3 lessons learned to “will” you and your team to a victory at work (and in life)

For those that witnessed the stunning comeback victory of the New England Patriots at Superbowl 51, it was definitely a game for the history books.

The final moments of the game was set by James White, Patriots running back when he scored the winning touchdown in overtime.

During an interview after the Superbowl game, James was asked about Tom Brady and his impact of defying the odds in the game.   
James stated,

“He [Tom Brady] is the greatest quarterback ever. He willed us to victory.”

Compelling. 

My (unfounded) theory is that I believe the moment when Tom Brady was “willing” himself and the team to victory was captured perfectly in this picture:

 What do you think? Because Tom went from that picture moments later to this

 And you can too.

Let’s compare this sports analogy to your own work environment. It feels good to be winning whether a win means that your team delivered software on time within scope, your practice just won business from a new client in an emerging industry, or your team was selected to win an industry award.

But what about when you are losing? What about when your team is floundering on a project, they are not answering the right questions during a client presentation, or your team’s application for an award isn’t quite good enough after 3 drafts.

 If Superbowl 51 didn’t teach us anything else, it illustrated how circumstances can change in an instant.

 Here are 3 lessons learned from the game that you can use to will you and your team to a victory:
  

Lesson #1:  Spend your 80% of your time creating habits of success for those critical moments that matter. In a previous article, I discussed the importance of habit creation. If you think about the sports world, people spend years training to compete for one moment. (Power of Full Engagement is a great book that discusses this topic at great lengths) Tom and his team trained for moments like this…you and your team can as well.

This should be no different in the business world. Your team should spend most of their time collectively conditioning as individuals and as a team in order to be ready for the critical moments that matter. There are only few key moments that makes or breaks your team’s trajectory.  

Let’s say that you want your team to improve the likelihood of winning new business with clients in technology software. Does the team know how to create and sustain authentic relationships without selling? Do they actively maintain those relationships in downtime? Do you design meetings where industry & latest technology information is expected to be shared? Are your teams expected to keep up their skills in the latest technology? Do you foster innovation and value creativity being displayed on your teams?


Identify the moments that matter. Take time to think about the simple habits you and your team need to create and focus on to win in those moments. Then repeatedly create a cadence and environment of excellent habit creation.

 Lesson #2: Develop situational leadership instincts to give your team the feedback they need to adjust and course correct in the moment. Situational leadership is a trait that successful leaders use to “adapt their leadership style to the performance readiness (ability and willingness) of the individual or group they are attempting to lead or influence”. Learn how to adapt your style and lead from a place of strength in the face of adversity and ambiguity. Excelling at situational leadership comes from investing time in getting to know how your team operates on an individual level and collectively as a team. Observe strengths and weaknesses. Observe dynamics, particularly seen and unseen behaviors. And the key is, observe without judgement. 

Accept your team for who they are, not what they are not.  Convey to your team that you trust them. The more you know about your team and accept their strengths and weaknesses, the easier it will be to position your people in environments that they can excel in.

Situational leadership is only ½ of the equation; you have to provide balanced, timely feedback. All of the time.

It is amazing to me how people are in key leadership positions, yet unwilling and/or afraid to give their teams the constructive feedback they need in order to change behavior! Not giving your team feedback is like taking a road trip from Boston, MA to Derry, New Hampshire, watching the driving team member take the exit on the highway towards Florida, yet remain silent knowing full well you are all headed in the wrong direction.   Feedback is a cumulative, iterative process; the more timely feedback you give to your teams, the more confidence you create on your teams that they build in themselves. 

What makes the Patriots so good at situational leadership and feedback is steeped in the fact that any of their players – at any time – could be the wild card no one expected to become the breakout star of a winning game. We saw that this year with James White and saw that before with Malcolm Butler in Superbowl 49.

The team is primed and conditioned to excel, regardless of rank, title, or tenure on the team. The team is primed to win.

Celebrate every winning moment to create momentum….but also, provide instant feedback in the moment. As a leader, do this regularly to condition your teams to replicate winning behaviors day in and day out.

 Lesson # 3: The game is not over until it is truly over. This is a grounding guiding principle in order to being able to will your way to victory. Even if your team may be currently losing in a particular situation, your circumstance can change in an instant.  

