Of course, in order to win we must seek a prize, trophy, or target a specific achievement but there is something more.  Winners know what they are after but they must start out preparing. Many people see someone achieve a level of success but never realize that there are behavioral habits that prepare those who are preparing to win. When training to win the individual is always focused on the long term goal, not the cost.  In the case of the Blackhawks, all the players start out with rigorous physical training. Many, can argue that hockey players are the best conditioned athletes in the world. They have the highest anaerobic (Powerful short bursts of energy) levels of all athletes. In addition, they have the lowest % of body fat of all athletes. These athletes are motivated to win the Stanley Cup and are willing to adjust their lifestyle to achieve it. They become educated on proper diet and nutrition. They set aside time to exercise and include regimes on flexibility, endurance, anaerobic, strength, and power.

In the leadership genre people prepare to win by constantly sharpening their thinking which ultimately leads to high levels of performance in their industry. Similar to an athlete who is preparing for the Stanley Cup, a leader’s daily habits includes setting aside time or incorporating time to listen to audios, reading, and associating with others in the leadership genre. They take time to study, outline bullet points, and then set a game plan to test out the ideas that they are attempting to learn. Lastly they take the time to check and adjust their progress as is the case when you discuss with a mentor like I have done with Orrin Woodward.

Winners know that performance is measured once their feet hit the ground or the skates hit the ice or pencil hits the paper.  The athlete or leader is focused on short term goals. A hockey player stays focused on winning shift after shift. A leader stays focused on daily performance. A leader’s performance may be measured on how their ideas influence others. They may influence others by how well they convey their vision.  A leaders performance may be measured with empathetic listening skills. A leader may need to help their constituents re frame obstacles so the protégé can use the challenge as a teachable moment.

Every winner knows that winning is measured by how they deal with adversity. In the book ‘Adversity quotient’, Paul G. Stoltz, PhD writes, “A person’s success may be largely determined by the way he or she explains or responds to life’s events.” He describes a quality known as hardiness. Suzanne Oullette, professor of psychology at the City University of New York, found that those who are more prone to success demonstrated hardiness – a measureable sense of challenge, commitment, and control. Stoltz describes it as, “Those who respond to adversity as an opportunity with a sense of purpose and a sense of control – or what I call “Advertunity” –remain strong, while those who are victimized by the adversity, responding to it helplessly, become weak.” Watching the Stanley Cup clinching game last night revealed how winners faced adversity. With seven minutes left in the third period tied one to one the Boston Bruins scored the go ahead goal and there was an instantaneous feeling of helplessness on the part of the Blackhawks. But, remember it’s ultimately how you respond. The Blackhawks pulled their goalie in favor of an extra attacker and jammed the corner with the extra man. Not to be denied, their captain, Jonathon Toews took the puck and skated for the net creating an odd man advantage. He slid the puck between the defenders legs over to one of the forwards who buried the puck only to tie the game with a minute and fifty seconds left in the game. However, this was only the start of a shift in attitude from adversity to passion and courage that they (Blackhawks) would not be denied. The Blackhawks continued to swarm the net and fired the puck at the goalie. Looking for a rebound Dave Bolland would not be blocked out of the position he needed to pick up the rebound and buried the puck for the winner with fifty eight seconds on the clock. We can all learn from this. What minutes before looked like the game would be forced back to Chicago for a game seven, momentum changed on a dime because of the way winners reacted to adversity.

This is leadership in a nutshell:

1. What’s your vision?
2. What’s the price?
3. Prepare to perform.
4. Perform your best in small increments.
5. When adversity hits use it as the opportunity to change the momentum.
6. Seize the opportunity so you will not be denied.

I saw Curtis and Debbie Spolar and Hogar and Lindsey Spiewak, winners on stage at the LIFE Leadership convention last weekend. These winners stood on stage receiving a trophy because they would not be denied. They set up a vision for their teams and paid the price. They performed in small increments and faced adversity with courage. They simply would not be denied. Keep in mind that there is a winner in you. You will get revelations about your ability to win by hanging around other winners and realizing it’s been inside you all along. Is it worth it to win? Just ask anyone who was carrying the Stanley Cup after visualizing a child hood dream if the work they put into that achievement was worth it? When you watch a leadership award in the shape of a ring or a pendant and tears in the eyes of the winner just ask, ”Is it worth it to bring out the winner inside?”  God Bless, George Guzzardo