Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

It’s bowl season, but that doesn’t mean I watched a game all the way through.  Last night, I was in and out of the Notre Dame-Florida State game.  It was the Champs Citrus Bowl I think.  There are so many meaningless bowl games-but that’s a story for another day.  The game ended with Florida State scoring 18 unanswered points, most in the fourth quarter to win 18-14.

The interesting part of the game to me was the interaction between Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and his quarterback (at that point) Tommy Rees.  In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame looked like a punch drunk fighter, holding on hoping not to get knocked out.  No player looked worse than Rees.  The problem was that you could see his confidence eroding with every series.  As soon as he came off the field, Kelly was in his face about what he did wrong.  He would take a couple of minutes and lambaste Rees for not picking up the right receiver, throwing into coverage, missing an open receiver and throwing an interception.  The more he yelled, the worse Rees played.  It looked like Kelly was yelling what not to do rather than paint the picture of what he should do.  This is a common leadership mistake.

If you close your eyes and I ask you not to think of the number 3, what happens?  It’s all you can think about.  So it is with leadership.  If you keep telling your team what not to do, that’s all they will be thinking about.  Most people know what not to do-they don’t always know what to do.  That's where a good leader comes in.  A good leader will illustrate the vision of what excellence looks like and help their team move toward it.  I remember coaching Little League baseball and telling the pitcher not to throw a ball.  Of course he doesn’t want to throw a ball-but now he can’t help it because I’ve put the visual in his mind.  Instead, I now tell him he’s a strike thrower.  It’s a big difference in his psyche, and hopefully creates a better result.

Think about the picture you’re painting for your team.  Perhaps you’re creating a prophecy that will lead to negative results.

Don't Wait

Life seems like it will last forever.  When we're young, we're invincible.  There are thousands of tomorrows.  Why should you change when the status quo is ok?  This year has been a wake up call in our house with my wife suffering a cerebral hemorrhage in January.  Thankfully, she is on the road to full recovery.  I almost lost the chance to show and tell her how much I love her.  Don't wait.

If you're undefeated after 13 games in the NFL-don't wait to celebrate your achievement.  The 14th game may not go so well.

You may find yourself at the top of your game one week then lose a game and be out of the running for the Heisman Trophy.  Don't wait to thank your team mates for their support.

You may win 102 games during your regular season only to lose in the first round of the playoffs.  Don't wait to start working toward the next season.  You may never make it to the playoffs again.

Traffic accidents kill in an instant, no matter how big and strong you are.  Don't wait to learn the lessons from others who have died behind the wheel.

Sometimes you're in the right situation with the right team.  Don't wait to figure it out once you're gone.

There are thousands of examples of good leadership in sports and maybe as many poor examples.  Don't wait to learn life lessons from both.  You only have one shot at life.  Follow the buoys that are set before you.

As we break for the Holidays, take the opportunity to embrace life and those that make it special.  Don't wait for a special occasion, next week or even tomorrow.  Best wishes for a wonderful Holiday season.  Enjoy today and look forward to tomorrow. 

The Perfect Ending?

As the football season winds down, it occurs to me that few of us will write the ending we want to our careers.  In many cases, it's because we stay too long and accumulate baggage in one place.  This season has taken a toll on legendary coach Joe Paterno and closer to home, Andy Reid of the Philadelphia Eagles.  In Paterno's case, he appears to have covered up the sordid behavior of a friend and former assistant.  As we all know, the dominoes came down hard and quickly.  With Andy Reid, it has been more of a long, tortuous end.  His Eagles were supposed to play in the Super Bowl.  With the pathetic performance on Thursday, they will play out the season and watch the playoffs from home.  When the season ends on January 1st, the players will surely know that they've played for Andy Reid for the last time in Philadelphia.

Does it have to end this way?  Do we have a choice in how we go out?  I say yes.  The end of a career should be a celebration of a job well done; of honors earned; of milestones reached; and of impact made.  The key is to keep working hard, don't rest on your laurels and stay fresh.  By all appearances, the two coaches have failed to stay fresh and have rested on their reputation.  I have seen many men and women retire after spectacular careers and have gone on to even greater challenges.  For some, the challenge is staying in the job long enough to get a pension.  The latter is a recipe for disaster.

