myself. My self-motivation was transparent, I only cared about winning, and I didn't care who I flattened in the process. This blatant determination works when you are a High School Wrestler. Such vigorous determination from a 35 year old reveals insecurity.

I have learned to be more collaborative in my business process. This makes for a much happier professional existence. In fact, most of the things that our inherent competitive spirit evokes are unimportant in the big picture. If you are up 5 runs and you yell at the 3rd baseman for missing a throw....your energy might be misplaced. Likewise, if you thump your overworked, underpaid, support staff every time they make an oversight.....you are probably coming off like an asshole!

With all of this said, there is a continued need to be assertive. The question: how can we be assertive without being insensitive?

Here's a few tips I have learned at my own expense:
Keep the GOAL in Mind
Diffuse Personalities
WIN Together

Details, details, details.....
I know so many people who are brilliant at what they do because of their attention to detail. This trait also makes them terrible communicators. If when asked a question you immerse your audience in the detail they will fall asleep.

You have to think bigger picture and simplfy your narration in a language your audience can understand.

Baggage
We label each other...

Like it or not, when Jane walks into your office you have a preconceived notion of what she will bring to your attention. You cannot let this prejudice steer the conversation before it happens.

Allow the subject matter to drive the task at hand, find the path to the result, and assign Jane an empowering role. It is often hard to release the reigns but people cannot grow if you do not allow them to help!

Without a Loser
You can win without beating someone else into oblivion. I have been a big fan of individual sports (skateboarding, wrestling, boxing) because of the overt personal accountability involved. If you lose, you lose, and everyone knows. This doesn't work in business.

No man (woman) is an island, you cannot do it alone, and there doesn't have to be a loser in every competition.

My life got a lot better when I learned to give more than I was taking. To talk less and listen more. To put my ego aside and help others win.

I teach people these traits and fail at practicing them myself. Such is life!

The key is to know where to put your energy. You can have a determined focus on creating a unique solution. You can eliminate competition and present trophies to everyone.

If you cross the finish line, and no one notices, do you really win?

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Embrace Impossible

It's the 5th Installment of the Employee Purpose Perspective (EPP) and our task today is simple:
Embrace Impossible

When you join a new company the outstanding performer pulls you aside and lets you know, "how things are done around here".

Some see the extending of the olive branch as an honor. Others see proposed limits on the standard for success. It is simple to look at the best, admire their talent and strive to be like them. You can also understand that top performers want to stay at the top and every new team member may serve as a threat to their throne. Don't get me wrong, I despise internal competition, I also dislike the abuse of tenure!

Everyone has a plateau and it is horrifying to see the great fall from grace. Those who cling to the past do so because they have lost their ability to repeat greatness. Allow not proposed limits to keep you from exceeding the norm and redefining the standard. There is nothing impolite about doing the best you can, it helps everyone get better! If ever you are told to 'slow down' you know you have victory in your clutches. Never Slow Down...re-establish the standard.

Possibility is merely a metric of what has been. That time is past and there are no limits to where we go from here! If you are willing to accept the norm, you should stay in bed. If you are comfortable playing second fiddle, you shouldn't join the band. You belong on the field not on the bench. Allow no one to set the standard for you.

3 Keys to Achieving the Impossible:
Consider the Source
Give Yourself Credit
Do Not Entitle

The Best?
The team's number one producer is often not the most credible resource. Some people get lucky, others know how to work the system, there are those who use their resources well, and others that are massively disciplined in their approach. There is nothing wrong with succeeding by the means that fit your personality.

Warning: Do not assume 'top producer' means most knowledgeable!

What Got YOU here?
I was once told to go to the team's top producers to understand the formula for success. None of the advice I received made sense. I asked an employee in another department what he thought? He said, "If they define success, you should consider yourself a leader already"!

It made sense...be humble in seeking advice but don't take it as gospel. Don't forget who you are, what got you here and the achievements that got you hired. Don't think because you are the 'new girl' that you cannot be a leader.

Round Here....
Titles, tenure and earning statements don't tell the whole story. You do not need a trophy to prove your worth. You don't need to be at the top of the ranking report to know you are great at your job!

Think about who you really want to be and start from there. No one reserves the right to define boundaries for you. Maybe you have failed to establish the success you had five years ago....that does not mean you cannot get back there. Maybe you are the best on the team, that doesn't mean you have plateaued.

Think of your life's greatest achievements, keep them in your heart, and take the Glory back.

There is nothing you cannot achieve if you define, for yourself, what is possible.

When you get to the top of the mountain turn around and do it all over again.

There is no Finish Line!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

CPS

There is a spreading epidemic: Competitive Paranoia Syndrome (CPS). CPS is an affect of the lack of strategic purpose due to concerns over what one's competitors are doing in the market place. Of course, it is healthy to know your opponents and to formulate a strategy that pits your strengths against their weaknesses. But, if you are consistently concerned over what 'they' are doing, you will lose focus on what 'you' should be doing.

In the great sport of football research and development has become a prominent department. Players and coaches alike spend a dedicated portion of every day studying their opponent's playbook. In reaction, some teams completely change their playbook every week. Other teams know their opponents know their plays...and run them anyway! That's Right, if 'you' do what 'you' do very well, what 'they' know means nothing.

So here's the premise: Execute Your Strategy (and disregard what the competition knows)

1. Your competition has an edge only if you haven't prepared properly
2. Don't disparage the other team
3. Competition is everywhere

You First
If you are concerned that your competition has an edge you haven't prepared properly. Out game them! Address client needs within the context of your differentiating skills and knowledge. In the lost moments that you obsess over your competition's philandering tactics you could have been out prepping them.

