At the risk of piling on, it is March
and you all know I’m a hoop fan.
While the emotion and drama of the NCAA
tournament are without equal, I look at the character of the participants,
particularly the coaches. Last year we
shared the Jimmy Valvano’s 1993 ESPY speech
that displayed amazing character in the face of grave adversity.
On a smaller scale, try to watch and
listen to the words of the losing coaches in the post game interviews. See what they say and how they say it in the
worst of times. This is when true character comes through. It is easy to be a winner. At the youngest of levels, the Boys & Girls
Club teaches “Win with character, lose with dignity.” Listen to the amount of ownership the head
coach takes in the loss. It says a lot. I
was taught to “Give credit and take blame.”
How about you as a leader in the work
setting? Do you take ownership of the
missed deadlines or failed efforts?