Are you crossing off the days until you retire?  Are you wishing it was over?  Be careful what you do wish for-it may just happen and not on your terms.

Results

Sometimes winning isn't pretty.  Take the case of Tim Tebow, quarterback of the Denver Broncos.  He had an incredible college career at Florida.  While there, his team won two national championships, 2 Southeastern Conference Championships and won the Heisman Trophy as the best collegiate player in college as a sophomore.  As starting quarterback, he was 35-6 over a three year period.  He has a host of other awards, honors and records.

In the 2010 draft, he was selected in the first round by the Denver Broncos.  He didn't play much his rookie year and many believe his game is not suited to the NFL.  This year, the team started off 1-4 with Tebow serving as back up.  With nothing to lose and the season going nowhere, he started his first game against Miami on October 23rd and has gone 4-1 since starting.  He and the Broncos beat the Jets last Thursday. 

He is an unorthodoxed quarterback.  He doesn't throw well, he's left handed and he's built like a linebacker.  But he does win.  In a league where statistics can be gaudy, his aren't.  Winning is everything.  Tebow is a winner and gets results.  It doesn't hurt that he does it through hard work and drive.

So it is within our organizations.  How do you measure results?  Are you tracking what matters?  What constitutes a win?  Often we're afraid to put ourselves out there for fear we'll fail and face the ramifications.  The truth is, we do our best work just outside our comfort zone.  As leaders, it's our job to work in that space ourselves and coach our staffs to do the same.  You need to create an environment where it's ok to fail if it means you're better for it.  Work hard, be an example to your teammates, and get results.

Closure

There have been so many teachable moments this week with the Penn State situation.  I could write a week's full of blogs about them.  Perhaps the most important is closure.  Certainly, the alleged victims and their families are far from closure and may never get to that point.  This may be the greatest tragedy of the abuse.  It is unfathomable to imagine what they have gone through and are continuing to confront daily.  Hopefully, continued awareness of child sexual abuse will ferret out predators and provide courage to others to report it quickly to the police.

As is often the case, sports can provide an avenue for us to move on during tragedies and crisis.  For the students of Penn State and the citizens of State College, a football game helped bring closure to an unreal week.  Though I can't say for sure, I believe the rioting occurred in part because the students wouldn't have a chance to give Joe Paterno a proper send off.  This certainly doesn't make it right.  I have found in my life that without closure, emotions continue to run high and my foundation is less stable.  I suspect this was the case on Wednesday when the Trustees fired JoePa. 

Fast forward to today.  The scene at Penn State was incredible.  The athletes for Penn State and Nebraska took center stage and showed us all how to behave.  They came together to pray at the start of the game and many did the same after.  The students in the stands were well behaved and cheered their team on.  At the end, with Penn State losing, they stayed and applauded their team for their effort.  No riots, no demonstrations, just a hard fought game as it should be on a cool November afternoon.

As leaders, we need to remember that any crisis or adverse situation needs closure.  It is the leader's responsibility to stand up and show that they are in charge, have control of the situation and are ready to lead their team past the adversity.  It's not easy.  Often we're caught up in the emotion ourselves.  That's part of the responsibility of being a leader-be there to show the way.  It will take years for the scandal at Penn State to be resolved.  Don't let that happen when a crisis strikes.  Stand tall and be a model for others to follow.

Invincible

It has been a tough week for Penn State fans.  The indictment that came down on Saturday about the Nittany Lions ex-defensive coordinator is an outrage.  Like most incidents of this nature, the cover up compounds the alleged crime.  What is especially hard to swallow is that Joe Paterno, Penn State's coach for life, didn't do enough to stop the crimes or support the victims.

Before Saturday, JoePa (Paterno) could have written his own ending to a fabled coaching career.  Two weeks ago, he surpassed Eddie Robinson to become the winningest coach in college football history.  Most believe his time had come, but he earned the right to leave on his own terms.  No longer.  Today he said he would retire at the end of the season.  Later this week, he may have coached his last game and will be shown the door.  A terrible way to end a wonderful career.

It could all have been so different.  The problem with staying in one place for so long is that you become invincible.  By all accounts, nothing happened at the football facilities, practices or with the players that JoePa didn't know about.  Assuming this is true, then he knew about the transgressions of Jerry Sandusky and didn't remove him from the program and report him to the authorities.  He could have done the right thing and spared other victims.  It appears he did not.  It's more than his legacy that will be impacted.  It is the lives of many who have looked to him as the ultimate leader.

