​I received this note from a mentor the other day that he found on a social media post. It really hit home for me as I have experienced this firsthand in many areas of life and from both sides. This seems to be common when a team is out of valance and the individuals become the focus and not the team.
 
RIDING YOUR HORSE
In football, they talk about the workhorse running backs that you can give the ball to, and they can grind you out the yards. They do their job. They don’t complain. They push through. 
 
The problem is when coaches keep going back to them because that is their bread and butter. Maybe because they don’t have the quality players needed to add a passing game or maybe they haven’t bothered to develop an offensive strategy as a counter because why should they fix something that isn’t broken.
 
But it will break by overuse - either physically or mentally, and more than likely, both. In today’s workforce, it shows up in the decline of engagement scores. They don’t feel appreciated or valued, so why continue to work at that level. 
 
Coaches, just like business leaders, can panic and become reactive. “Let’s ride the horse that got us here” is a common phrase in sports, but you see it in the business world as well. They don’t want to risk failure by going with an unproven individual, even when it is in their best long-term interests to have greater options.
 
PILING ONTO THE PLATE
“Julie did a great job on her last project so let’s give her this area as well.” This is the standard response when someone is successful. They are proven. They are a known commodity, so let’s give them more - they can handle it.
 
I’ve done it and have had it done to me. As achievers, we are excited for the opportunity to once again showcase our talents. To shine in a different situation. We like the accomplishment. We like the recognition. We like the challenge.
 
Good leaders will also recognize when things need to come off the plate when it is getting too full. In terms of the classic full-plate description of Thanksgiving Dinner, they can anticipate the gravy overflowing the mashed potatoes and getting dangerously close to the edge of the plate and heaven help us if it touches the cranberries!
 
But great leaders can talk to them and assess whether it’s better to take stuff off their plate or give them an additional plate to allow more room. But they also recognize that it’s hard to carry two plates through the buffet line, so they make sure you have another resource to help carry the plate or help in how things go onto the plate.
 
Great leaders give their employees greater responsibility with the resources, development and authority necessary to maximize the probability of them being successful.
 
GROWING YOUR ROLE PLAYERS
I’ve written before about the need for great teams to be made up of people who know their role. People who may not always be the star, but they can star in their role.
 
Communicating expectations to support staff, coworkers, and teammates is essential for clarity and alignment. Making sure the vision is understood by everyone.
 
When you ride your star and put it on their shoulders, you are giving them additional stress and, in some ways, handcuffing them from reaching their full potential because you fail to grow the team as a whole.
 
In sports, you can sign the best player in the world, but if you don’t surround them with the right people with complementary skills AND with the right mindset, you may put up big number, but you will fail to win the big games.
 
It’s the same for work. How are you empowering your team and developing their skills and confidence? Where can they take the lead on projects or sub-projects where they can develop their communication, organization and follow-up skills?
 
Do you have the critical and possibly difficult conversations with your team members on where they currently reside on the depth chart?
 
Do they know their strengths and weaknesses and how they support or negatively impact the team’s success?
 
Have you helped them create a development plan to enhance their strengths and negate their weaknesses?
 
DEFINING A TEAM
I was researching the definition of a team and most every definition started with mentioning individuals working together and then finished with a common goal or purpose. Pretty good and pretty accurate.
 
I would prefer that first they would talk about the collective, a unity or entity that is made up of individual contributors working on a common goal that benefits the greater good. That way, whether you have a star or a bunch of role players, the focus is on the team and how everyone contributes in their own way. 
 
By focusing on the growth of the team and how EVERY member fits into the team, we can avoid the “performance punishment” of your high contributors or Impact Players. You can focus on helping all your people become the Person of Impact that they are meant to be. Growing as a team will ensure the individuals make an impact Beyond Today.

As you know, the 3 Pillars of Impact and how they are critical to building a culture of success, is the cornerstone of my blog. As part of the concept, I have written about the importance of moving to I WILL versus I WANT to establish the discipline needed to move forward. 
 
We can highlight the importance of moving from emotions to actions by digging a little deeper in those areas where these gaps are all too common:

• Your personal challenges
• The sports world
• The workplace

 
Facing Your Own Demons
When I catch a look at myself in the mirror or late at night, when everyone else has gone to bed, and I reach into the fridge and grab that late night snack, I get overwhelmed with emotions. I am moved to tears as my frustration turns to anger and then gives way to disappointment in my decisions and the results of those decisions. 
 
I say to myself that I will change tomorrow. I commit to Being Better Tomorrow instead of Being Better Today.
 
I feel better by letting my emotions come out, but that is short lived because emotions are not actions. Emotions are feelings, they are wants, but I still lack the WILL to change my actions.
 
Whether at work or in your personal life, your vision and outcome need to be clear. Action plans that can walk you down a path towards your goal is essential for you to recognize progress and value. Finally, we are not meant to travel life’s journeys alone. Find someone who can help you be accountable, supportive, and inspirational on your journey.
 
The Emotional World of Sports
I’ve spent a lifetime playing, coaching, and watching sports. What I have found myself doing more recently is observing leadership being displayed during competition. I watch and listen to coaches and players. How they react when there is success and more importantly when there is adversity.
 
Coaches will get angry when a player allows a defender to score or when they give up an offensive rebound. The coach visibly shows frustration and complains to the bench, screams at the player on the court, or throws his hands up, exasperated. As if somehow, the player decided to make a mistake on purpose.
 
Again, these are just emotions. Change comes from Action. The response in practice is to use drills to create habits. To teach and educate through the power of video by highlighting where there is a problem, reinforcing when you see something good, why it should matter, and the action necessary to correct the problem.
 
Everyone has emotions. Not everyone has the discipline to do something about the problem. That is what separates out the leaders.
 
Emotions in the Workplace
Managers and supervisors seem to live an episode of Groundhog Day where they are stuck to repeat their day until they get it right. Delegating actions to only have the employees not meet the deadline, not meet the objective, or not meet the standards. 
 
They get frustrated, just like a sports coach, when they see employees failing to execute and meet expectations. They complain about the new generation of employees. The frustration causes the managers to take over or micromanage claiming, “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”
 
They feel stress and may become concerned about the security of their own job. They may lash out in a way counter to their personality or make the phone call to HR.
 
None of these actions are moving anyone closer to addressing the issue, because once again, they are focused on the emotions and not the actions that created the challenge. The training to build habits. The communication necessary to build clarity and define expectations. Reinforcing behaviors and actions that move the employee and the company forward.
 
Moving to Action
Take the time to go back and review the 3 Pillars of Impact. Find ways to begin to put them into action - with yourself, with your team, at work.

1. Courage to Challenge
2. Expect Excellence
3. Empower Others

 
These 3 Pillars are about taking action with those around you to make sure there is clarity and alignment. To not only establish a Shared Vision but to align on the steps to reach the goals of the vision.
 
You can’t wait for HR to roll out a new training program or for the formal review to assess and improve their performance. YOU, as the leader, need to take action to set the expectations and ensure that those on the bus are equipped to travel the journey with you.
 
Responding to your emotions can give you temporary comfort or maybe it's a distraction to where you have dropped the ball. Ultimately, it keeps you in the realm of WANT versus taking action and moving to the land of WILL. It is not the emotions but the actions that will move you to where you want to be Beyond Today.