I love hanging around with winners. The attitude, the energy, the teamwork, the ownership, and the joy are just elevating everyone around them. There is a confident humility about them. Confident that God gave them the ability to prosper and the humility to continuously search for how.
We spent a few days recently with our team from Grand Rapids. They all came to Nashville, many with their spouses and kids, to deepen relationships, learn with their teammates, discuss growth strategies, and share experiences. They are an energizing group of winners.
At one point during a discussion with our Ops leaders, several of them were asking for feedback. What can we do better? How do we stack up against our peers? How can we help you? These are winning statements. Then my favorite comment of all: "We aren't afraid of the stats". In other words, good, bad, or ugly, we know to know the truth, and with the truth, we can focus on growth and improvement. That's wisdom!
"Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair." (Proverbs 1:2-3)
At the beginning of the book of Proverbs, Solomon sets the stage. The purpose of the book is to teach wisdom and discipline so that they can live successful lives, doing what's right, just, and fair. The book is direct, clear, and hardcore truth. It is for people who want to grow and perform at a higher level. It is for winners who want to take responsibility for living a successful life.
Contrast the above discussion with those meetings most of us have been in, where it's simply a complaint casserole. All the things that everyone else is doing wrong just make their job too hard. One thing after another is just thrown in, mixed together to the point you don't even know where to start or how to make them happy. It is hard to swallow and not very tasty.
Winners take responsibility and want to know the score.
If they miss a shot, it is on them, not the person who passed them the ball. And if they pass someone else the ball, they work hard to do so in a way that their teammate can score. They seek wisdom, discipline, and truth. They know that is where success comes from. They live by the mantra of "What more can I do?"
If you want to be the best, choose to seek wisdom, apply discipline, be accountable, govern yourself, and don't be afraid of the stats.