Let this be a lesson to all.  No one is invincible.  No one is so important that they are above ethical behavior and the law.  As painful as it may have been to turn in his friend, the community would have been so much better off and JoePa could write the ending to a great career.  How the mighty fall! 

Life presents us with teachable moments daily.  At some point each of us will be tested with an ethical dilemma.  How we react will define us the rest of our lives.  What will you do when tested?  Will your backbone be strong enough to withstand the push and pull of peers, friends and family?  Decide your core values and make sure your faith in them is unshakable.  Learn from JoePa's mistakes.

One Person Makes A Difference

I can't help but feel sorry for the once proud Indianapolis Colts.  For the past 11 years, the Colts have made the playoffs in 10 of those years, winning the Super Bowl after the 2006 season.  They went again in 2010 but lost a great game to New Orleans.  This year, they're win less in eight games.  This is a team that is built around one man, Peyton Manning, their quarterback.  He has not played one down this year and may not play again.  He joined the Colts in 1998 and has set club and NFL records for his passing proficiency.  In watching this team, I'm not sure they'll win a game this year.  Very sad but very true.

There are many examples in sports where one player can make a difference.  Look at David Freese with the World Champion Cardinals.  In game 6 last week, he hit a game tying home run in the 9th and won it with a walk-off homer in the 11th.  There are thousands of examples where the presence of one player changes the balance of a game or a season.  This year, Peyton Manning's absence brings this into focus.

As leaders, think about your team.  Though all of us can be replaced-can we be as efficient, productive and effective without your key players? What are you doing to keep them interested and engaged?  Most of the time it's not throwing more money, but showing your appreciation.  We have to understand that there are game changers in our organization.  They should be models for others to improve and excel.  This is where the Colts struggle.  There is no leadership, there is no direction and the rest of the players aren't able to step up.  Don't let this happen in you.

Irrational Exuberance

It was a horrible sports weekend in Philadelphia bookended by the Phillies collapse and Eagles loss.  There are two blogs related to those topics swirling in my head.  Stay tuned.

Irrational exuberance drives me crazy.  As I was channel surfing Saturday night I came across the Ohio State-Nebraska football game.  I think I picked up the game in the 4th quarter with the Buckeyes ahead 27-13.  Did I say how much I dislike the Buckeyes?  Nebraska is driving down the field, picking up rushing yardage at will.  On one particular first down play, the Nebraska running backing goes for a nine yard gain.  He is tackled hard by Christian Bryant, a defensive back.  Mr. Bryant gets up and goes crazy over the hit he just made.  He's pounding his chest and high-fiving anyone within reach.  He was pretty full of himself.  Perhaps he forgot that the back just ran for nine yards on a first and ten and that his defense was being leveled by a superior Nebraska line.  No, he didn't care.  He was the man!

Another example of over exuberance, perhaps not irrational, is Nyjer Morgan.  He is an outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers who has an alter ego named Tony Plush.  In my opinion, he is one of the most annoying players in baseball.  Unfortunately for all of us who are not Brewers fans, he got the game winning, series winning hit on Friday night.  Of course he screamed expletives into the microphone in the post game celebration on the field.  He is T-Plush!

Excitement and exuberance are a part of life.  No one wants to work with downtrodden people.  The workplace and the playing fields need for personalities to come out and shine.  But it needs to be done in a reasonable manner appropriate for the setting and situation.  Christian Bryant-wrong situation.  Nyjer Morgan, er T-Plush, inappropriate language.  There is no "I" in team, yet so many players and workers make it about themselves.  Maybe that's the economic times we live in, but enough already.  I want a strong, dedicated individual working with me that has fun but knows when to focus.  As leaders, we need to find a way to harness the energy strong personalities have into something that will improve the results of the team and increase their value to the organization.  Good judgement and acting appropriately shouldn't be the exception-it should be the rule. 

