***Note*** The following is an excerpt from my new book 2021: The Year In Leadership – The Stories of Faith, Athletics, Business and Life Which Inspired Us All releasing in just 7 DAYS on April 12th. To pre-order copies for you and your team click HERE or on the image provided.
In early 1994, former San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh received a phone call from an old friend and former player, but it wasn’t just any player. Quarterback Joe Montana was reaching out with a surprising request. Montana was asking Coach Walsh to review his mechanics and footwork. Montana simply felt they were not as precise as they should be. Something felt off. What was surprising about this request was Montana’s professional status. You see, by this time Montana was a fifteen-year veteran, two-time National Football League Most Valuable Player, four-time Super Bowl champion, and his place in the Hall of Fame was already secure. Many were already viewing him as the greatest quarterback of all-time.
And yet, he was focused on among other things— footwork. Why would the greatest quarterback to ever play the game at that point spend so much time on fundamentals? Because Montana knew the reason he was the greatest quarterback of all-time at that point was he spent so much time on his fundamentals. Joe Montana and all of the greatest leaders know their success is directly tied to their mastery of fundamentals. Making a big deal of little things is often the difference between success and failure. The greatest leaders know how you do anything is how you do everything. And they never get bored working on them.
The reason so many leaders bypass the fundamentals in their training and daily work is they simply hate the grind. The grind is the day-in, day-out unattractive work that receives no applause or fanfare. It is the lonely work done in secret. It’s boring. It’s hard to see the results. However, it is grinding through the lonely, boring work, which ultimately leads to public applause.
Whatever work you are involved in, whether it be in ministry, business, athletics, or nonprofit, there are elements of your job you do not enjoy. It’s boring. There’s no applause. However, it is the mastery of these little things, which will allow you to reach your full potential as a leader. So I have a challenge for you.
Are you ready to be like Joe Montana and other great leaders and embrace the grind and press through these challenges? The greatest leaders have done so, and it is what has made them successful.
For more from dozens of other great leaders, my latest book 2021: The Year In Leadership – The Stories of Faith, Athletics, Business and Life Which Inspired Us All which is currently available for pre-order!!! Each chapter is filled with wisdom and insights from the leaders who both succeeded and struggled during 2021. I takes those lessons from all walks of life and gives you practical steps on how to best use them in your own leadership. As you will discover, the stories are entertaining, challenging, inspiring, and sometimes even sobering.
Get this must-read book TODAY by clicking HERE or on the image provided. It releases in just 7 DAYS April 12th. Kindle versions are available now.