#926 – Leaders Stick the Landing

It was sixteen years ago when we all watched that vault…you remember the vault that catapulted the Magnificent Seven into Olympic Champion lore.  Kerri Strugs had just fallen on her first attempt.  In fact, it was the third fall in a row for the American team and they needed this one.  However, there was one major problem.  Strugs had just hurt her ankle and could hardly walk.  It was going to take a near perfect vault for this team to win the gold.  If you ever needed someone to stick the landing, this was the moment.

As we know, Strugs lands basically on one foot, sticks the landing and the U.S. team wins gold.  When people rise to the occasion, others can be motivated.  When leaders rise even higher, people can become inspired.

Leadership requires multiple gifts and talents all being used at different and often, simultaneous times.There is vision casting, relationship building, management coaching, execution planning and all-around, “the buck stops with me” daily moments.  However, there are times when an organization needs the leader to reach down deep and produce something huge.  They need the leader to stick the landing in the biggest way.

So what does it take to do something bigger and better than all the rest?

1. Focus – When I watch the athletes who participate in the Olympics, an absolute amazement comes over me.  Watching their eyes focus on the goal they have trained for and believed in so long is a testament to the focus for these great competitors.  Leaders have an innate competitiveness about them and a focus that drives results.

2. Relentless Pursuit – If you have a focus of what you want to do and where you want to go, pursuing those goals in an endless and relentless manner separates those who can rise to a new level of leadership and those who are mediocre.  Great leaders will pursue goals in a relentless way to advance the mission of the organization.

3.  Execution - Once the focus is in place and the desire to achieve is revealed, then it’s time to go down the runway and stick the landing.  Execution makes the focus and relentless pursuit worth every minute.

Leadership can be tiring, exhausting and age-increasing.  But it can more importantly be motivating and inspiring.  Kerri Strugs nailed her vault…the Magnificent Seven won their gold…now the Fab Five have brought back gold once again.  Thanks for showing all of us how to achieve greatness and stick the landing.

Now GO Lead!