Breaking you in 2022
"The strongest people are those who win battles we know nothing about" Jonathan Harnisch
I'm having fun with these catchy subjects which rhyme with 2022. A friend shared this video by University of Alabama Football head coach Nick Saban. Perhaps it is timely and fitting this week as he and his team lost the College Football National Championship to the University of Georgia 33 to 18. Saban, considered by many to be the greatest coach in college football history, was speaking to his players just prior to football camp, the team's preparation for its regular season, about toughness - mental toughness to be exact. The core question he posits is, "what does it take to break you?" It is a short but poignant video which relates directly to leadership.
Instead of one's true breaking point when they reach a level of total breakdown (often never reached in one's life) he focuses on those events which throw us off course, make us less of an athlete, leader or person. A missed tackle in football or critical feedback at the office may chip away at one's confidence preventing them from operating at their peak in the next play or the next leadership challenge.
A disgruntled employee, tough conversation, or even a minor setback can throw us off our game. An article by Jeff Haden in INC. Magazine does a nice job defining mental toughness and sharing habits of people who display it. "Mental Toughness: The ability to work hard and respond resiliently to failure and adversity; the inner quality that enables individuals to work hard and stick to their long-term passions and goals." Here are a few of the seven ways, Haden offers, to become mentally stronger.
Put aside things you have no ability to impact.
See the past a valuable training and nothing more.
Never allow yourself to whine (Or complain. Or criticize).
Count your blessings.
I invite you to read the piece and watch the video and consider the chinks in your armor. What are those things which throw you off your game? Consciously knowing them is the start of being able to overcome them. Sharing these doubts and setbacks with coaches or confidants can offer a needed perspective as well. These are tough times loaded with adversity and the pressure doesn't seem to be letting up. What will break you in 2022?
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell