Everyone says they’re committed. Everyone says they want to win.
I’ve surveyed thousands of organizational leaders, asking them about their commitment to winning, however they define it. Their answers? “100% committed.” “All in.” “Failure is not an option.”
Great. Yet as I learned as a former football coach, there’s a big difference between the will to win, and the will to do what it takes to win. It’s one thing to say you’re committed. It’s another thing to be committed.
There is a very reliable test of how committed a leader is to winning. It’s this: how they respond to adversity. To pressure. Financial pressure, time pressure, emotional pressure. To stress. To feeling like things are out of control. To uncertainty. To the specter of painful outcomes.
It all comes down to how leaders deal with adversity.
How do you deal with adversity? Does it soften your commitment to winning or does it intensify it? Does it become a justification for why winning isn’t that important? Or a reason why winning is that much more important? Do you see it as something to be avoided or something that comes with the territory?
If you’re a boxer you’re going to get punched in the face. If you’re a marathon runner you’re going to get exhausted to the point of collapse. And if you’re a business leader you’re going to face adversity. Serious adversity. That’s just how it is. Embrace it. Stay focused, remain objective, and deal with it.
It reminds me of what former Indy 500 winner and Formula 1 World Champion Mario Andretti once said, “If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.”
How committed are you to winning?
Make it happen.
Michael
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This One Test Reflects Your Level of Commitment
