Let Go Of Past Success
There is a line in an old Geto Boys song that said “what you done did in the past don’t excite me.”
Reflect on that line from the late Bushwick Bill. Look deeply at whatever it is you do in life professionally. Are you resting on your laurels? Are you hanging your hat on past glory and accomplishments? Are you still operating and leading like you did a year ago? Five years ago? Ten? Twenty?
The phrase “That’s the way we’ve always done it” will not serve you well in the COVID-19 world.
Amir Thompson, better known to us as Questlove wrote recently on his Instagram Page “You CAN’T conduct Pre-Covid business model in a Post-Covid times.” This is so true - especially as it relates to Education.
Too often, especially in education, continuing to do what always has been done produces what typically is produced. The world in itself is full of average. On the mountain of average, people don’t want to accept or even share risk. They want to be protected from it. On this mountain resides people who want to avoid uncertainty, criticism, and discomfort. Good leaders know those 3 in the current Covid time are unavoidable. There’s lots of uncertainty, criticism from both points of view, and discomfort for all of us.
Here is the truth. The cost is being elite at anything is high. The cost of accepting average is much higher. Accepting the false comfort of average prevents you or those you serve from getting better.
Choosing average is choosing the status quo. It’s choosing to be good at keeping a job rather than being good at a job. Nobody wakes up and says you know I’m going to be an average leader, average spouse, or average friend today. No one. Yet, it happens. Day in and day out. Why? That mountain of average provides many false senses of security that ultimately derail personal and professional growth for you and those you serve.
Rear Admiral Grace Hopper once said, “the most damaging phrase in the language is it’s always been done that way.” That phrase is a culture and organizational killer. In conversation with friends and colleagues about a return to school buildings one point of view is a desire to return to school exactly as it was pre-Covid. If you share in that viewpoint please enlighten me as to why.......is it because that’s how you experienced school or that’s how school was before “remote learning”? Point made.
Here is another culture and momentum killer. “I’ve had a lot of success in my career.” Really? Congratulations, that will look great at your retirement party. We are talking about the upcoming school year, the next fiscal year, the next sales month, the next season, etc. Nobody cares about the results you achieved 5-10 years ago. If we are being honest, last year’s results were last year’s results. Awesome if last year’s results won you an award or a membership in the jelly of the month club. Al Bundy scored 4 touchdowns in one game at Polk High School.
Reflect on that line from the late Bushwick Bill. Look deeply at whatever it is you do in life professionally. Are you resting on your laurels? Are you hanging your hat on past glory and accomplishments? Are you still operating and leading like you did a year ago? Five years ago? Ten? Twenty?
The phrase “That’s the way we’ve always done it” will not serve you well in the COVID-19 world.
Amir Thompson, better known to us as Questlove wrote recently on his Instagram Page “You CAN’T conduct Pre-Covid business model in a Post-Covid times.” This is so true - especially as it relates to Education.
Too often, especially in education, continuing to do what always has been done produces what typically is produced. The world in itself is full of average. On the mountain of average, people don’t want to accept or even share risk. They want to be protected from it. On this mountain resides people who want to avoid uncertainty, criticism, and discomfort. Good leaders know those 3 in the current Covid time are unavoidable. There’s lots of uncertainty, criticism from both points of view, and discomfort for all of us.
Here is the truth. The cost is being elite at anything is high. The cost of accepting average is much higher. Accepting the false comfort of average prevents you or those you serve from getting better.
Choosing average is choosing the status quo. It’s choosing to be good at keeping a job rather than being good at a job. Nobody wakes up and says you know I’m going to be an average leader, average spouse, or average friend today. No one. Yet, it happens. Day in and day out. Why? That mountain of average provides many false senses of security that ultimately derail personal and professional growth for you and those you serve.
Rear Admiral Grace Hopper once said, “the most damaging phrase in the language is it’s always been done that way.” That phrase is a culture and organizational killer. In conversation with friends and colleagues about a return to school buildings one point of view is a desire to return to school exactly as it was pre-Covid. If you share in that viewpoint please enlighten me as to why.......is it because that’s how you experienced school or that’s how school was before “remote learning”? Point made.
Here is another culture and momentum killer. “I’ve had a lot of success in my career.” Really? Congratulations, that will look great at your retirement party. We are talking about the upcoming school year, the next fiscal year, the next sales month, the next season, etc. Nobody cares about the results you achieved 5-10 years ago. If we are being honest, last year’s results were last year’s results. Awesome if last year’s results won you an award or a membership in the jelly of the month club. Al Bundy scored 4 touchdowns in one game at Polk High School.
If you are going to be a leader in 2020 and 2021 the time for you to be an effective leader is this year. You have to do the things required to be a good leader now, not the way you led last year, five years ago, or ten years ago.
Regardless of what industry you lead in —-
Don’t lead in this world then resent the world you actually lead in.
If you resent the world your leading in, thank you for your service, but just get out. Get out. Make like Snagglepuss and exit stage left. The “kids these days” phrase applies here. If you don’t want to lead millineals or coach this generation of kids because of ideals you have that are based on how you experienced life at their age - there is the door.
The world doesn’t need more blamers, complainers, critics, and defenders. We have an over abundance of those roles in society. The world needs people who seek to understand, who solve problems, and take ownership. The world right now needs people who are looking to the future, not longing for a return to the past.
The world doesn’t need more blamers, complainers, critics, and defenders. We have an over abundance of those roles in society. The world needs people who seek to understand, who solve problems, and take ownership. The world right now needs people who are looking to the future, not longing for a return to the past.
The work ahead no matter what you do professionally is going to be hard.
When times are hard we roll our sleeves up and we get to work.
Right now you might be tired and exhausted. Many of us are.
Let’s refresh ourselves, reenergize and get back in the arena.
There isn’t a challenge we cannot face and overcome when we are willing to do the work, together.
Ultimately, it comes down to you. Which version of you do you chose to accept? Are you striving daily to become the best version of you or are you ok with being average? And, if you are a leader who accepts average of yourself - your good with accepting that from the people you serve?
Chasing greatness is a daily habit, not a one time destination. Being a league champion, meeting expectations school, or effective employee one year ago, five or ten years ago doesn’t matter. Today matters. This year matters. By letting go of our ego and embracing the ambiguity, criticism, discomfort, and hard work that comes with being elite we can move off the mountain average and bring others on the journey to being the best version of themselves.
Don’t be the anchor to your own life. Don’t allow your anchor to prevent others from going where they want to & can go.
Let go and grow.
Right now you might be tired and exhausted. Many of us are.
Let’s refresh ourselves, reenergize and get back in the arena.
There isn’t a challenge we cannot face and overcome when we are willing to do the work, together.
Ultimately, it comes down to you. Which version of you do you chose to accept? Are you striving daily to become the best version of you or are you ok with being average? And, if you are a leader who accepts average of yourself - your good with accepting that from the people you serve?
Chasing greatness is a daily habit, not a one time destination. Being a league champion, meeting expectations school, or effective employee one year ago, five or ten years ago doesn’t matter. Today matters. This year matters. By letting go of our ego and embracing the ambiguity, criticism, discomfort, and hard work that comes with being elite we can move off the mountain average and bring others on the journey to being the best version of themselves.
Don’t be the anchor to your own life. Don’t allow your anchor to prevent others from going where they want to & can go.
Let go and grow.
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