John Wooden famously said: “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” Trophies do not have to lead to atrophy. In fact, if you take on Wooden’s mindset, they can lead to more trophies, as they did for him.

There’s a big part of me that would like to drop gender as a descriptor such as a great female executive or a great female coach or a great female (fill in the blank); that just wants to acknowledge that she’s just a great executive, coach, or whatever. Yet, the tension I feel is that I may well be part of the system that makes that necessary.

“…picture an official society held together entirely by fear and greed.  On the surface, manners are normally suave.  Rudeness to one’s superiors would obviously be suicidal; rudeness to one’s equals might put them on their guard before you were ready to spring your mine.  For of course “Dog eat dog” is the principle of the whole organization.” 

We bump into it all the time and let me qualify this… it is often pretty doggone innocent. It’s not blatant stubbornness or resistance to change. It’s inertia!

Most bosses I know would readily receive the question from an emerging leader who is looking to gain experience, learn new skills, and contribute in new ways in their career aspirations.

We look at great leaders like George Washington and tell great stories of cherry trees, crossing the Potomac, and the resistance to those that would name him king following the Revolution. Yet, too often, it seems we can just assume that great leaders just show up as such and that all they’ve ever attempted worked. In reality, it just doesn’t work that way.

…To their credit, these were leaders who were now getting serious, not just about the candidate part of the process but also establishing a job target by which they’d evaluate candidates. This is a critical step in selection that most organizations bypass altogether, save the HR-compliant-friendly version of the job description.

…how many times are we asked, “How are you doing?” and the answer is “Good…” or even “Great…” and then, as if we’re shouting in a canyon, we echo, “How are you doing?” (imagine the echo: “Good… Great…”). That exchange that we have regularly in restaurants, the neighborhood, at church, and in our country clubs is polite, shallow, and often dishonest. We might as well jump into a chorus of “My life be like ooooohhh aaaaaahhh…”. It’s what we do, just not as cool.

After lunch and as the day was winding down, Mr. Pepper reflected on all the people that made a difference in his life and career. As we wrapped up, he shared a copy of a paper he’d written titled, “If It Weren’t For Them”. It was a letter to current P&Gers to acknowledge specific people, by name, and the specific things they did that influenced his career. It was also to inspire them to both recognize who would be on their own list but also to carry this on – to make a difference for someone else.

…I think it’s wise to consider what type of teammate a person will be. On the kickball field, even at age 9, kids I wanted on my team had a desire to win fair and square, were good sports, weren't boastful or cutting to others, and had a willingness to play any position, etc. Today, my experience tells me that the characteristics that made a good kickball teammate to me nearly 40 years ago are pretty doggone close to the characteristics that make great teammates in professional life as well.

No doubt, the NFL is high stakes and missing on a player and/or the failure to develop a player can have tremendous consequence where everyone is elite and the margin for winning and losing is razor thin. As business leaders, you also know that your environment is high stakes and a lot more is riding on it than your fantasy league. It’s your livelihood and that of everyone you employ.

What insights from some of the greatest leaders in our country’s history can we glean and re-apply as we head into a new year of “turbulence”?

When I became a CEO, I had to get comfortable with the dynamics that come with no longer being one of many, but one of one. Here are some examples:

1. The higher you go in an organization, the less readily available truth is to you.

2. Information can be a burden.

3. Silence can be deafening.

Who are your truth-tellers?

It is a fallacy that leaders have to be strong, right, in control, etc. 100% of the time. Heck, if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that’s simply not realistic.

The quickest way to cultivate or kill candor is the degree in which the leader demonstrates it.

As a leader, the trick is not to be able to detect every problem, alternative and ultimate solution. Rather, it’s how to access the information, perspectives, and experience of other trusted leaders - whether they are within or outside of your organization. This is is the blinking light on the side-view mirror of your car, always monitoring your blindspot.