Since I was very young I’ve always had this internal fire that drives my desire to win and deliver results. I believe some of this is driven by my personality, but I believe it’s also driven by my lifelong love of sports. I can think back to one of the very first competitions I won at a young age, it was a pedal pull contest at the county fair. I know crazy! This competition was a small tractor with pedals and the goal was to pull a weighted sled the farthest distance, just like a real tractor pull. I still remember the feeling it gave me to win that contest. I also remember the victories in soccer and races I won throughout high school and college. In many ways it’s that same fire and desire that drives me to win today in business. Whether it’s a big sales win, exceeding financial goals or even crushing the big presentation, I attack every opportunity like I’m running the finals of a 100M dash.

While this characteristic has served me very well over the years in driving personal success, it’s not always a healthy way to operate. When you disproportionally measure self-worth based on results, it can lead to negative outcomes such as increased stress, anxiety, and even alienating friends, family and colleagues. This inner drive is not easy to turn off and scale back due to decades of conditioned behaviors coupled with the “High” that results from success. Personally, this is something I struggle with today and continue to work on and refine both personally and with a therapist. Yes, everyone should have a therapist! Maintaining a healthy balance between managing personal expectations and success while realizing the inevitable reality of failure is very much a marathon and not a sprint. Believe me, coming from a sprinter, I know this is not easy!

Leadership Takeaways:

1. Your mind is your worst judge and critic, take control and focus on what you can learn from a negative result and give yourself grace knowing this is just a moment in time.
2. A negative result coupled with a negative response will always equal a poor outcome. We have a choice on how to respond to the loss or the bad presentation or financial results. Our legacy will measured by the number of times we respond with a sense of humility, honesty and focus.
3. Because of how powerful of a negative influence your mind can be, have a mentor or a therapist as you begin this journey to help create balance. It’s critical to have an outside/in perspective from a trusted source.