Leading Winning Teams

11Perseverance and Positioning

AS WE EXPLORE the paths of the most successful people in sports, and as I speak to them about their journey, most do not talk about how important it was to be prepared when the opportunity came.

Positioned for Greatness

I tell a great many people that becoming the best is about positioning yourself for the opportunity by having a plan, getting a coach or accountability partner, putting in the work, and balancing all of it with clarity and intention.

Thousands upon thousands of athletes, and even more leaders, have faced challenges. Leaders have built formulas for success. Hit up your local bookstore, and you'll find all sorts of books on the subject, plus now we can find tutorials right on YouTube on how to do almost anything. The lessons are many and they are everywhere.

I have a confession. I know exactly what it takes to attain and sustain peak performance at the top levels in both sports and business. The reality is that most people will not do the work. And some do not have the God-given talent to compete at the top levels. But when parents come to me about their child becoming a pro athlete, and I start telling them what it takes, people realize it is a lot of work and there is no room for inefficiency. Every misstep and error can be a setback and a wasted day. The discipline it takes to compete at the top level is understated.

When going through every step of the journey, opportunities will come to those who have positioned themselves ...