February 25, 2025

Everybody wants to win, but few people are willing to do the necessary things it takes to win.?

Every season, NFL teams set out to win a Super Bowl. In the balanced world of the NFL, it's not unusual for a team to go from the bottom to the top in a single season. Every franchise wants to win. Every franchise?believes?that they can win. But in the end, only one does.?

The team that wins is the one that procures the most talent, has the best coaching, keeps its players healthy, and performs to its potential on the field.

Yes, everybody wants to win.?

But "preparation to win is more important than the desire to win."?

That was my favorite quote from former Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski this past week at the Richmond Forum. The coach told stories of his time coaching Olympians and national championship teams at Duke and being a grandfather. The prevailing theme, to me, was excellence. Coach K knows what he values, and whether it's multi-millionaires or college students, he has conviction about "how we are going to do things."?

Sometimes, leaders aren't willing to take the tougher road. Things aren't being executed to our liking, or perhaps effort and engagement are falling short of our standards.?

That's where championship teams are made.?

You get what you tolerate.?

Coach K told the story of Kobe Bryant of the "Redeem Team" in the run-up to the 2008 Olympics. In an exhibition game, it seems Kobe had been taking bad shots—and many of them. Coach K knew he had to address him about his play. At that time, Bryant was the leading scorer in the NBA and the alpha among alphas. Coach K said he was awake all night, fretting and dreading the conversation he knew he had to have with Kobe.?

But they had the conversation. Kobe complied. The rest is history.?

Every day, we have a chance to lower our standards and take the easy path. Coach K reminds us that if you have standards and stay true to them, people will rise to meet them.

Also, it was no real surprise that I sat near?Scot McRoberts?of the Virginia Council of CEOs. Scot is a learner and a leader—of course, he was there.?

Iron sharpens iron, and VACEOs allow business leaders to learn and grow together. They also bring great speakers to town. Recently, I heard from Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and in the spring (at the VACEO Spring Retreat), I'm looking forward to hearing author and former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss.?

If you are in Virginia, look Scot up—I am happy to make the introduction.?

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The Huddle?is a weekly newsletter that is designed for leaders. Leaders must be learners. There is never a?moment?when leaders arrive. It's a never-ending growth process. I hope this can be a resource that you can use to stay sharp and share with your team.?

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With that, here are some things I ran across this week.?

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Grab Your Quill? -?Email is nice. I heard someone say this week that it was one of the great developments in business history. As much as I loathe my inbox, that's a strong argument. Instant communication to anywhere in the world, the ability to send documents, slides, and photos...well, that would have seemed like sorcerer's work to our ancestors.

For all the benefits of electronic communication, it has left a gap in our society. When was the last time you wrote a letter?

Personal letters are a treasure. Something intimate and extremely personal jumps from letters that gets lost in digital communication.?

Here is a letter from George Washington?during the Revolutionary War. From his heart to his pen, an intimate portrayal of a man engulfed in the battle of his life.?

"Your most obedient servant,"?

Grab Your Pack?-?Last summer, I bought a ruck pack (an overpriced backpack with an overpriced weight) and started rucking. Since then, it's become quite popular in fitness circles; one of the first times I feel like I've been on the cutting edge of anything!

Rucking is simply taking a walk with a backpack loaded with weight. It's a great way to engage in a simple exercise—a walk—and make it feel like a more strenuous workout.

Here's a primer on rucking.?

Being Kind to Your Future Self -?Until reading this post, I'd never heard the term "Hyperbolic Discounting." As the article states, the hyperbolic discount is a "present bias," where a smaller reward today is preferred over a larger reward in the future.?

In plainer language, our future success is held hostage by our present impulses. We trade long-term wins for short-term comforts—we email our prospects instead of picking up the phone, we delay coaching conversations or we procrastinate on implementing a new strategy.?

Great leaders are kind to their future selves.?

Out of the Box Thinking -?This video gave me a belly laugh. I'm not sure if I should be praising Nathan for his unconventional, out-of-the-box thinking or give in to my cynicism and say, "I will never trust another "expert" as long as I live!"

A quote to leave you with

Have a great week!