Jon Gordon’s Blog | Developing Positive Leaders, Organizations and Teams

Build a Winning Team

In the spirit of the New Orleans Saints winning their first Super Bowl I thought this was an appropriate newsletter this week.

I often say that, “You win in the locker room first. Then you win on the field.”

Whether we’re talking sports, business, education, healthcare, etc. the key to success is to build a winning team first. Of course this seems obvious but with increasing pressure to reach certain targets and goals and a challenging economy it’s easy for leaders and their teams to become outward focused on numbers and outcomes rather than inward focused on building the right environment, culture, attitude and synergy.

We must remember that it’s not the numbers that drive the people but the people and team that drive the numbers. The power comes from the inside and then it extends outward. Just as physical trainers will tell you that to build a strong body you must build your core, to build a strong organization you must build your core foundation-consisting of your people and team. Without a strong core you’ll have weak energy, weak performance and weak results.

The Saints were able to perform at a high level and as Drew Brees said, “We came together as a team and we believed in each other.” Without this belief, synergy and unity do you think it would have been possible for them to win the Super Bowl?

The same goes for the game of business and life.

Now more than ever it’s time to energize your people, communicate with them, invite them “on the bus” and move them in the right direction with a shared vision, focus and purpose. Negativity and fear are knocking your people off balance. It’s time to regroup, refocus, reenergize and create a strong core. With a solid foundation and a winning team you create strength on the inside that can withstand the negativity, naysayers and adversity on the outside.

I’ve spoken to a number of professional and college sports teams and am honored that many teams have read my books. Yet I have learned a valuable lesson. Books and speeches don’t win championships. Culture, players and coaches do. It’s their beliefs, actions, talent and teamwork that make the difference.

So, what action are you going to take this week to build a winning team at work, home, school, or on the sports field? Share your thoughts on our blog here.

-Jon

Read the full newsletter with links and resources here.

6 Lessons for Life

I woke up Saturday morning in Newport News, Virginia, looked out the hotel window and all I could see was snow. I called the airport and heard the news no traveler wants to hear. The airport was shut down. I was set to speak to Lia Sophia Jewelry that morning at the hotel where I was staying and that night I was scheduled to be at an event in New York City. I knew one thing in that moment. If I was going to get to NY I wouldn’t be flying there. And most likely I would be stranded for a few days in Virginia. I decided to make the best of it and focus on inspiring, serving and impacting those in the audience.

As fate would have it, the President of Lia Sophia, Tory Kiam, was attending my talk and was also heading to NY. When I walked off stage I was told he arranged for a taxi to take us to Washington DC where we would take a train to NY. Sounded like a great plan, Except for the fact that to get to the train station we would have to travel 182 miles through a snow storm on icy, snow covered roads and avoid getting stuck or into an accident along the way. It was an experience I will never forget!

Here are 6 Lessons I learned along the way. I hope they will help you on your journey through life.

1. The Right Driver Means Everything - Samud, the taxi driver, was amazing. He avoided ten accidents, handled ice patches with the driving skill of NASCAR’s Jimmy Johnson, and stayed calm the entire time. Leadership is everything and the right leader is the difference between cruising past or crashing into the obstacles before us. Samud never doubted that we would get through the storm to reach our destination and his skill and confidence made it possible.

2. Every Driver Needs a Great Team - There were times when Samud couldn’t see and Tory and I would guide him by looking out the sides of the van. We were his co-pilots and advised him when to slow down, when to avoid other cars, and when to speed up the windshield wipers which were accumulating ice. We couldn’t have reached our destination without Samud and he couldn’t have done it without us. Teamwork made all the difference.

3. Tap into the Ultimate GPS - When you are driving on sheet of snow and ice you come face to face with the reality that no matter how confident and talented you are there is a lot you can’t control. So you bet I prayed a lot and tapped into the ultimate GPS, God’s Positioning System, and asked God to guide us safely on our journey.

4. Drive with Optimism - Tory kept laughing at me because every hour I would say the roads would get better the closer we got to DC. The first few hours the roads got worse. But sure enough as we approached DC the roads were plowed and smooth. I didn’t know if the roads really would be better but I hoped they would be better. And that hope kept our spirits up when it seemed like we would never make it. Faith in a positive future keeps you moving in the right direction and helps you reach your destination.

5. It Could be Worse - Along the way instead of focusing on our predicament I kept thinking about the people in Haiti. Our situation was a walk in the park compared to what they are going through. Keeping things in perspective helps you stay positive through your challenges and keeps you humble and grateful.

6. Showing up Matters - I arrived at the event in NY with an hour left. It was a fundraiser for the George Boiardi Foundation. George died in 2004 when a ball hit him in the chest during a lacrosse game at Cornell University. George was known for his character, persistence, heart, work ethic and his plans to join Teach America after graduation. George’s life was cut short but his dream lives on through his foundation. When I arrived I met his mom. We hugged and she thanked me for making the effort to be there. I couldn’t help but think that if George was in my shoes he would do the same. He showed up on and off the field every day of his short life and his legacy lives on through so many people impacted by his example. So, no matter how long the journey I want to encourage you to “show up.” Whatever it takes, show up. Whether it’s by plane, train or automobile, or all three, show up.

-Jon

Share your thoughts on these 6 Lessons and join the discussion with others on our blog, click here.

Tags: 6 lessons for life, God, GPS, grateful, humble, jon gordon, optimism, team, Teamwork

The Power of Positive Interactions

John Gottman’s pioneering research found that marriages are much more likely to succeed when the couple experiences a 5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative interactions whereas when the ratio approaches 1 to 1, marriages are more likely to end in divorce. Additional research also shows that workgroups with positive to negative interaction ratios greater than 3 to 1 are significantly more productive than teams that do not reach this ratio.

So what does this mean for you and me? For most of us it means we need to increase the number of positive interactions we have at home and at work and reduce our negative interactions.

We need to engage each other with more smiles, kind words, encouragement, gratitude, meaningful conversations, honest dialogues and sincere positive interactions. And to foster these actions we need to create personal and team rituals that help us interact more positively. If we make them part of our organizational process and individual habits they are more likely to happen.

For instance, at home you might decide to take a walk with your spouse each night after dinner and talk about the positive things that happened at work. The more you practice this the more it will become ingrained in your life. At work you might make it a point to smile at your co-workers and customers more often. As a manager you would spend more time praising your employees for the things they do right rather than always focusing on what everyone is doing wrong. A manager I know makes it a point to personally praise 5 people every week. As an organization you might gather all of your employees on a call once a day to share a positive message. Or perhaps you might gather your sales team together each week and have your team members share success stories. The ideas are infinite. The key is to intentionally cultivate more positive interactions to fuel success.

However, please know that this doesn’t mean we should never have negative interactions. There is research by Barbara Fredrickson from the University of Michigan that shows if a work group in a company experiences a positive to negative interaction ratio of 13 to 1 the work group will be less effective. This implies that no one is willing to confront the real problems and challenges that are holding them back. Sometimes we need to confront a situation to move past it and, as we know, ignoring problems that stare us in the face doesn’t work. Negative interactions are necessary so long as they occur much less frequently than positive interactions.

Positive interactions are essential to a healthy marriage, positive work environment and individual and team success. In this spirit when you are finished reading this, I encourage you to go thank someone at work or at home and let them know how they impacted your life in a positive way. Then make it a habit.

-Jon

If you have a story to share about positive interactions join the conversation and share here on our blog, click here.

Tags: encouragement, graitude, jon gordon, meaningful, positive interactions

5 Ways to Motivate Your Team

 1. Lead with Optimism - Negativity and fear are likely knocking your people off balance and it’s time to regroup, refocus, and unite to create a winning mindset, culture and positive team environment. Now, more than ever, is a time for positive leadership. Now is the time to uplift, encourage and inspire your teams. When your folks talk about the challenges, you talk about the opportunities. When others talk about why they can’t succeed, you give them every reason why they can. So often the difference between success and failure is belief and as a positive leader you need to inspire this belief and optimism in your people.

