Doing common things with uncommon effort, attitude, and perseverance. That is what greatness looks like.
Too often we get mesmerized by social media, someone doing something out of the ordinary.
It appears they have reached greatness.
Sure, it happens occasionally, not all that often though. Social media simply sensationalizes things.
Last weekend I saw a handful of players I have coached in high school playing in the NFL.
Amazing moments. Emotional moments. The kind that stop you in your tracks.
I sat there watching the TV, and for a moment everything went quiet.
There he was, a kid I once saw running drills in the heat, now lining up against the best in the world. Another one stepping onto the field with confidence I once saw forming in middle school. Different situations. Different journeys. Some securely on the team. Some fighting for a roster spot.
Most of society does not know how difficult it is to make it to that level.
And why is that?
Most are not willing to sacrifice and give the uncommon effort.
I coached high school football and served as either a recreation manager or parks and recreation director for the last sixteen years, just stopping a year ago. In that season of life our family saw ten winning seasons, eleven playoff appearances, five 8 and 2 seasons in a row, two state championship appearances, one state championship, and even a youth championship. Oh yeah, I coached my son for six years of youth sports all while doing the other things.
Yes, I gave an uncommon effort to balance all of it. But that is not what we are talking about today.
I cannot even count the number of players I have coached who played or are still playing college football, literally at every level.
If I listed the names of the players in the NFL and you looked them up, you might draw the conclusion that they are there because of size, speed, or amazing athleticism. Yes, some of those statements are true.
But knowing them as I do
Knowing their pathway
Knowing what they have overcome
While measurable attributes help, that is not why they are there.
What they all have cannot be measured. It can only be witnessed.
Several of them I saw in middle school, not just high school, and it was evident then.
It is this: Uncommon effort and perseverance.
Sounds simple, does it not.
Yet most people cannot exhibit these traits, especially not in abundance, routinely.
Uncommon effort is not loud.
It is quiet, lonely, repetitive, and often unseen, yet it is felt over time.
Frankly, Division I and FCS players I have coached often exhibited the same traits.
None of these players try to do anything extraordinarily different than their counterparts.
They simply do not get bored with the basics and understand what makes them great.
There is a story about Kobe Bryant putting in an hour and a half warm up before an actual workout session started. Drenched in sweat. Focused on basics. No distractions. Ending with an enormous amount of consecutive free throws made that the average person could never make.
Perhaps this is why Kobe ruptured his Achilles and continued on to make two free throws before leaving the court. I ruptured mine playing basketball as well, it really helps you appreciate just how difficult what he did was.
The football players I have mentioned have faced injury, doubt, rejection, relationship break ups, failure, success, met objectives, lost games, won games, and experienced life similarly to us on many fronts.
What separates them, what makes them uncommon, is simple:
- Discipline
- Adaptability
- Nutrition and Recovery
- Perseverance
- Commitment
I am not suggesting there are no other identifiable traits. These are the ones that stand out. I literally witnessed them.
These are also the traits most aligned for us in the workplace. They tie directly back to my H3
Formula of Health, Heart, and Habits.
These athletes have an uncanny discipline to do what is needed regardless of the situation, and they can adapt faster than their counterparts. They know nutrition and recovery are key to helping them perform at optimal levels. They know taking chances sometimes means failing, and they persevere because of their relentless commitment to self, team, family, and a purpose.
This all sounds like us in the workforce, and what we need to be great at what we do and become a great team in the service of community.
In the coming months I have several presentations on commitment, and I am so excited for these because I know committing to ourselves and our team is critically important.
If this resonates and you would like to take a step forward building your team, let me know. I am always here to help.
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