Remember your “why” and keep it front and center. 

It all comes down your mentality and the belief that you and your team can do this.  Prior to the actual moment that matters, remember to drill that into your team’s psyche. For example, start and finish every meeting reminding your team of why they are there. Keeping the end goal front and center keeps the team focused.

No matter how far behind you may think you are in your own game, you have to make the decision to will yourself and your team to a victory.

What are ways that you will your way to victory? Share some of your personal tips in the comments below!

Blog was originally posted on my LinkedIn.

Make better decisions and overcome FOMO in 3 easy steps

I recently had a discussion with a mentee, seeking guidance on which life path to take. It was clear she had FOMO (fear of missing out).  For months and months, I watched her agonize, analyze, and debate what I like to call “good problems”

Should she attend a prestigious business school –or- forgo business school and instead, take a promotion at her job which comes with a 3 year assignment abroad in Asia?


Both options are great and will dramatically change her life. Each choice provides amazing experiences and opportunities, helping her significantly expand her network. So...which path should she choose?

If you were in her shoes, what path would you choose?

No matter where you are in life, eventually at some point you will be faced with critical decisions that could change the course of your life.

Decisions are kind of a big deal.

But how do you know if you are making the right choice? Herein lies the ultimate dilemma of many of us, for fear that we will either a) miss out the opportunities of the other option or b) make the wrong decision.  When we view decision making from this lens, life becomes complicated, stressful, and lead to ill perceived regrets.

 In order to make key decisions, arm yourself with a well-defined process to confidently structure your thoughts:

 Step 1. When making a decision, make sure you do not fall into mental traps. Being aware of the process of how you make decisions is extremely important in order to unearth your biases. The HBR article “The Hidden Traps of Decision Making”, provides detailed, helpful theories of how the brain can sabotage the choices made. Some example “traps” the article illustrates:

• Anchoring traps lead to giving more weight to the first information we receive (i.e., getting the promotion with the Asia assignment first before receiving the acceptance letter from business school may make the promotion appear more attractive)
• Status quo traps leads to maintaining current situation even if better alternatives exists (i.e., it took a lot of hard work and years of effort to earn a promotion, therefore that maybe considered better even though business school may offer exponentially better opportunities in the long run)
• Sunk costs traps leads towards making decisions based on mistakes of the past in a desire not to waste time and money (i.e., taking 2 years out of professional career to attend an extremely expensive program is not worth the income loss and risky depending on the state of economy)

Knowing the various mental traps we face is important because you uncover your biases and make decisions from a more objective, grounded position.

Step 2.  Weigh the pros and cons of your decisions with other trusted individuals, but ultimately be accountable to your decision. This is where a personal board of directors can be valuable. Once you have weighed the pros and cons of the options of your choices, socialize your thinking with a select group of trusted individuals….but not too many voices. I like to run key life decisions by a handful of 3-5 people comprised of close family members and longtime mentors/confidantes that know me well enough to provide brutally honest feedback. Some people may use more or less.  Once you have socialized your options, weighed the pros and cons, it is up to you to make the final decision. Own it. Do not make decisions based on how you think others will perceive you or what seems to be the more popular, accepted path.

 Step 3.   Use a combination of logic and instinct when making decisions…but once your choice has been made, do not catch FOMO. Stand behind your decision with 1000% certainty. This is the most important step and typically where decisions fall apart. Someone takes a lot of time thinking through options, socializing the thinking, did research, and then makes a decision...only to begin second guessing that decision less than one minute after the decision is made!! FOMO can be paralyzing and cloud judgment. We can drive ourselves crazy doing this…it’s a no win situation and just not worth the stress. Stop second guessing yourself.  Learn to trust the process of the decision making process. Trust your instincts.  Remember that in life there are no true right or wrong choice; all decisions create a culmination of life experiences or body of knowledge. Trusting your instincts and making solid decisions help create easier journeys. There are no true wrong answers or failures, just life lessons. 

When you have a systematic approach of making decisions combined with gut instincts and accountability, it empowers you to drive towards actionable next steps quickly with more confidence. Create all decisions with greater certainty and you will always win.

What are some other ways that you make decisions in your life? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Post originally printed on LinkedIn.