It’s You Versus You…What’s your inner game?

Last week’s post “Are You Playing Snakes and Ladders?” concluded with the observation that the human mind is like a parachute - best when fully open. We know that in life you get what you focus on most of the time, so:

·???????What is important to you?

·???????What are you focusing on and how are you thinking about it?

One comment went straight to the heart of the matter, from Sumit Kumar , Head of Product Strategy, ConnexPay: “Turning down noise is so relevant in the ?current high-tech interconnected environment we live in… always flooded with insurmountable information. Focus = Constant prioritization is the only resort!”?

This comment sparked much interest as it got me thinking about how to stay focused when all else around you is in chaos. Last week’s events at Westminster almost felt like being at the cinema, watching your favourite film for 12 hours a day, trying to keep up with every twist and turn. The most compelling part hit the core of my operating code:?

Character and values succeed over natural talent over the course of a lifetime.

Growing up in the 1970s, being transparent, and being of good character were drilled into me from an early age. Many saw these as old-fashioned outdated values by the 1980s ‘me only’- focussed world. I paused and started to re-examine how character is relevant for business leaders in our 2022 celebrity post-truth world??

As they say, when you are committed and know what you are looking for, the resources show up. On my podcast feed was Simon Mundie ’s Life Lessons: From Sport and Beyond where he interviews sports psychologist Bill Beswick, who worked with Manchester United during the Sir Alex Ferguson reign and world record-breaking swimmer Adam Peaty. Beswick tells us ‘character’ is:

”Doing the right thing repeatedly, despite pressure and fatigue”.

He continues “…it’s you versus you - ?your weak side versus your strong side, your victim side versus your fighter side…”

See below for snippets of the interview with Bill.

This is a profound and useful statement that I felt was worth further exploration, as the business world we now operate in demands high performance, creates pressure and, added to the many challenges in life, can lead to fatigue and even burnout. Knowing we have a choice and set of resources within our very being can enable us to choose our authentic, strong side and fighter side, and not give in to excuses and the crowd.?

Tim Gallwey, the author of The Inner Game series of books, offers the suggestion that we have two minds; Self-1 and Self-2. Self-1 is hyper-critical and Self-2 offers access to our intuitive self. The great tennis player Arthur Ashe was the first to believe in entering a place of singular trance and meditative state when playing, “almost forgetting his own name.”?

So, what insight matters most this week? You need to bin the rubbish, be totally focused on the one activity that gets to the core of what you want/need and get rid of all the fluff that you think you need but don’t! ?

As Michelangelo said of one of his most famous creations:

“I created a vision of David in my mind and simply carved away everything that was not David.”

Character was clearly on display this week by the Irish rugby team, as they ?bounced back after a significant defeat last week v All Blacks, to this week secure their first victory on New Zealand soil. ?

My beloved Welsh team were trying to secure their first victory on South African soil after a heart-breaking final minute defeat last week. This week they were physically battered and bruised and to be honest, if it were a boxing match, it would have been stopped in the third round! Yet they maintained their poise, demonstrated resilience, and secured a win.?

In a week which has shown character really does matter, my challenge to you is simple:

?“How will you show up repeatedly and stay true to your authentic self, ?despite pressure and fatigue??

Our purpose at Accelerated Career Results is to transform Payments leaders’ mindsets, confidence, and results; for them to achieve their potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences and collaborative learning.

We achieve this by unlocking the ‘latent ability’ within talented individuals and teams. If you have found this article valuable, please like, re-share and pass it on to a colleague or to your trusted network whom it could help at this stage of their leadership career.

If you are a decent leader, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have a leadership challenge and want to work with a trusted partner, to [email protected]