Doing Your Job

Last night, a journeyman outfielder did his job for the Phillies.  With two on in the top of the 7th, Ben Francisco hit a three run home run.  Though it got close, it was all the Phils needed to win the game and take a 2-1 series lead.  This is a guy the team had hopes wold take Jayson Werth's place in right field.  It didn't turn out that way.  He had some good at bats throughout the season, but will be used in a pinch hitter's role in the post season.  By doing his job, it takes the pressure off the rest of the team to do more.  The team's star, Ryan Howard went 0-4, but has to feel better that his teammate has his back.  It takes a team to win as is proven every night this week in the playoffs.

What if everyone did their job in your organization?  What if the CEO didn't have to do more because her CFO wasn't up to the job?  What if the payroll clerk had to do his job only and not the work of others?  It is important that everyone know their role and perform to the best of their abilities.  It's called doing your job.  If you don't know what your role is-ask.  If you don't like it-leave.  Life is too short.  As leaders, your job is to define, give feedback and motivate your team to perform when called on and to give a consistently good performance. 

Most of us won't have to do our jobs in front of millions of people.  We need to perform for those we love and respect.  As leaders, we need to set the tone and give encouragement so everyone can do their job.  We can all learn from Ben Francisco.

A Night to Remember

Have you ever watched something and think something special was happening.  Last night was it for me.  I'm a huge baseball fan and we are in the midst of the best time of the year.  For the first time in years, the season is ending during the week in an attempt to finish playing in October.  Here's the scene going into last night's games:  Tampa Bay and Boston were tied for the Wild Card in the American League and Atlanta and St. Louis were tied in the National League.  If they were still tied, they would play a one game playoff today.  Around midnight eastern time, the Phillies and the Braves were in extra innings; Boston and Baltimore resumed play after a rain delay; and Tampa Bay and the Yankees were in an extra inning battle.  More on the Tampa Bay game later.

As a Phillies fan, I was watching the game.  The Phillies tied the game in the 9th.  Atlanta knew they had to win in order to force a playoff since St. Louis beat the Astros.  Back and forth it went until the top of the 13th when the Phillies scored on a bloop single.  Atlanta's season ended in the bottom of the inning with a double play.  I quickly moved to the Red Sox game where Boston had a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the ninth.  Their closer gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth to the Orioles.  The Red Sox ran to the television to watch the Rays win in the bottom of the 12th on a walk off home run by Evan Longoria.  The Rays were losing 7-0 going into the 8th inning.  They scored six runs in the 8th and scored in the ninth on a two out home run by Dan Johnson.  The best game of the night.  Tampa Bay and St. Louis go to the playoffs.

What's the connection to leadership?  In my mind, the teams with the best leaders won their games.  The Phillies have great leadership on the field and an underrated manager in Charlie Manuel.  By winning, he became the win leader in Phillies managerial history.  The Red Sox appeared to be lacking leadership as they saw their 9 game lead evaporate.  The same for the Braves-they had an 8.5 game lead in September.  The Braves had a rookie manager and an aging Chipper Jones-not enough.  Certainly not compared to Tony LaRussa and Albert Pujols.  Leadership matters-especially when the going gets tough.  It promises to be a great post season.  May the best leader win.

One Play Can Make a Difference

Each week, hundreds of games are played at the professional level.  It is uncanny how many times a game, or even a season can turn on one play.  Last Saturday, Penn State had stopped the Alabama Crimson Tide on third down.  Alabama had a fake punt and made the first down by an inch.  The game was never the same.  Alabama won handily. 

Take the Pittsburgh Pirates this year.  They were the "darling" of the majors and were actually in first place for a few days in July.  On July 25th, they came into Atlanta for a four game series.  The third game was great.  It went 19 innings and ended on a very controversial "safe" call at home plate by the Braves.  Though they split the series, the Bucs weren't the same and have gone 13-31 since that game.  They will once again finish the season with a losing record. 

Though we may not have a "play" as leaders-we have moments where we can make a difference.  It may be losing your composure, saying the wrong thing, showing compassion, making a decision.  I have found in my career that making decisions on limited or one-sided information quickly often comes back to haunt me.  This is not about intuition (another blog down the line) but about making a difference based on your leadership.  Organizations are defined by their leaders-make your plays count.

Healing and Sports

It has been an emotional weekend paying tribute to those who died on September 11th.  It seems that the nation has taken a respite from the bickering and remembered ordinary people doing extraordinary things.  The images are powerful, the words strong, and the emotions real.

