The following are some takeaways after reading John Maxwell's book, Go for Gold.
​
The next time you experience a failure, think about why you failed instead of who was at fault.
Analyze any failure:

·         What lessons have I learned?
·         Am I grateful for this experience?
·         How can I turn the failure into success?
·         Practically speaking, where do I go from here?
·         Who else has failed in this way before, and how can that person help me?
·         How can my experience help others someday to keep from failing?
·         Did I fail because of another person, because of my situation, or because of myself?
·         Did I actually fail, or did I fall short of an unrealistically high standard?
·         Where did I succeed as well as fail?

​The only people in life that don't fail, are those who do nothing!

Organizations with talent have an (obvious) advantage, but they are not guaranteed success. Individual and/or collective talent is not enough. Teamwork is essential.
If you have talent, you need teamwork to maximize it. If you are short on talent, you need
teamwork to overachieve.

1. Lead your teammates. A player led team will always outperform a coach led team in the long run.
2. Elevate your teammates. If you aren’t making your teammates better, you are making them worse.
3. Care for your teammates. You don’t have like everyone on your team, but you do have to care about them.
4. Trust your teammates. You have to trust that your teammates know, accept and embrace their role.
5. Discipline your teammates. You need to hold yourself and your teammates to a high standard.
6. Back your teammates. A team is a family. Would you let someone pick on your little brother or sister?
7. Challenge your teammates. Appropriate competition amongst teammates brings out the best in everyone.

Successful organizations are not built with extraordinary people. They are built with ordinary people doing extraordinary things together.

I’ve witnessed first hand what makes the BEST the BEST.
And what is it? It is the mindset, rituals, habits and discipline they have during unseen hours.
It is True Toughness.
True Toughness is the ability to handle physical, mental and emotional stress with poise,
grit and confidence.
True Toughness is when you train your mind, body and emotions to be flexible, responsive
and resilient.
True Toughness is doing what’s right - not what’s easy or convenient. Talent is simply
your potential.
True Toughness is a skill that can be improved and developed through proper training.
True Toughness has nothing to do with being ruthless, callous or insensitive. That’s fake-tough.
True Toughness is the ability to consistently make the best of every situation regardless
of circumstances.
True Toughness is the key to happiness and success.
The #1 reason people fail to reach their dreams is because they lack True Toughness.
Truly Tough people ‘show up’ every day eager to improve… even the days they don’t feel like it.
Truly Tough people hate losing but are not shaken by it.
Truly Tough people enjoy winning but are never satisfied by it.
For the Truly Tough, success is not a goal, it is a destination.
The goal is to be better than yesterday. Anybody can talk. And most do.

But very few are Truly Tough.

Years ago a young reporter assigned to the “minor” sports of the Olympic Games-rowing, canoeing, and kayaking—set out to uncover how the champions in these events mentally prepared for success. Considering these athletes participated in outdoor sports he began by asking what they would do in case of adverse conditions caused by rain, strong winds, or choppy waters—all obstacles certain to happen at some time during their events. To his surprise the response, was always the same: “That’s outside my boat.” After hearing this from athlete after athlete the reporter realized that a focused perspective was their guide to
inner excellence.

The Olympians’ intense internal focus served to eliminate distractions—those things that were out of their control—thereby allowing them to concentrate on those things they could control. These premier athletes chose an attitude of optimism over pessimism, of responsibility over irresponsibility, and of problem solver over victim of circumstances. They focused on results, not on obstacles.

Attitudes are important. Your outlook on life is the lens through which you see the world. When challenges and adversity hit you or your team, and they will, you have an opportunity to decide what to focus on. Your focus can and will influence your teammates. When your teammates are frustrated or uncertain about a course of action, they will look to you as a guide to their decisions and actions.

The Olympian rowers exemplify how focus on objectives, not on the obstacles, is the key to championship performance. The major point is that everyone has the ability to choose their attitudes and develop a positive state of mind. Players with poor attitudes are going to be unhappy and quick to blame their circumstance or other teammates for failure when confronted with trials and tribulations. Many choices of attitudes exist, and the one’s you and your teammates choose matter.

Obstacles are always a part of the competitive sports environment. Effective team leaders accept this fact and focus their attention on what they know they can do, regardless of the external context. Committed team members know and accept the vital role of problem-solver as a responsibility of team leadership. And being an effective problem solver requires leaders to know when a problem is outside the boat.

The high-performing team leader recognizes the importance of helping his or her teammates to manage the journey. The first step toward focusing your teammates on the objectives is reinforcing team member commitment to the team’s objectives—its vision, mission, and goals. And when obstacles arise, become an active change agent helping teammates adjust their attitudes and refocus their energy. Whether in calm or troubled waters, champions overcome obstacles by focusing on objectives.