2. Jump into the Trenches – You need to be humble and hungry. Humble in that you seek to learn, grow, and improve every day, and hungry with a passion to work harder than everyone else. Now is not a time to be barricaded in your office. Now is a time to be in the trenches with your people, leading, working, and building a successful future.

3. Fill the Void - These are uncertain times. Employees are questioning how their industries and jobs will be impacted by the current economy. They’re unsure about what actions to take. Unfortunately this uncertainly creates a void and where there is a void, negativity will fill it. In the absence of clear and positive communication, people start to assume the worst, and they will act accordingly. Make transparency the norm, not the exception—after all, the more you communicate, the more you foster trust, and the more loyalty is built. Talk to your team members often, and let them know where they stand. Host frequent town hall meetings, host a weekly conference call, send out a daily email, and share your positive vision for the future. As a leader, you must continually communicate, communicate, and communicate.

4. Share a Positive Vision – Rally your team around a positive vision for the road ahead. Instead of being disappointed about where you are, decide to be optimistic about where you are going. Vision helps you and your team see the road ahead and it gives you something meaningful and valuable to strive towards. Discuss where you have been, where you are going and why you are going there. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream/vision and he changed the world with it. Share your dream and improve your organization with it. After all, if you think your best days are behind you, they are. If you think your best days are ahead of you, they are.

5. Teach Your People to Be Heroes, Not Victims - Heroes and victims get knocked down. The distinction between the two groups lies in the fact that heroes get back up while victims simply give up. Help your employees to realize that they are not victims of circumstance. Rather, remind them that they have a high locus of control—in other words, they have a significant influence over how things turn out. As I wrote in The Shark and the Goldfish, goldfish let fear paralyze them, but sharks choose to swim ahead, believing that the best is yet to come. Faith and belief in a positive future lead to powerful actions today! Life is a story, and the story we tell ourselves and the role we play determines the quality and direction of our life. The most successful people and teams are able to overcome adversity by telling themselves a more positive story than the rest. Instead of a drama or a horror movie, they define their life as an inspirational tale. Instead of being the victim (Goldfish), they see themselves as a fighter and over-comer (Nice Shark).

-Jon

Which of the five ways to motivate your team do you agree with most? Join the conversation on our blog here.

Tags: 5 ways to motivate your team, communication, jon gordon, lead, motivation, optimism, positive, team

Today Was a Good Day Because…

Eric Best of University Community Hospital shared with us an idea (picture below) he implemented at his hospital to focus the staff on the positives of the work day. He posted the board and without saying anything to his staff, they just started writing on it. Such a great idea!

Click Image for Larger View

Tags: eric best, good day, happy board, university community hospital

Vote for Casket - Super Bowl Commercial

Erwin Mcmanus, a friend of mine, is the exec producer of a funny Dorrito’s commercial that MIGHT get shown during the Super Bowl! Out of 4000 submissions they made the top 6 but need ours votes to make it into the top 3. Go to http://www.VoteforCasket.com, watch and vote! (Please share this with others! You can vote daily!).

Tags: commercial, erwin mcmanus, super bowl, vote for casket

10 Tips to Be Your Best

Eric Musselman and Bob Starkey did such a great job summarizing and sharing tips from my book Training Camp: What the Best Do Better Than Everyone Else on their blog that I decided to share what they wrote. Here are 10 tips to be your best this year. I hope after reading these tips you will be inspired to read Training Camp. Also share it with your team, your kids, your college students, or anyone who wants to be their best.

1. THE BEST KNOW WHAT THEY WANT

“I think a lot of people spend their life being average or good at something, but they don’t strive to be great. The best of the best not only know what they want, but they want it more.”

2. THE BEST WANT IT MORE

“We cannot measure desire in terms of merely thought and wishes. The best not only do the things that others won’t do and invest the time others won’t invest, but they do so with passion and intent to get better. The best are never satisfied with where they are.”

3. THE BEST ARE ALWAYS STRIVING TO BE BETTER

“If you are striving to get better, then you are always growing. And if you are always growing, then you are not comfortable. To be the best, you have to be willing to be uncomfortable, and embrace it as a part of your growth process.” It’s a process…

“The best see where there is room for improvement and their humility and passion drives them to improve. The average ones however, don’t see it or don’t want to see it. The fact is past success does not determine future success. Future success is the result of how you work and prepare and practice and how you strive to improve everyday. It’s a commitment that the best of the best make every week, every day, every hour, and every moment. Force yourself to be uncomfortable.”

4. THE BEST DO ORDINARY THINGS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE.

“Work hard on the right things. It means you must identify the very ‘little things’ that are fundamental to your success, and then you must focus on them, practice them, and strive to execute them to perfection.”

5. THE BEST ZOOM-FOCUS

“There is no secret recipe.”
“If you incrementally improve each day, each week, each month, by the end of the year you’ll see remarkable results and growth. When you zoom-focus on the process, the outcome takes care of itself.”

“Master the fundamentals.”

6. THE BEST ARE MENTALLY STRONGER

“Being mentally strong means you stay positive through adversity. It means you are resilient when facing pressure, challenges and change.”

Weed and feed: “Each day you need to weed out negativity and feed it positivity. You need to weed out the self-doubt and negative talk and feed it positive thoughts, memories and visuals.”

7. THE BEST OVERCOME THEIR FEARS

“Those that succeed, those that reach the pinnacle of greatness, are able to face this battle (overcoming fear) and win.”

8. THE BEST SEIZE THE MOMENT

“When the best are in the midst of their performance they are not thinking ‘What if I win?’ or ‘What if I lose?’ They are not interested in what the moment produces, but they are only concerned with what they produce in the moment. Rather than hiding from pressure, they rise to the occasion. As a result, the best define the moment rather than letting the moment define them.”

9. THE BEST LEAVE A LEGACY

“You leave a legacy by living and working with a bigger purpose, you leave a legacy by making your life about more than just you. You leave a legacy by moving from success to significance.”

10. THE BEST MAKE EVERYONE AROUND THEM BETTER

“The point is to strive to be your best and inspire others to be their best, because it’s in the striving where you find greatness, not in the outcome.”

-Jon

Which is your favorite tip? Join the conversation here.

Download free Training Camp Posters to Print, Post and Share!

11 Traits of the Best of the Best (PDF)

Additional Training Camp Posters

Tags: 10 tips, be your best, focus, future, jon gordon, success, training camp

20 Tips for a Positive New Year

1. Stay Positive. You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible or you can know that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible.

2. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement: My purpose is_______________________.

3. Take a morning walk of gratitude. It will create a fertile mind ready for success.

4. Instead of being disappointed about where you are think optimistically about where you are going.

5. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

6. Transform adversity into success by deciding that change is not your enemy but your friend. In the challenge discover the opportunity.

7. Make a difference in the lives of others.

8. Believe that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.

9. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

10. Mentor someone and be mentored by someone.

11. Live with the 3 E’s. Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.

12. Remember there’s no substitute for hard work.

13. Zoom Focus. Each day when you wake up in the morning ask: “What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?” Then tune out all the distractions and focus on these actions.

14. Instead of complaining focus on solutions. It’s the key to innovation.

15. Read more books than you did in 2009. I happen to know of a few good ones.

16. Learn from mistakes and let them teach you to make positive changes.

17. Focus on “Get to” vs “Have to.” Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.

18. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:

• I am thankful for __________.

• Today I accomplished____________.

19. Smile and laugh more. They are natural anti-depressants.

20. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.

-Jon

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Join the conversation. Share your tips for a positive new year on our blog.

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http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-010410-20tips.html

Tags: 20 tips, gratitude, jon gordon, new year, positive, purpose

No Fear in the New Year - Audio

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Tags: 2010, audio, jon gordon, new year, no fear, tip

Do Good with Your Leftover Gift Card Balance

Don’t let those extra left over dollars (or pennies) on your gift cards just go to waste. Use them to do good and help someone in need. Donate your used gift cards with remaining balance to Gift Card Giver.

Tags: do good, gift card, give