I don't believe anything happens by chance.  Therefore, it's not a surprise that the professional football season opened on the 10th anniversary.  For me, the return of sports that fall was the first sign of normalcy after a week of shock.  The athletes, especially in New York, had to deal with their own emotions and concern for their safety and help the nation begin the healing process.  Yankee and Mets players visited the armories, packed care packages, and made themselves available.  It was a time where we all rooted for any New York team.  The Yankees came close to winning the World Series.  Their fields were pastures of patriotism and gave all of us a venue to cheer the first responders showcased at many games.  Most important, it provided the perfect backdrop for the flag which we all flew with pride.

This weekend, seeing President Bush reminds me of his taking the field in New York at game 3 of the World Series and throwing a strike from the pitching rubber.  His confidence was shared by all who watched on that day.  There are so many stories from the sports world that fall.  Those memories have come back this weekend.

It's not often that you can make a difference to a nation.  Sports did.  It's a reminder to all of us that we can make a difference in our own worlds.  Leaders make their reputations during crisis.  We don't have time to think-but we do what we've been trained to do.  That's why training is key and "perfect practice makes perfect."  Vice President Biden said in his remarks at Shanksville on Saturday that all of us have courage that one day will be summoned.  Are you ready for your day?

Making a Statement

There comes a time in a season where a team needs to lay down the gauntlet and show the other teams whose in charge.  This week, the Phillies did just that.  Atlanta game into town on Monday looking to cut the Phillies lead in the National League East.  No such luck for the Braves.  In fact, the Phillies sent them sprawling after three straight wins and extending their lead to 10.5 games.  The Phillies are the best team in baseball and they showed the Braves why they're the best.

While these were very enjoyable games to watch as a Phillies fan-it was expected.  If Atlanta had come in and swept the Phillies, there would be grinding and gnashing of teeth and the Phillies Nation would be shaking.  The Phillies, with confidence and not arrogance, took it to the Braves and won in a blowout, an easy win, and a ninth-inning walk off.

There are times that leaders have to make a statement.  This is not through yelling and screaming, but through follow-up, accountability and consistency.  Leadership is not arrogance, it is confidence.  Leadership is not reactive, but proactive.  Leadership does not rage, but it is enthusiastic.  Every day we have an opportunity to make a statement.  Will is be positive or negative?  It's your choice.

PMA

Positive Mental Attitude-PMA.  To succeed in life, one needs to have a positive mental attitude.  Equipped with this vital attribute, all things are possible.  Take Mark Herzlich.  He is something of a local hero.  He played football and graduated from Conestoga High School outside of Philadelphia.  He goes on to play linebacker at Boston College. In 2008, his junior year, he was a first team All-American and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Defensive Player of the Year.  As he heads into his senior year in May, 2009, he is diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.  Through aggessive chemotherapy, he is pronounced cancer free in September, 2009 and sits out the rest of the season.  He comes back last year and plays very well, though not completely back to his 2008 form.

Fast forward to draft day and no one takes him in the NFL draft.  He is drafted in the 10th round by the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL.  He opts to wait until the NFL lockout ends to see if he can hook up with a team as a free agent.  He continues to work out, get stronger and stay focused on the prize of making a team.  After the lockout, Herzlich is picked up by the New York Giants, has a great pre-season and makes the team.  Many predict he will have a very good NFL career.

What drives a guy like this to get off the mat and play in the NFL?  Many of us would be happy to be cancer free, much less subject ourselves to the grueling conditioning of football.  He's got PMA.  I don't know him but I'm sure he goes through life looking at the glass half full.  He probably knows he's blessed and wants to take advantage of every day.

As leaders, we need to promote a PMA in all we work with on a daily basis.  Try to figure out how to make something work rather than give all the reasons it won't.  As a leader, look for challenges, don't shy away from them.  Take on tasks that no one else wants.  Lead through example and you will model what a PMA can do for you and others.  Having a positive mental attitude is a gift that needs to be nurtured every day. 

Let's learn from Mark Herzlich and celebrate his success as well as our own.  Live each day positively and you will live a full life indeed.

