Month: October 2018

If I could choose to live in another time of history, I would gravitate toward the late 18th Century, during the Revolutionary Period. Then I think, there are things I wouldn’t enjoy so much, so I’ll be content with reading.

General Nicholas Herkimer was a great example of leadership by example, inspiring his men with the thought “If he can do it, then I can do it.”

Herkimer was shot in the leg at the battle of Oriskany (a wound which would lead to a botched amputation and the end of his life) but insisted on being propped up against a tree rather than retire. There he calmly smoked his pipe, gave direction to his troops and the story specifically says “shouted words of encouragement” to them.

Leaders inspire their teams by their own actions. And actions do speak louder than words.

Inspiring leadership grows from your own self-awareness – aware of what your actions are communicating to your people. From body language to your presence during difficult times, you can inspire or cause your team’s morale to plummet.

The #1 key need with athletes is self-talk. Frankly, it’s the #1 issue for all human beings, in business or sports. Let’s talk the sports world.

Self-talk influences commitment and discipline. It influences practice as well as competition. Because we hear everything we say – and because we know that the body follows the mind – if self-talk distracts an athlete in a negative, poor, bad direction, they will never achieve their peak performance.

When I’m working with a team or individual athlete, I ask them to write down the things they say to themselves. In a group I’ll throw out possible negative self-talk and ask for a show of hands. I’ll get an 80% response to: “How many of you say, ‘I suck!’ after a bad race, game, or play?”

Self-talk is a result of not just what we think about ourselves but also what we fear.

“When I fail it means _________ about me?”

It’s a process to untangle negative self-talk. It takes more than just giving an athlete some key positive phrases to begin saying everyday, although that’s an important piece in the puzzle.

As a coach, make sure your talk is where you want it to be for your athletes.

Counter that negative talk anytime you hear it. And even if you don’t hear it, know that it exists, so hit it head on. Admit it. Bring it out from the shadows into the light where it begins to lose power.

Changing self-talk changes the trajectory of our lives.

Recent AHA moment: “You described exactly what happens in my brain. Finally, someone understands! Now what do I do?” – D1 athlete to me after a training

The Ethiopian runner wasn’t even supposed to be on his country’s Olympic squad, but was added at the last moment when a teammate became ill.

Abebe Bikila arrived in Italy for the 1960 Rome Games with only one pair of running shoes. By the time it came for him to take part in the marathon, these were too worn out. Unable to find a pair which fit comfortably, he decided to run the race barefoot.

Bikila was treated with derision as he began the race, with The Guardian reporting that one commentator asked, “Who is this Ethiopian?”

But shoeless, unknown Bikila won gold, along the way smashing the Olympic record with a time of 2:15:16.

I call this “Personal Accountability.” I am accountable for me and my response to the events that happen in my life.

A leader stops leading when they offer excuses for what is, what could have been or what they might do. No! Excuses are the pathway to lost vision and lost passion. People don’t follow excuses. They follow leadership.

Abebe Bikila could have raised all sorts of excuses to not run that marathon. No one would have blamed him. Instead he took a less than positive circumstance and decided to live into it.

What is pushing on you right now? How are you giving in? How are you pushing through?

Don’t go the way of blame. Take what you face and do something great.

By the way, just to prove it wasn’t a fluke, Bikila returned in 1964 and won again, this time with shoes!

Jeff Raker

Level Up Leadership Coaching

Contact us here

In business, when something “flops” it usually means a failure. A rollout didn’t pan out. A presentation was sterile. But a “flop” in 1968 changed the world. The Fosbury Flop that is.

Dick Fosbury transformed the high jump, doing it in a way no one else had ever done. Purists said he was ruining the sport. There were calls for him to be banned. But within a relative few years, everyone at the top of the sport was flopping.

A flop is innovative, out of the box thinking. Flopping requires a step outside your personal comfort zone. It means risk. Dick Fosbury wasn’t trying to innovate anything. He said he was just personally trying to figure out how to get over the bar. He thought of a different way to do it that worked for him. Others followed.

“So when a good idea comes, you know, part of my job is to move it around, just see what different people think, get people talking about it, argue with people about it, get ideas moving among that group of 100 people, get different people together to explore different aspects of it quietly, and, you know – just explore things.” – Steve Jobs

This is a great insight into flopping that transforms.

There’s another piece to the Fosbury Flop story, though. Prior to the 1960’s the “landing pad” for high jumpers was the ground covered with low mats, then straw and sawdust. Not soft. High jumpers were supposed to land on their feet. But in the 1950’s the plush cushioned mat was introduced. A new environment created new possibilities. Are you ready?

How can you “flop” and be an innovator?

Be ok with being a beginning. In other words, it’s ok to not get something right the first time. If you have trouble being ok with failure, do some personal work. Ask and answer: “What’s that about in me?” I guarantee you, your hesitancy or fear of ALL about YOU.

Level Up Coaching can help you ask the right questions to break through to your next level.

To subscribe, click here.

Jeff Raker, Owner, Level Up Leadership Coaching

In business, when something “flops” it usually means a failure. A rollout didn’t pan out. A presentation was sterile. But a “flop” in 1968 changed the world. The Fosbury Flop that is.

Dick Fosbury transformed the high jump, doing it a way no one had ever done before. Purists said he was ruining the sport. There were calls for him to be banned. But within a relative few years, everyone at the top of the sport was flopping.

A flop is innovative, out of the box thinking. Flopping requires a step outside your personal comfort zone. It means risk. Dick Fosbury wasn’t trying to innovate anything, he was just personally trying to figure out how to get over the bar. He thought of a different way to do it that worked for him. Others followed.

“So when a good idea comes, you know, part of my job is to move it around, just see what different people think, get people talking about it, arguing with people about it, get ideas moving among that group of 100 people, get different people together to explore different aspects of it quietly, and, you know – just explore things.” – Steve Jobs

This is a great insight into flopping that transforms.

There’s another piece to the Fosbury story, though. Prior to the 1960’s the “landing pad” for high jumpers was the ground covered with low mats, then straw and sawdust. Not soft. High jumpers were supposed to land on their feet. But in the 1960’s the plush cushioned mat was introduced. A new environment created new possibilities.

How can you “flop” and be an innovator?

Be ok with being a beginning. In other words, it’s ok to not get something right the first time. If you have trouble being ok with failure, do some personal work answering: “What’s that about in me?” I guarantee you, your hesitancy or fear is ALL about YOU!

To Subscribe, click here.

Jeffery A. Raker

Level Up Leadership Coaching