The Power of Extra...

I recently had to drive to Dallas TX on business. When I stopped by Enterprise to pick up a rental car for the week, I was greeted by a young man whom I've gotten to know after several visits to rent cars at this location. With a BIG smile, he said, "Mr. Terry, I saw your name come up on my list and I saved you a really good car for today. I hope you like it. I'm pretty sure you will."

I drive a Camaro, with a manual 6-speed. I like sports cars. We walked outside to inspect my ride for the week and as we walked toward a fully-loaded Nissan Maxima, I thought this is going to be a nice trip. I had driven this car before, and it was an enjoyable experience. Comfortable, good gas mileage, great acceleration, sporty handling and all the high-tech features one would want in a car today.

Then, when he opened the door to the Dodge Challenger RT parked next to it, I smiled. It was going to be a FUN trip to Dallas, perhaps even more fun than I imagined. When he started the engine, and I heard the rumble of a V-8 HEMI engine roar to life, I knew this was going to be a FUN week. I climbed into this beast of a machine and pulled out of the parking lot like a kid with a new toy.

As a frequent traveler, I am accustomed to an occasional upgrade. On this occasion, the guys at Enterprise added something a little EXTRA, and it reinforced why I rent from Enterprise on a regular basis. They added "just a little bit more" to make what is typically a 4-1/2 hour drive each way to Dallas more enjoyable. (Can you say, Zoom, Zoom?)

Add EXTRA to anything and it becomes something more...that's the role of a leader. In a world where doing only what is required becomes the norm, good enough becomes the enemy of greatness. When this happens, organizations that could become GREAT never do. There are a lot of ORDINARY organizations out there that could be EXTRAORDINARY, if only they would add "a little bit more" to what they are doing.

If outlook determines outcome, then it starts with you as a leader. When you rise from your slumber, you make a conscious choice as to whether today will be EXCEPTIONAL or AVERAGE. Your ACTIONS and your WORDS set the course for the day, and mirror how those who are following will respond in like manner. When you settle for GOOD ENOUGH, those who are following believe this is the standard they should measure their own activities and efforts by - and your organization remains ORDINARY.

The Power of Extra is adding "Just a Little Bit More" to what is expected or required. It transforms what is ordinary to EXTRAORDINARY!

I recently visited a friend who leads a successful ministry which includes a church, a private christian school and a christian college. He was walking around the parking lot, picking up trash. This impressed me and I asked him what his motivation for doing this was. His response demonstrated his leadership style, "John, I can't ask those who attend this church to do what I am unwilling to do myself. Besides, I want people who visit this place for the first time, or just drive by, to see this campus is groomed and we do things with excellence."

That's the POWER OF EXTRA. It's doing "just a little bit more" than is required or expected in order to improve the end result. Maybe for you as a leader, it's getting up 30 minutes earlier to start the day reading, meditating and getting the right mindset for the day. Maybe it's going one extra mile on the treadmill to improve your health, or leading by example in your place of employment.

Maybe it's taking a few more minutes in a staff meeting to encourage and motivate your Team members. Perhaps it is rolling up your sleeves and getting into the daily grind right alongside your Team. Or it could be adding value in your home by spending a little extra time with the children or your spouse - or volunteering

Whatever you're doing, you CAN do better. And when YOU do better, those who are following will respond in like fashion. And when everyone is striving to do better every single day, your Team transitions from GOOD to GREAT!

One of my early instructors in the martial arts was a stickler for precision in the performance of kata (a progression of simulated fighting movements). He demanded that each time we practiced our kata, we would find ONE area where we could improve, and focus our attention there that day. The next time we practiced, we would again find ONE area on which to improve, while continuing to improve on the areas we had previously worked on.

When competition season rolled around, that demand that we do EXTRA paid off. As our school competed, our students began to rack up the wins. We were known for our crisp, defined kata performances. They were a hallmark of our dojo. What we later realized is the more we worked on our kata, the better our fighting skills became.

Why? First of all, kata is stylized fighting. As we fine-tuned the movements, we improved our strength, stamina and speed. We adopted the same mindset into our fight training (improve on ONE thing each class, and add to that with each successive class), and the pursuit of EXCELLENCE became an integral part of our daily routine. As we carried that into our personal and professional lives, those areas also improved as we did "just a little bit more" over and over again.

The greatest hindrance to tomorrow's success is today's success. Why? Wins have a tendency to lull us into an "I've arrived" mindset that causes us to stop growing, stop improving and settle for good enough. Good enough is never good enough, because there is ALWAYS room for improvement. As leaders, we have to LIVE THAT OUT and remind those who are following leadership is a journey, not a destination.

When we, as leaders, settle for good enough, those who follow will do likewise. Greatness can never be achieved without sacrifice...and among this is sacrificing the acceptance of the status quo. If we all daily strive to improve ONE thing, and the next day improve ONE more while continuing to improve on the prior day's efforts, greatness is within your grasp.

The Power of Extra is adding "Just a Little Bit More" to what is expected or required. It transforms what is ordinary to EXTRAORDINARY!

Whatever you're doing, you CAN do better. And when YOU do better, those who are following will respond in like fashion. And when everyone is striving to do better every single day, your Team transitions from GOOD to GREAT!

HOMEWORK: Pick up a copy of Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrow's Success. Daily work to improve on ONE of these daily practices for an entire month, then add another daily practice (while continuing to work on the prior disciplines). In just 12 months, you'll have added 12 new daily practices.

P.S. Thanks to those of you who are sharing this blog on your own Social Media or via email and inviting others to subscribe.

NEW TO THIS BLOG: Subscribe HERE to receive this weekly leadership blog emailed directly to your Inbox. You can also follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Inspire, Motivate, Grow and Achieve More Through John's Recommended Reading

2X martial arts Hall of Fame inductee, John Terry is a motivational speaker, leadership, sales & communication coach and trainer.   

Through his coaching and training company, IMGA.com, John (and his daughter, Jessie) seeks to INSPIRE others to see their limitless potential, MOTIVATE them to pursue black belt excellence as a leader in life, GROW personally and professionally and ACHIEVE greatness through living a life of significance.  

For more information, schedule John (or Jessie) to speak to your organization or to book a personal, group or corporate coaching session, visit www.IMGA.com.  

If you are a faith-based organization, learn more about John and Jessie's outreach to churches, para-church organizations or faith-based volunteer groups by visiting www.DunamisFactor.com.

John is an Executive Director with the John Maxwell Team and is passionate about helping others pursue excellence as they become "Leaders in Life". He is also a Master Coach & Trainer with Real Life Management, a behavioral analytics organization helping people learn how to live "Real Life" and make better choices when it comes to relationships, money, health and wellness.

Jessie is a Certified Speaker, Coach and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team. By the age of 18, Jessie has traveled to Guatemala and Cameroon, Africa to challenge and inspire young people to believe in themselves, and (regardless of age) to pursue with passion the dream within them. She is actively involved in the JMT Global Youth Initiative. Jessie was the youngest JMT member to ever speak on the Big Stage at the International Maxwell Certification conference in Orlando, FL in February, 2018.

Jessie's first children's book, Ebenezer's Journal, is available on Amazon.com.

Join Ebenezer as he uses the power of imagination to transform Dr. Lime's School of Normal Monsters into something amazing. See AWARENESS on display as Ebenezer awakens the dreams of his fellow students to transform his school and his community.

A fun read that can start young children on their own personal leadership growth journey. Buy a copy for yourself, and a copy to share with someone else.

?Click HERE to order.?