Concentrate on what you are good at, show your clients what you can do, and work candidly to develop a fit. Dishonesty is transparent! There is never an edge in underhanded tactics.

Talk Is Cheap
Prospects need to trust you. They may bait you with the question of what differentiates you from the other guys. Responding by trashing the competition breaks your trust with the prospect. Don't do it.

Tell the prospect what you are good at and allow them to evaluate the other guys. If they play dirty, you will win.

It's Not Just Them
You compete against other vendors, the prospect, your constituents, your management team, the market, your family, alternative solutions, and everyone you come across.

You don't think everyone has ulterior motives? You don't think everyone who intends well for you won't provoke your competitive nature to ignite your full potential? You don't think your prospect wants your fullest commitment?

Wake Up Man....competition is everywhere. You need to put your game face on, perform and win! Accept not defeat! It's you against the world. You don't have to be mean spirited...but you do need to look out for YOUR best interest! Be the best you can be, drive the process and proceed with class.

No one trusts a slick talker and talking bad about others will only reveal your insecurity. Drive the bus and you will eventually shake the hangers on!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

THE BOSS

The passing of George Steinbrenner has provoked glowing tributes for a man who dedicated himself to winning at all costs. There is no question that George Steinbrenner was one of the most influential owners in professional sports history. Mr. Stenbrenner revolutionized sports marketing and talent acquisition. The New York Yankees are now worth 100 times what he bought the franchise for and they won 7 World Championships under George Steinbrenner's leadership. The stats don't lie, this is one of the most successful professionals in sports history. My question with Mr. Steinbrenner's legacy is not in the stats but the process by which to get there and if such a professional approach will ever exist again.

I am equal parts competitor and collaborator. My greatest achievements have come from competing with unparallelled effort and winning as a result. Some of the most influential people in my life pushed me hard, seldom applauded my effort but showed me how to achieve without asking for anything in return. There are others who have influenced me by helping me believe in myself through positive reinforcement.

So I ask my readers to ponder the following point:
Is it better to succeed by fulfilling your competitive drive or to find your path, follow it and be confident in the results by your own accord.

Winning:
I have won Baseball Championships, Wrestling Tournaments, Skateboarding Competitions, Elections, Popularity Contests, Sales Awards, Committee Nominations, etc. My Resume is full.....do you care? I have competed and won at the highest level. I revel in competition and when the whistle blows I thrive on digging in, trying hard and getting to the finish line first....do you?

A while back I introduced the metaphor of excelling to the finish line and breaking the tape alone....while everyone else walked together and enjoyed each other's company...In winning some times we beat our chest alone while others look on in confusion.

Unity:
My competitive life in sports spilled over into my professional life. However, there are many games within the game of professional development. With a team of various talents and diverse responsibilities; is competition always the way to results? Some times we have to bear in mind that not everyone has a ladder to achievement that promotes stepping on another's hands to get to the top. Some times results are better shared than celebrating on our own.

The worst bosses I have had yelled at me and expected me to respond to their inelegant personal attacks. To overcome their crass personal disinterest by producing results in spite of them.

The best bosses I have had helped me get out of my own way. To focus less on running people over and more on lifting them up.

There is so much said about today's workforce and our need for continual encouragement at every turn. Our need to be recognized and our unwillingness to be 'instructed'. From the aforementioned points it might be concluded that people like working with people who they like....

I would not have enjoyed working for George Steinbrenner! That does not mean I would not have accepted his challenges and grown from them. We walk such a fine line in the organizational culture we create (or destroy).

My final observation: If you have options you are less willing to put up with a bully as a boss. If you have confidence you are less willing to respond to insults with results. Knowing this, we might formulate our leadership approach based not on the results we wish to create but the people we want to inspire.

Rest in Peace Georage Steinbrenner (1930 - 2010)

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The Joy of Competition

It's Tournament time.....64 teams will battle it out for one spot. Countless hours in the gym, unlimited potential and an uncertain future all come down to one game at a time - win or go home!

In business, I always look to competitive people with admiration because they place higher standards upon themselves than any boss or company will. Anyone who has been a Champion knows the thrill of preparing, doubting, overcoming and achieving....this is what business is all about.

Through sports, I learned to give all out effort for roughly 60 minutes and walked from many-a-gym with a trophy in my hand. The discipline, drive and system for preparation I learned on the field carried over well into my sales career.

The Danger of Competition: A game lasts an hour, a season a quarter, but a professional career will span 30 years. When we are used to putting our head down and funneling pure effort for 60 minutes our time to shine is clearly defined. We also know that we want to hit our peak condition just before the playoffs. In business, however, the season is not as clearly defined. Challenges arise without announcement and the need to strategically direct our unapologetic motivation becomes paramount.

"You need to slow down man!"...advice of a poor leader who could not handle my manic energy. The intent was right, but when your competitive drive is fueled by proving to the naysayers wrong...challenging convention becomes a way of life.

The Answer: As Leaders, we need to understand how to take effort, direct it toward strategy and produce results. Essentially, we have a group of athletes for whom we are creating a season's schedule. They are ready to compete; we just need to help them take that drive to run 100 yards and help them get there 10 yards at a time.

Here are a few tips for channeling competitive effort to produce results:

1. Set short term goals

2. Create the goal line and use long term goals to get there

3. Recognize even the slightest achievements along the way

4. When accomplishments become measurable - reward them!

5. Establish a next step for organizational advancement - and help them get there!

The Final Score: Never tell a competitive person to slow down - help them understand that winning together is far more meaningful to their effort than crossing the finish line alone.

LEAD...let those with you know that they are part of a team that will not accept a loss.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

References:

www.linkedin.com/in/davidkovacovich