PASSION & COMMITMENT REQUIRED

Building and growing a team (aka business) demands unwavering dedication, an ability to adapt to challenges, and the resilience to overcome setbacks. Even in the face of difficulties, a commitment to goals and the tenacity to keep going are key ingredients for success.

Nobody likes to admit their weakness or when they don’t understand something, but if we won’t admit that we don’t know something or that we don’t understand something, we can’t grow and get better.

I have been involved in sports for the better part of my life. Recently I returned to coaching youth soccer as the assistant coach for my son’s travel soccer team. These kids are good, really good. Most of them have been playing for 3/4 of their lives at this point. They compete in what’s known as the Elite Development Program (EDP).

Recently we were training on an advanced concept of play but in order to do this everyone needed to fully understand a somewhat more basic principal. When the coach asked if everyone understood the core principle he said “okay” and we moved on. It was clear within 30 seconds that the kids didn’t know how to do what was being asked.

We asked the question again but this time phrased it differently, “Would everyone like a reminder on how to do X before we attempt to do Y ?” this time more than half the players hands went up.

Now we were getting somewhere, progress was made although it required taking a full step back. By the end of the session everyone on the team was able to complete the evolution and we ended the days training as a better team.

The people on your team shouldn’t be afraid to try something and fail, but they should be afraid of letting the rest of the team down.

Passion and commitment are not something you can fake. If you are passionate, there will be signs. If you aren’t, there will still be signs.

Nobody on your team will follow you, not for very long at least, if your not passionate and committed to what you are doing and what the goal is.

A huge way to show you’re invested in your team is to make sure that everyone on the team understands the mission. Share the goal with everyone. You 100% ABSOLUTELY want those that don’t understand the mission to be comfortable enough with their team and leaders to admit it.

In order to succeed everyone will have to know their role, what measures will be used to determine their performance and how they can improve.