Honesty is the Best Policy

Perhaps you've heard of the twin boys in Minnesota who were at charity hockey game in Minnesota.  During one of the breaks between periods, there was a contest to see if someone could shoot a puck through a small hole from about 90 feet away.  If it could be done, the winner would received $50,000!  Nick Smith's name was called but he was too interested in going outside to play with his friends so he told his twin brother Nate to take the shot.  Nate hadn't entered the contest because he recently had a cast removed from his arm.  Nate agreed to take the shot and made it, winning $50,000 on the spot.  The next day, the boys' father told the organization who ran the contest that it wasn't Nick who took the shot.  He just wanted to be clear.  After some discernment, the company took away the $50,000 but gave the hockey league a $20,000 donation so others less fortunate could play.

I saw the boys and their father on the news today.  Were they bitter?  Did they cry foul?  No, they told the truth and were happy that other kids would have the opportunity to receive some benefit.  The boys' father wasn't trying to hide anything and wanted to show the boys that honesty is the best policy, even if it is sometimes hard.

So it is within our organizations.  Not a day goes by when there are conversations about what to do, how to do it and what to say.  I'm included.  The answer is-be honest.  Do the right thing, though it may be hard at the time.  As we know, it will be much harder to "come clean" later.  In many cases, the cover up is worse than the crime.  The same is true with being honest up front.  Lies and half truths are difficult, if not impossible to unravel the further you get away from the moment.  Over time, we tend to justify and believe the lie.  It's a slippery slope.

The Smith family has received their 15 minutes of fame but hopefully a lifetime of learning.  We should do the same.

Rain Delay

As the east coast prepares for Hurricane Irene, I'm reminded of the havoc rain and weather delays can have on outdoor sports.  Just last weekend, the Phillies and Nationals had two games that were interrupted by rain.  I can say with confidence that the Phillies would have won one of the two games against the Nationals last weekend if their starting pitcher could have stayed in the game.  They didn't and their bullpen failed.  This weekend, many baseball games scheduled for Sunday in the mid-Atlantic and northeast have been moved to Saturday afternoon for a double header.  I suspect some teams will be at a disadvantage moving the games around this weekend.  The good teams will figure out a way to adjust and win, others won't.

So it is in life.  You plan the next day before going home at night and it all goes up in smoke in the first hour the next morning.  I've seen many adjust poorly to new and changing priorities.  They become paralyzed or  work fifteen hour days to attempt to get everything done on their list.  We all know how that works out in the long run.

Success is judged on results.  Results are achieved by being flexible, understanding the landscape, advanced planning and reacting well to change.  Bad things are going to happen, it's how you react to those things that determines your success.  When it happens, go to plan B and move on.  Adjust on the fly and be the happier for it. 

Leadership and Sports: Making the Most of Your Talent

Leadership and Sports: Making the Most of Your Talent: "Last night, one of the good guys of sports, Jim Thome, hit his 600th home run. To put it in perspective, he is the 8th major league player ..."

Making the Most of Your Talent

Last night, one of the good guys of sports, Jim Thome, hit his 600th home run.  To put it in perspective, he is the 8th major league player to do so.  He has been a consistent player for 21 years.  Not extraordinary, but a sure lock for the Hall of Fame given his steady performance throughout his career.

Thome spent 12 years with Cleveland before coming to Philadelphia in 2003.  He was the first free agent signing of note and was at the forefront of the current success of the Phillies.  He was traded to the White Sox to make room for Ryan Howard after the 2005 season.  He hit nearly 100 home runs in a Phillies uniform, but more importantly, brought the franchise out of its malaise and made other free agents look seriously at coming to Philadelphia.  He brought life to the Phillies and help usher in Citizen's Bank Park in 2004.  He has had a positive impact on every team he's played for-both on and off the field. 

Not many of us will have a chance to hit 600 home runs, but we can make a positive impact on our own teams.  Like Thome, play to win, hustle every day, give 100%, and perform as if it's your last opportunity.  It seems to me the best role models are those who make the most of their talent.  They work hard to hone their skills and don't take their success for granted.  Thome's legacy may be this:  a good guy with talent that worked hard and made others more successful.  I, for one, wouldn't mind that as an epitaph on my tombstone some day.

Dream Big!

