Leadership Lessons From Observing Tiger Woods

Written by JT on December 11, 2009

Tiger Woods made a public statement on his website that he would be taking an ‘indefinite break’ from golf to attend to his family in the wake of recent news of infidelity and marital turmoil.

“After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person.”

In so doing Woods made a profound statement about his character as well.

You see, no matter your opinion of Tiger Woods, he is a leader. He is a leader in sport, a leader in business and a leader in life.

In golf, he dominates his sport so much so that the PGA Tour is ‘concerned’ about the absence of Tiger and what it will mean to the Tour’s ratings. The Tour cited a marked decline in ratings while Tiger was away rehabbing a major knee injury in 2008.

And few can argue his dominance of his sport. Earlier in 2009, Tiger became the first athlete ever to surpass the $1 billion mark in earnings. In any sport. By any athlete. Ever.

Make no mistake about it; if Tiger wanted to “push this all behind him” and “block it out”, he could. He is the most mentally tough athlete I have ever seen. But this is about life. This is about family. This is about taking care of priorities.

The thing I was most taken by was Tiger’s brutal honesty and humble request for forgiveness. This simple, yet elegant act is so rare these days, particularly amongst elite athletes and celebrities (or politicians) who often seem to carry themselves with an aloof attitude toward personal responsibility.

Leadership starts with personal responsibility. The toughest decisions in leadership occur when a leader is forced to put their ego aside and make an unpopular choice.

Tiger certainly created a tough situation for himself through his actions, yet instead of hiding behind some nebulous statement, or dancing around creative language and double-talk, Woods came out and asked for forgiveness:
“I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I’ve done, but I want to do my best to try. “

Tiger demonstrated the leadership principle of personal responsibility, even in the face of public humiliation. He showed his vulnerability, his human side.

People need to know that, as a leader, you are human. That you thinks and feel as a human, not a pre-programmed robot. To inspire people to follow you, they have to know that you lead with your intellect, your skills, and your soul. Tiger demonstrated that today with his statement.

It may be easy for the mediocre mind to balk at Tiger’s statement, claiming “he should have apologized” or he “should have begged for forgiveness”, but how often do we admit when we are wrong? How often do we apologize for hurting others, or asking for forgiveness in the wake of a personal transgression?

I am not here to defend Tiger’s actions, but I am in strong support of pointing out the lessons to be learned from his very public fall from grace. It is easy to point fingers, judge, and crucify someone else (particularly a public figure) when they screw up.

Leadership is not about making all the right decisions all the time, but it is about recognizing one’s shortcomings and taking responsibility for them.

And that is what Tiger did. Love him or not, Tiger is a champion, and a leader.

Leadership Development Training From Bear Grylls

Written by JT on December 9, 2009

If you have ever watch Man v. Wild on Discovery Channel, you are familiar with Bear Grylls.

If you haven’t seen the show (you should watch it every Friday night), Bear is an adventurer who demonstrates how to survive and escape from incredible but totally possible survival situations in the wild.

The interesting thing about Bear is who he is as a man. He is a former British SAS (Special Air Service) commando. SAS is the British counterpart to the U.S. Navy SEALs. He survived a parachute malfunction which nearly paralyzed him. He turned that setback into motivation to climb Mt. Everest.

He not only recovered from his injuries, but succeeded in climbing to the summit of Everest, and became the youngest Briton ever to do it.

The reason I admire Bear and consider him one of my teachers is because of his humble nature, focus on his family,and his unwavering positive attitude even in the face of extreme danger.

He taught me a valuable lesson in one episode where he was setting a trap to catch food. He said, “So much of survival is about opportunistic hunting.”

That quote stuck with me for years as I pursued my entrepreneurial dream. I have never thought of business as survival, but if you have ever watched Bear operate, you’ll see that he not only survives (i.e. barely gets by), but thrives.

So much of business is about opportunistic thinking. Looking for opportunities where others quit. Seeking win-win situations in negotiation. Creating fortunes with sound business practices, and the fine art of making a rapid decision and confidently sticking with it.

Another of my favorite quotes from Bear came in a YouTube video I viewed recently. In the video, Bear tells the story of his harrowing decent after reaching the summit of Everest.

I was taken by how he attributed his survival to his special forces training, and how a quote form a unit leader stuck with him in the toughest of times on Everest. The man told Bear, “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is often just that little word: ‘extra’.”

Watch the video here.

Bear Grylls is absolutely one of my favorite teachers, and I promise if you follow him, you will not only glean tons of leadership development training, but you will learn a lot about life, business and high-achievement.

Live like Bear, and give that little bit of ‘extra’ in everything you do.

Go Big,
~JT

Leadership Lessons From David Goggins

Written by JT on December 7, 2009

“The only easy day was yesterday…”

It’s the U.S. Navy SEAL way of life. It is posted in their training facility in Coronado, California and is truest definition of their training I have ever seen.

If I could write in explicit detail what it takes to become a SEAL, you’d quit reading before you got to the end of my essay. It is that brutal.

David Goggins is a U.S. Navy SEAL, and he makes the training, work schedule and lifestyle of this elite commando unit look like a warm-up exercise.

I first heard Goggins speak on a conference call several months ago. I was taken by the blend of humility and intensity, sacrifice and dedication to something he “hates” and his unbelievable threshold for pain and endurance.

