Walk Off Winning

16The 5 Percent Rule

The sum of the group is greater than the individuals.

We've all heard about teamwork and the benefits it can bring to any organization or team. But what is real teamwork? Practicing our trade? Working together for a common goal? Absolutely. Yet so many times a person will not be on the same page inside an organization and will cause issues with a group moving forward. And what is most difficult is having the group focus on improvement each and every day, even when things are going great.

This is where the best teams and organizations shine. They figure out how to improve even when they're on top. It takes great leadership and motivation to drive the group each day. We see it in the best of sports teams and businesses. Bill Belichick has figured this out with the New England Patriots. So did John Wooden at UCLA basketball back in the 1960 and '70s. How about Apple? Walmart? Oprah? All continue to thrive, even as they are on top.

They have found a way to live by the 5 percent rule.

Be Better Every Day

Whenever I speak to a group, I talk about the 5 percent rule. Without it, it is difficult to keep advancing your organization. What is this valuable tool? In order to sustain long-term success, year in and out, you have to find a way to motivate your employees and players to get a little better each week. It seems like a simple task, yet a good leader pays great attention to guiding his or her employees to do the “little” things necessary to grow in small ways, ...