Strategic Discipline Blog

You’ve probably met people with so much confidence it’s bubbling out of them.

Most of us are not equipped with such natural self-assurance.

An Encouraging and Supportive Coach

When I was in high school someone who believed in me elevated my own belief allowing me to contribute in a way, I’d never dreamed possible.

During the late spring and early summer of my freshman year, the players going out for basketball the following season participated in after school basketball practices. The new varsity basketball coach happened to have my last name, Gene Wick, a math teacher. From the very first practice, he knew exactly what his plan was to win basketball games for Princeton High School, a team having lost 34 games in a row over the previous 2 seasons.

His plan was to feed the ball inside, and more so, to me! In Junior Varsity that year I’d only scored 8 points a game. Something Coach Wick had seen prompted him to decide to build his entire offense around me. It was the first time, other than my mother and dad, anyone had given me this much attention. Never before was I responsible for the outcome of a game or season.

At first, I was startled by his investment in me. I grew to like it and finally thrive on it.

Every time our team had the ball, Coach Wick would yell, “take it to the hole!” or “Shoot it,” and “Get closer!” If I passed the ball back out, he’d yell at me and say, “that’s not what you do with the ball Wick, shoot it! Make something happen inside every time!” (You can discover more about Gene Wick influence on me in The Best Coach in the World.)

It was a giant reversal from what I had been encountering in my previous 3 years playing basketball. I could barely make the C team in 6^th grade, and although I’d grown to 6’4” by my sophomore year, I was hardly a polished ball player.

Still, he had confidence in me. Enough confidence to stake his reputation as a coach, and the school’s basketball record on me and our ability to win games.

The Lesson

Many times we are our own worst enemy. We lack confidence and can’t see ourselves objectively. The greatest feeling of success I’ve enjoyed is seeing those who I trained as radio salespeople, blossom and build solid sales, and broadcasting careers. When I became a business coach in 1999, this changed to the business owners, and their business exceeded their expectations, several of which sold providing these entrepreneurs to live a wealthy retirement.

If you can see a vision for others, they cannot clearly see, or recognize their strengths and how they can apply them better, there’s no better reward than seeing someone you’ve helped surpass their own beliefs. They come back to you years later and say, “Doug I would never have had the success I achieved without your help.”

It’s an incredible rush to hear that. It’s what coaching is all about. It’s not just business coaching, it’s coaching people within your business, people you meet on the street, and of course your family and friends.

Belief

To succeed you must believe in yourself. Affirmations like, “I like myself,” and, “I can do this!” drive self-confidence. I’m a big believer in these assertions to help build self-assurance. Athletes and business leaders hire coaches to help them identify where they can improve and refine their skills and leadership ability. Someone to push you beyond your current belief system can push you out of your comfort zone to exceed what you thought possible.  Sometimes the only thing between you and achieving your dream is having someone behind you who knows the way and can push you there.

Learning how to coach is part of Metronomics seven business systems. You’ll be coached, but more importantly, you will learn how you and your leaders effectively can coach to gain confidence and reach new levels of success.

Be that someone, or if you want help, hire someone who can get you there. It’s worth it to live a more fulfilling life.

To create an environment where everyone is inspired to give their best, contact Positioning Systems today to schedule a free exploratory meeting.

Growth demands Strategic Discipline.

The pandemic led to some dramatic changes in the work environment, not just for companies but also individuals. Guest writer, Katie Brenneman offers insights next blog with What Does Leadership in the Hybrid Office Look Like?

Building an enduring great organization requires disciplined people, disciplined thought, disciplined action, superior results, producing a distinctive impact on the world.

Discipline sustains momentum, over a long period of time, laying the foundations for lasting endurance.

A winning habit starts with 3 Strategic Disciplines: Priority, Metrics, and Meeting Rhythms.   Forecasting, accountability, individual, and team performance improve dramatically.

Meeting Rhythms achieve a disciplined focus on performance metrics to drive growth.

Let Positioning Systems help your business achieve these outcomes on the Four most Important Decisions your business faces:

Positioning Systems helps mid-sized ($5M - $250M+) businesses Scale-UP. We align your business to focus on Your One Thing! Contact dwick@positioningsystems.com to Scale Up your business! Take our Four Decisions Needs Assessment to discover how your business measures against other Scaled Up companies. We’ll contact you.

NEXT BLOG – Leadership in the Hybrid Office