I say “unbelievable” and immediately show my cards. Goggins is not like everyone else. He is not even like every other SEAL. Goggins is special. Goggins doesn’t just have “another gear” to help him accomplish his remarkable tasks, he has a whole different mindset universe.

David Goggins is not only a U.S. Navy SEAL, he is also an ultra-marathoner. A typical marathon is 26.2 miles (Goggins will run twice that in a typical week). An ultra-marathon can be 100 miles or more.

100+ miles, run all at once. Without stopping. With. Out. Stopping.

Here is the part that is ASTOUNDING about David Goggins, and why I consider him one of my teachers. In Goggins’ own words, he “hates running”. He gets up at 3:30 every morning (can you do that?) and goes for a 15 mile (or longer) run. Then he bikes to work (a modest 25 minute bike ride). Then puts in a full day of kicking ass and taking names (he’s a SEAL).

Then he takes a break.

At lunch, he’ll go for a “short” 3-5 mile run. Kicks more ass, takes more names. Then he bikes home. Then he does another short run. But he “hates” it.

What the HELL is going on here?

David is committed. He does what he “hates” because he is committed to the Special Ops Warrior Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising money for children of soldiers killed in combat.

More on why David Goggins is one of my teachers.

He lost some valued members of his team in a mission in Afghanistan. He could have mourned (which I’m sure he did), said it wasn’t fair, asked why they had to die, and used their deaths as an excuse to be mediocre.

But instead he Googled “10 hardest things to do” and did it. And “hates” it.

Leadership is often times about doing what we don’t want to do. It is about enduring pain, sacrificing personal comfort, and going all-out when we feel we have nothing left to give.

It’s also about dedicating oneself to a cause bigger than ourselves.

To this day, when I feel like “it’s not worth it”, or the comfortable blanket of procrastination snuggles tight around my mind, I remember Goggins getting out from under his blankets at 3:30 and doing the thing he “hates”.

Come to think of it, I might hate running more than him, but he has inspired me to get back into it.

David Goggins is a true leader and inspiration. I hope he has the same impact on you, and your business!

Go to www.DavidGoggins.com and see what I mean. Read his amazing story and tell me if you agree that Goggins is a true leader.

Go Big,
~JT

5 Steps To Better Decisions In Leadership

Written by JT on December 7, 2009

We live in a very dynamic world; a world in which we are served with many options to convolute our decision-making process. Don’t get me wrong, I love options. In fact, one of my greatest mentors told me “life is run by those who have lots of excellent options.”

And he is right.

But my mentor also taught me the converse to the “lots of excellent options” concept. He taught me the power of making a decision.

You see, in business, just as in life, we are often faced with lots of decisions. And leaders–true leaders–are faced with tough decisions, seemingly on a daily basis.

Leaders cannot afford the luxury of waffling during decision time. When the game is on the line, and tough decisions must be made, leaders either say ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

There is only ‘yes’ or ‘no’. ‘Maybe’ is a dream-killer.

Entrepreneurs often look at leaders of industry and aspire to follow in their footsteps. If you look at the highest-paid people in any given industry, you will find decision-makers and action-takers.

Rarely do leaders, winners, and champions waste time making decisions. Sure, they study a situation and collect as much data as possible before shoving the throttles open, but true leaders do so in an expeditious manner.

And once they make a decision, they stick to it and follow through to completion.

Nothing is more annoying than someone who cannot make a decision. Be it simple or complex, succinct decision-making comes down to a few key factors:

1.) Self-respect. Having enough faith in yourself to make the right decision in crunch time is critical in leadership.

2.) Respect for others. Asking dozens of ridiculous questions simply to satisfy one’s own insecurities is not only disrespectful, but it is counterproductive. It tells the people with whom you are dealing that you are either not serious about winning or not confident enough to proceed. Either way you are setting yourself up for failure, and wasting everyone’s time.

3.) Quickly process information. Nobody wants to work with a super computer, and everyone understands a period of time is required where both parties take time to process information and consider all the information. Leaders do it with urgency. Leaders know that the end result is designed to be a win-win for all parties involved. The only way this can happen is with expeditious progress toward a decision.

4.) Make the decision then stick to it. Just saying this out loud allows leaders to get to their decision more quickly and more confidently. Having the self-confidence to stick to a decision that one’s own intellect empowered them to make defines a true leader.

5.) Follow through. Leaders are hungry to get moving once the decision is made because that is when the fun begins! Don’t get me wrong, the art of the deal and the fun of putting together a win-win scenario is a rush. But leaders love the rest of the equation, and that is the part that comes after the decision is made. This passion is another key factor that assists leaders, winners and champions in making sound and timely decisions.

Leadership is a dynamic, exciting and challenging world. That is why there are no height or weight requirements, age or experience parameters set, or clear definitions of who is or who can be a true leader.

However, one of the single-most important factors in determining success in any leadership role is the ability to make a solid and rapid decision.

Remember: in the game of success, there is only ‘Yes’ or ‘No”. ‘Maybe’ is a dream-killer.

~JT
jt@ShiftOfMomentum.com

Profit Pyramid (Bizarre Psychic Video!)

Written by JT on December 7, 2009

Have you seen this bizarre new video from Mark Joyner?

Check out the bizarre video HERE.

You’ll laugh your butt off, but it will also expand
your your brain in about 5 minutes.

(Mark is good at that! Haha)

I’ll look for your comments about it on his blog post.

- JT