Great?

The idea that to be great is designed to be self serving is in and of itself antithetical to greatness. As many times as we have all heard that “there is no I in team” you’d think that it would make more sense by now. Unfortunately, what is never said and what should have been included in that saying should have been that what team must include is leadership and that word most certainly contains an “I”.
When we discuss being great, or perhaps who may be the greatest at something, Michael Jordan for instance, we immediately begin to look at how he played, how many points he scored, the beauty and grace that he displayed when he’d take off from the foul line and sail effortlessly through the air and dunk on everyone and anyone in his path. We think of the Sean Taylor’s that you’d literally feel the impact of each and every hit that would play on the highlight reel (yes I am now and forever will be a Redskins fan, no matter how much the play calling sucks, yes I do believe we should fire Jim Zorn or maybe Greg Blache). Or maybe perhaps we should look to Tony Dungee, who is not only significant because of what he accomplished as a coach, but perhaps much more significantly what he was able to get out of those he coached. There is a difference between great and greatness.
When we pursue being great, we’re usually after something statistical. Something that can be measured, money, sales, stats etc. When we pursue greatness, we’re after our impact on the world we live in, the lives we come in contact with. We’re after that remarkable thing that happens when we are willing to go first in order to have made the path just a little clearer for those who come after us. The reality is that some of the best coaches were players first. And in doing so they exercised leadership, they encouraged their team, they left it all out on the field or the court and they did it to make sure there were no excuses when it was all said and done. In short when we’re after being great we just want to be a player. When we’re after greatness we’re after being a coach. To be a coach, we must be willing to have done the work ourselves…
Greatness requires action. Long action…. liveGRA.com…join the movement!