Flashback Friday; Hope in the Future, Creates Power in the Present!
Bryan Yager
My passion is helping leaders, teams and organizations achieve results and expand their capacity for growth and success.
First a quote: "When there is hope in the future, there is power in the present..." — Zig Ziglar
Author's Note: This is a Flashback Friday article from March 17, 2019. The content is appropriate for our current world conditions. Our world, country, states, cities, towns, neighborhoods, churches, schools, families, essentially all of us, need more uplifting leadership behaviors, now more than ever. We don't necessarily need more, or different leaders, just more positive leadership behaviors from each of us, and all of us. You don't need a title or position to influence others in favorable ways. We influence others through our daily attitudes, what we post on social media, and how we show up.
I hope this Flashback Friday is helpful to you. It is my attempt at role modeling leadership without authority, a title, or position. It is my attempt at helping others stay positive, to be a source of hope, to help build our immune systems, both physical and emotionally at a very difficult time. (And to help support struggling restaurants, restaurant workers and feed the homeless; see links below.)
Free Leadership Webinar Series Schedule Below
As a collegiate sports enthusiast, I love this time of year. My two favorite seasons include college football and the basketball playoff season, otherwise known to most in the US as March Madness. I usually make it a practice to avoid sports metaphors and examples in my workshops, articles and this blog, I’m making an exception today. We can learn important leadership lessons from the world of sports if we’re willing to pay attention, and perhaps even enjoy the lessons.
Basketball games are often won and lost in the final few minutes, if not seconds, which makes most games very exciting to watch, at least for fans of the sport. It is during the final minutes of close contests that I love watching, studying and learning leadership lessons from elite basketball coaches everywhere. If you also enjoy watching basketball, the next month will be loaded with fun opportunities to learn important leadership skills, practices and approaches.
Please know I have never been a basketball coach, nor have I ever played one single basketball game at any level. I don’t pretend, in any way, to be any kind of basketball expert. I am, however, a passionate student of leadership in all its various forms and applications.
For today’s Monday Morning Minute, please imagine you personally are the coach of a top ranked basketball team. You’re in the final minutes of a championship game. Unfortunately, your team is trailing by 10 points and, there are only two minutes remaining.
You call for your last full timeout and now have 60 seconds to coach your team to a win. You’re probably going to think strategically about what moves or plays your opponent may make when they return to the floor. With those thoughts in mind, you must draw up, and thoroughly explain at least one play, if not two or more, to your nearly exhausted team. You must also address the mental state of your team. That mental state is the focus for today’s Monday Morning Minute.
No matter what has happened in the past, whether earlier in the season, a week ago, or in the last three minutes, I suspect winning coaches want their team to be laser-focused only on the next 120 seconds. In fact, maybe the focus is almost entirely on the next few seconds of the very first play out of the timeout. Certainly, leaders want to build positive momentum.
The focus must be on the present and the future… not the past! When behind on the scoreboard with time running out, winning coaches want maximum “power in the present”, the here and now!
When the timeout ends, winning coaches want their team to believe they can indeed come from behind to win the game. The players must believe, and they must feel confident in themselves, both individually and collectively as a team. They must be filled with hope and that is the coach’s leadership responsibility. If even one player on the team believes the situation is hopeless, the team will likely lose.
I believe Zig Ziglar had it right. When there is hope in the future, even if it is hope for the next 120 seconds of a ballgame, there is power in the present! If we want the best from our teams, as leaders in the business world, or coaches of a game, we must be creators and dispensers of hope, confidence, positive energy and belief!
The way I see it, when our teams “take the floor” when the chips are down, their mental state is as important, if not more so, than the strategic plays and plans we draw up as leaders and coaches.
And, as an afterthought, perhaps another topic for a future MMM; sometimes our teams work their very hardest and expend the most energy in a losing, or disappointing effort. I have noticed winning coaches often use losses to build their team up, not tear them down. They seem to continually build hope and confidence for the future.
Looking forward, how will you create a stronger sense of hope and confidence in your team? How will you create “power in the present” this week?
And as always, how will you lead differently, or better, this coming week?
Bryan Yager
Free Leadership Webinar Series
Free 30-minute Leadership Webinars Short * Impactful * Timely!
What is in it for you?
The free webinars I have offered over the last couple of weeks have been well received and many have asked me to make these workshops available more than just once a week. This is in response to those requests. Following is a schedule of webinars through the end of April. Short, to the point, and hopefully, helpful to you as a leader during these difficult times.
My personal request of you:
This is my effort to help others and make a positive difference in the world. My desire is to help each of us think more deeply about our leadership responsibilities as family & community members, neighbors, colleagues and organizational leaders during this difficult time. My only ask is that you “pay it forward” in any way you’re able.
While our team would be grateful if you could offer a donation of any size to help us support restaurants while simultaneously feeding the hungry and homeless. If you’re not able to contribute financially at this time, no problem, there are many ways to support others! Choose what is best for you, the people you touch, the resources you have, where you live and work.
No Land in Sight – Leading People in Times of Change; New!
Two-Part Series (30 minutes each)
No Land in Sight focuses on four primary leadership responsibilities in times of change. The ideas are simple, practical and actionable, not theoretical or academic. Everyone regardless of position or level will benefit from this message. This presentation is ideal for people who have the responsibility or opportunity to lead others through change of any kind. This has been one of my most popular presentations over the years. Certainly, appropriate now.
Registration Required; Click your preferred date to register. Limited to 100 participants per webinar.
- Part 1 – Monday, April 27, 2020; 1:58 pm MDT/3:58 pm EDT
- Part 2 – Thursday, April 30, 2020; 4:58 pm MDT/6:58 pm EDT
- Part 2 – Monday, May 4, 2020; 1:58 pm MDT/3:58 pm EDT
Managing Stress in Stressful Times (30 minutes)
Are you experiencing more stress than ever before? You are not alone, most of us are. That is normal during these difficult times. During our short time together, we will share, and discuss, a simple paradigm shift, enabling you to:
- reduce stress
- Increase your effectiveness
- accomplish more
Registration Required; Click your preferred date to register. Limited to 100 participants per webinar.
Just want to help us support restaurants & feed the homeless and hungry, please click on picture:
Sincerely,
Bryan Yager
“Expanding Your Capacity for Success”
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