Do you know what is, “The biggest room in the world?” The answer is, “The Room for IMPROVEMENT!” I got this piece of wisdom from Coach Jim Johnson’s newsletter and believe his annual question to players on the Greece Athena High School Boys Basketball team in Rochester, NY applies to small business owners everywhere. After all, do you honestly believe that you have no room for improvement?
My question of the day is, “What are you doing to identify areas of opportunity for personal improvement and developing a plan to improve your game over time?” One area I’d like you to explore is the willingness to admit that any team’s capacity for improvement starts with leadership!
It takes a high dose of self-confidence, unwavering belief and a willingness to take calculated risks to be a successful small business owner. The trick is to embody these characteristics while being humble enough to recognize that opportunities for improvement are everywhere you choose to look. Rather than protecting a personal point of view, be open to exploring other viewpoints and take advantage of the strength differing perspectives provide when analyzing any given business or team situation.
Speaking of Coach Johnson, his Varsity Boys Basketball team took 2nd place yesterday in the New York State Public High School “Class A” tournament. This accomplishment is but another chapter in a long book of team achievement. Winning programs in the world of sports and business have strong leaders that value hard work, determination and desire to live fully inside the biggest room in the world.
By the way, Jim Johnson is a friend, professional public speaker and member of a mastermind group that I participate in… In 2006, he played a pivotal role by putting the team manager, a highly functioning autistic boy named Jason McElwain (J-Mac) into the final four minutes of a high school basketball game on Senior Night. J-Mac went on to score 20 points and capture the spirit and imagination of an entire nation. This moment was voted by ESPN as, “Best Sports Moment” at the 2006 ESPY Awards. What many people aren’t aware of is the “after-story” and how Coach Johnson and J-Mac have continued their journey together over the years. Inspired leaders inspire followers! If you’re interested, click on this link and take a look at a 5 minute video clip about their story after the story… Watching the video will put a smile on your face. I guarantee it!
Coach Johnson quote of the day: “Leave a profit everywhere you go: Adopt the philosophy that everything you touch turns to gold not garbage.”