Football coaching legend Nick Saban said:
“Negative experiences without teaching kills morale.”
Yes. Absolutely. Could not agree more.
I tell my students — multiple times per day — that mistakes are valuable.
But they are only valuable if we learn from our mistakes. Mistakes only hurt us if we continue to repeat them absent any growth or improvement.
So often, this valuable learning only comes through teaching. It comes from having the right teacher, boss, or leader who is present, capable, and willing to convert that negative experience into something meaningful, fruitful, and long-lasting.
As a leader, you are either driven by process or output.
Performance or numbers.
Rewlationships or transactions.
You’re either building a team or building a bottom line.
Many of the leaders I work with — including leaders in some of the largest companies in the world — are obsessed with building a highly effective team. It is their core mission to find the right people, train them well, and motivate and support them.
They see this as the best means of driving profits and growth for their company.
I find this incredibly inspiring.
I suspect, however, that leaders who are looking to improve their ability to communicate effectively, tell better stories, and connect and motivate through what they say and write — the goals of most of my clients — are probably those also predisposed to building great teams.
I likely attract good human beings:
People driven by performance, looking to build effective processes, and seeking stronger relationships.
This is probably a case of self-selection bias:
I only work with the best people.
Either way, it’s a joy to see.
