Discipline makes today hard, but it makes tomorrow easier
Happy Friday, Brew Nation!
Grab your favorite coffee cup and get ready to embark on a transformative journey. The Champions Brew Newsletter is here to invigorate your mornings and ignite your drive for personal growth and impact! Fuel your mornings with motivation and purpose. As you savor your first cup of the day, let the Champions Brew infuse you with the insights and strategies you need to make each day a stepping stone towards your aspirations. Let’s Go!
- Uncommon Leader Insights – In the latest episode of The Uncommon Leader Podcast, I had an insightful conversation with Scott Grates. In life and business, building genuine relationships can be the key to long-term success. I have three condensed takeaways from our conversation:
- Give It! : Meaningful connections often outweigh traditional marketing approaches. In his book, “Referrals Done Right,” Scott demonstrates how cultivating and nurturing relationships creates infinite opportunities for growth. It’s about giving without expectation, fostering an environment where genuine connections thrive.
- Focus It! : Concentrate on building a few really strong relationships. Rather than casting a wide net of surface level relationships, converge on a few deep connections.
- Write It ! In today’s fast-paced digital age, bringing back the human touch stands out. Scott’s uncommon habit of sending handwritten notes daily reflects his commitment to adding a personal touch to business interactions. These handwritten notes significantly impact relationship-building, showing clients and employees they matter. This simple yet profound action helps build impactful relationships in business and life!
Implementing these practices requires discipline and intentional effort. By prioritizing relationships and maintaining genuine connections, you’ll set yourself and your business up for enduring success.
For more insights, check out Scott Grates’ books, including “Referrals Done Right” and “The Essential F Words for Teens”.
You can also catch the entire conversation I had with Scott here. While you are there, go ahead and subscribe to my YouTube page so that you can receive new episodes when they come out each week.
Are you aware that The Champions Brew explores various topics that I frequently coach and consult on with other leaders and organizations? If you or someone you know is seeking to elevate their business or personal life from underperforming to uncommon, I would love to connect with you and discuss 1:1 or group coaching, as well as performance consulting. In fact, click the following link to schedule a FREE CALL to explore how coaching could benefit you and your team. Let’s work together to unleash your full potential and achieve your goals
- Work Hard & Have Fun – Stephen Nedoroscik’s performance on the pommel horse at the Paris Olympics was nothing short of extraordinary. It was a moment that encapsulated the essence of dedication, teamwork, and the power of a single, focused effort.
Sports is chocked full of great moments like this and Nedoroscik’s story offers some great leadership insights.
- Power of Focus – In an era of generalists, Nedoroscik’s unwavering focus on a single event is a stark reminder of the power of focus. By honing his skills on one discipline, he achieved a level of mastery that few can match.
- Performance Under Pressure – Performing in a high-pressure situation is a test of character. Performing at the Olympics when your team needs you to medal for the first time in 16 years? Off the charts!! Nedoroscik carried the weight of the entire team’s hopes on his shoulders. The ability to perform under pressure, to deliver in the clutch, is a critical leadership skill.
- Preparation Plays – Nedoroscik’s performance was the culmination of years of dedicated training. Nick Saban is credited for saying this about preparation, “We don’t practice until we get it right. We practice until we can’t get it wrong.” I can’t imagine how many hours Stephen prepared for this moment, but I was captivated by his mental preparation as he waited the entire segment to be the LAST USA gymnast to perform. I saw him prepare mentally prior to performing visualizing the perfect routine and he ‘nailed it’. Leadership, too, requires meticulous preparation. Continuous learning, skill development, and strategic planning are essential for uncommon success.
- Pure Joy – The collective outpouring of joy from the US gymnastics team when Nedoroscik secured the bronze medal was a testament to the power of teamwork. Leaders must foster a culture of collaboration and shared success. Celebrating the wins of the team, not just individual accomplishments, is essential for building strong, cohesive teams.
Nedoroscik’s story is a powerful reminder that even in the face of immense pressure, with the right preparation, focus, and teamwork, extraordinary things can happen. I draw tremendous inspiration from stories like Stephen, the entire USA gymnastics team, and all the Olympians!
Did you get to see his performance? CLICK HERE. You might just shed a tear like I did!
- Read More – Here we go. We are traveling together on a journey with an inspiring speaker, and author, Ed Mylett, and his book “The Power of One More – The Ultimate Guide to Success and Happiness”. As an avid listener of Mylett’s podcast, I’m thrilled to revisit this great book that holds a special place in my Top Ten influential reads. Join me as we uncover wisdom within its pages.
Chapter Seventeen – “One More Degree of Equanimity”
Ed Mylett’s emphasis on equanimity in The Power of One More resonated deeply. It’s a word that has become increasingly familiar to me especially given that when I read the book a couple years ago, I had never heard it! But its true meaning and power are often overlooked. To me, equanimity is simply defined as calm in the midst of chaos. Everyone can find degrees of equanimity most of the time. As leaders, we need to do better than ‘most of the time.’ Equanimity is about finding serenity as you battle challenges in life. It’s understanding that there are some things we simply can’t change. It can be about letting go. Without equanimity as a governor, going back and forth is exhausting. The pursuit of equanimity is a lifelong endeavor.
Mylett’s framework of leadership styles—aggressive with or without equanimity, and passive with or without equanimity—offers a valuable lens for self-reflection. The ideal, of course, is to be aggressive yet calm.
If you can maintain some level of calm, people will look to you. Having said that, I can also think of examples where I have behaved in all four of these styles!
Mylett started the chapter with a powerful quote from Holocaust survivor, Victor Frankl: “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is the power to choose our response. In our response lies growth and freedom.” So true. What this really tells me is that I must practice self-awareness. My tendency is to respond aggressively without equanimity if I am backed into a corner. Being aware of the physical feelings I have during stressful times allows me to take a deep breath, say a short prayer, and respond.
I want to be more ‘equanimous’. Is that a word?
Next week: One More Prayer
Quote of the week:
“The two most important things in life are those you love, and your memories, so buy a good camera.”
What You Need to Do:
Call to Action: What lessons from Nedoroscik’s and many of the Olympic athletes’ performances resonate most with you as a leader? Was there a story that impacted you?
It’s an honor to be your trusted “Friday Coffee Guy”. Each week, I’m excited to provide yet another round of curated content that I’ve been reading, listening to, watching, or thinking over. The purpose of the Champions Brew is to inspire, equip and encourage you to become the uncommon leader you were designed to be. I am so grateful for your decision to invest a few moments with me! I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of Champions Brew. If you did, I would appreciate it if you would share it with someone who might enjoy it as well and ask them to subscribe! I will make sure they automatically get this email every week.
Until next time, Go and Grow Champions!
P.S. – Are you a podcast fan? Maybe the Uncommon Leader podcast is for you. Are you interested in being a guest on the Uncommon Leader Podcast? Do you have a story to tell? Email me [email protected] and let’s have a chat and set something up!!
