We Are Better For Having lost

The thoughts I’ve recorded here have all been inspired by the wise people I’ve met, books I’ve read, podcasts I’ve listened to, people I’m coaching and the insight they have given me. I thank them all of them for going deep to find their wisdom.

My goal is to match their generosity by sharing some brief ideas, quotes, as well as a recommendation each Friday for you to ponder.

The concepts are taken from years of daily journaling and in the moment note-taking in my Moleskine journal.

You often hear leaders talk about the ‘imposter syndrome’.

This ‘condition’ has been deeply analysed. My take is relatively straightforward.

Simply, leadership is hard. 

This is particularly the case when trying to match often elevated expectations with capability, an always scarce resource.

 You will also fail often.

 But let us remember, failure is our greatest teacher.

Just a few days ago, I heard USA basketball coach Gregg Popovich, when facing the media having been beaten by the Australian Boomers in an historic loss/win (depending on where you sit), say:

“We are a better team than the start of the game because of the knowledge we have gained.”

A wonderful example.

I also like this quote from Steve Maraboli:

“For me, the most interesting people seem to have the bumpiest pasts. I prefer to connect with someone who has experienced the struggles, battles and casualties of life’s journey. There is beauty, wisdom, and truth to be found in the scars”.

Perhaps the quote appeals to me as someone who was sacked as CEO on a couple of occasions. I have no doubt it was these setbacks, personally challenging and heartbreaking at the time, that created the path to the work I now do.

Whenever I was in doubt, I referred to theses ‘truisms’:

• Leadership is Hard

• Change is Different

• Communication is Important

• People are Human

• The Future is Tomorrow

They wont let you down.

I always enjoy the opportunity to talk all things culture and high-performance, and the development of leaders to achieve it.

Here are a few of ways to start the ball rolling:

• I like to share the ‘bruises’ of my lived leadership experiences as a 25 year CEO in the AFL with leaders as part of our Learning Leadership event for senior leaders. We have run this event for the past few years, and the feedback has been excellent. We have now transitioned the event online. There is no cost as we recognise that time allocated to learning is perhaps our most precious resource, and therefore we have also provided a number of dates from which to choose, please use this link.
  

• Sign up for the “More to the Game” weekly email, and receive a copy of my “What business can learn from football” White Paper. The emails are short leadership reflections, no more than a couple of minutes to read and we will always treat our communication with respect. Please use this link.
  

• Download my book “More to the Game”. In this publication, I have combined my writings and drawings with the beautiful imagery of Michael Willson, the premier AFL photographer. It is free to download (no sign-ups) at “More to the Game – What leaders can learn from football” 
  

You can also contact me at cameron@designCEO.com.au and let me know how you think we can work together.

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