The past few weeks, we've seen the induction of new members in the baseball hall of fame and football hall of fame.  Most are humbled at the experience-of being the elite of the elite.  Think of all the kids who play little league baseball and how few actually play the game at the major league level.  Hall of famers are even more stratified.  Last night, football had their night and inducted 7 new members including Deion Sanders.  267 men out of all that have played are in the hall.

I was working out this morning and caught some of Deion's speech.  I have never been a fan of "Primetime" but enjoyed his talent.  This morning, I heard a different man.  I urge you to take the time to listen to his speech if you haven't already.  He spoke of his Mama and all she did for him.  He made a promise to her at age 7, he would make enough money to ensure she would never have to work again.  That was the dream that fueled him to stardom.  He had these quotes about dreams.  "The problem with some dreams is they are only about you.  If your dream ain't bigger than you, there's a problem with your dream."

Dreams are important to all of us.  They need to sustain us throughout our lives.  We can't stop dreaming when we finish school or we settle into a routine.  Dreams are energy, excitement, hope.  But Deion is right, they have to be bigger than you.  They are about making a positive impact, motivation, improvement, learning and growing.  Day to day, it's hard to push past just getting by.  Our dreams need to motivate us to work a little harder, extend our comfort zones a little further, smile a little broader and engage a little longer.

I realized a couple of months ago that I stopped dreaming.  My wife's recovery from a brain injury has rejuvenated my dreaming.  I have moved from always trying to be right to trying to do what is right.  So my dreams are motivating me to do a little more each day to make myself better in order to make others better.
I have some big dreams that I'll keep to myself, but hopefully will unfold over time.  They help me get up in the morning and usually sleep soundly at night.  Think about your dreams.  Dream big and dream often!

Does It Make You Better?

It's has been awhile since I posted here. It was January 22nd to be exact-the last date my wife and I had before her cerebral hemorrhage. Happily, she is much better and I have stopped giving health updates.

This weekend has been a hotbed of activity in two sport-baseball and football. The end of July divides Major League Baseball teams into buyers and sellers. Teams like the Phillies, Red Sox and Yankees have been buyers, or acquirers of talent from other teams through trades. They look to add players that will help them make the playoffs and hopefully win the World Series. Other teams like the Astros and A's trade (sell) their stars in the hopes of getting younger players who will blossom into stars.

This year, the free agent market in football has gone crazy because of the NFL lockout. Typically, teams sign players in the spring and early summer. With the lockout just ending, all these signings must be done in a couple of days rather than months. If you're a Philadelphia sports fan, then you've been enjoying an exciting weekend as both the Phillies and Eagles have added player in the hopes of making them better.

Businesses need to do the same thing when looking at openings throughout their organization. With every position to be filled, the question is what kind of person do we need to make us better? This applies to internal and external candidates. It means you have to look at the needs of the organization and determine the appropriate skill sets to grow the organization. I'm fortunate that I work for such an organization with this mantra. If you're looking at employment and fortunate enough to have a couple of offers-pick the organization that is looking to make themselves better. Don't hesitate to ask the question.

The Phillies and Eagles are well run organizations-though I don't always agree with their moves, they are at least trying. Let's hope all these signings and trades make them better teams and bring multiple championships to Philadelphia this year.

Why Not?

I just came home from watching the latest Mark Wahlberg move, The Fighter. It's not the best movie I've ever seen, but it was awfully good. It's a story based on two half-brothers, Dicky Eklund and "Irish" Micky Ward. It's a complicated story but shows the importance of inspiration and power of the human spirit. It brought me back to a theme I have believed the last few years. Instead of focusing on why we can't, focus on why not? There are thousands of Micky Ward's in the world in all walks of life. Sure they've had their dark moments, but something inspired them to get off the mat and persevere. In Ward's case, it was his brother, girl friend, family and the town of Lowell, MA. What is it for you?

I still believe it comes down to defining who you want to be. We all have it in us to be more than we are. Life is tough, that's why a compelling vision is required to help us through difficult days and routine. I have been blessed to be surrounded by successful people. As I get older, it becomes a requirement. I look at Joan (my wife) and see all that she accomplished as a business woman and mother. I look at my current boss and former boss, Denise Day and Matt Manion, and see people of vision and belief in their core values. I look at those in my community who I work with and see good and a desire to make their communities better places for all. Given all my blessings-is there any reason I can't be the best husband, father, leader and writer?

As we near the end of January, decide what you want to be and how you wish to get there. Attach yourself to a vision emotionally that will drive you to greatness-however you define it. Let's make a pact that in 2011, we won't leave anything on the table. Let's attack life with all we have. I suspect we'll be energized like never before. Why not be great?

Right-Sized Policies

As I was watching the Steelers game yesterday, I was impressed with their last drive, scoring the winning touchdown with 1:33 left in the game. The two minute drill can be very impressive. We saw the Auburn Tigers do it on Monday. For those who don't watch football, the two minute drill is a set of offensive plays that will get the team in a position to score while taking up little time. Needless to say it's practiced often and requires a cool quarterback and precision routes by the receivers. All of the Hall of Fame quarterbacks excelled in this situation. Currently, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are masters at this drill. Any surprise their teams made the playoffs?

Most entrepreneurs will tell you they don't have use for policies and procedures. It limits their creativity. They can be right, but no business will grow without them. The trick is finding the right policies for your business that will give it structure and processes that can be internalized to grow the business.

I was at the office and an emergency developed. In a daycare area, a young girl fell back in a chair and bumped her head. She blacked out for a short period of time. Was there panic? No, everyone involved followed a practiced procedure that ultimately lead to paramedics arriving. Happily, she was fine. Consider an organization without policies and procedures in the same emergency. There would have been chaos and a lot more people involved than there should be. The same is true in any organization and discipline.

To thrive, don't shy away from creating policies, procedures and processes. On the other hand, don't go crazy and create them without a solid business reason. As the entrepreneur knows, you need to allow for creativity but define the parameters to maximize performance. As always, keep everything in balance and focus on the important goals for your organization.

Twisting in the Wind

I probably shouldn't be surprised that owners often let their coaches and players twist in the wind while looking for a newer and perhaps better model. This works well for cars and other inanimate objects, but not when it comes to human beings.

The latest case occurred this week. Once the Stanford Cardinal football season ended, the feeding frenzy to secure the services of coach Jim Harbaugh began in earnest. He has been the "hot" candidate most of the year with rumors swirling that he was headed to the NFL or back to his alma matter, Michigan.

On Thursday, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and his minions traveled to the Bay area to meet with Harbaugh to find out his interest as their head coach. What about the current coach, Tony Sparano? He hasn't been fired, he is the coach of the Miami Dolphins. What does it say about Ross and the front office of the Dolphins? Did they think no one would find out? Why would a (seemingly) class act like Jim Harbaugh want to work for an organization that reaches out for a new head coach when one is still employed? Why would Tony Sparano want to stay with such an organization?

Apparently Mr. Ross has seen the error of his ways and apologized at a press conference earlier today. To show that there are no hard feelings, he extended Sparano's contract for another two years and says he is "committed to him." Watch your back Coach Sparano!

Reputations are made every day. As a leader, Stephen Ross has a lousy one. Does your organization have leaders like Stephen Ross? If so, clean up the resume and start looking. As discussed here many times, organizations need to adhere to their values. They must walk the talk. It all starts with the leadership.

Decisive

Happy New Year to all. I'm sure all of you are off to a better start than Mike Haywood. For those who don't know, he was named head coach at the University of Pittsburgh on December 16th following a great turnaround at Miami University (OH). On New Year's Eve, Haywood was arrested for domestic battery in the presence of a child in South Bend, IN. On New Year's Day, the University of Pittsburgh fired Haywood saying "head coaches are among the University's most visible representatives and are expected to maintain high standards of personal conduct and to avoid situations that might reflect negatively on the University."

To be sure, being arrested for anything, much less domestic violence, is not an example any organization would want their leadership to display. In making their decision quickly, Pitt has shown decisiveness even though the program is in shambles. There was even some question as to who was going to coach the team in their upcoming bowl game. It will take several weeks to get a replacement which will delay recruiting. This could impact the team for many years. Given all the issues, they have made the right decision.

Organizations define themselves through their actions. Pitt has told the world that they expect a higher standard of their leaders. How does your organization define themselves? Once again, allow your core values to set the tone and dictate the appropriate actions. Would your organization have been as decisive as Pitt? You may want to ask yourselves that question before it's forced on you.