Want Proof Of Development’s Power? Iterate for a Year.

Read on my website / Read time: 4 minutes

You’ll never understand development’s power unless you experience it first hand.

And you’ll never experience it if you don’t stick to it for at least a year.

And therein lies the problem. Development requires time. And it requires so much of its coaches:

• Humility to continuously learn from mistakes
• Empathy to sustain connections with the players
• Hardwork to continue to maximize process
• Artistry to continuously transmit new knowledge effectively
• Unrelenting belief in a vision that only its creator fully understands
• And the Mental Fortitude to continue iterating despite all challenges

But everyone wants the shiny object without the requisite work required to earn it.

This is the most difficult time in human history to be exceptional at anything. But it is also the most fruitful time to separate out from your contemporaries. This is the Development Paradox.

Development is the longer road, but it is also the only road that leads to greatness.

We can define greatness as the consistent experience of scraping one’s potential paired with a separation from your contemporaries.

Greatness for one group can manifest differently depending on the group, but the bigger point is that it’s impossible to experience without development as your guide.

And if you disagree with that sentiment, that is completely your choice.

You’ll just never be great or experience greatness.

But if you are willing to be vulnerable and serve a vision for a year’s time, you’ll experience development’s power.

You’ll experience greatness.

Here are 5 proof points that will occur after developing your people for at least a year’s time:

1. You Can Compete With the Very Best

I lost my 1st match 9-1 a year ago. Three days ago, I went blow for blow with the #1 academy in the country. We didn’t win, but we created as many chances, had the ball for long stretches, neutralized their strengths, and dare I say…

We were the better team for stretches of the match.

That just isn’t possible without development.

2. Your Players Change

The players you work with will change into new and better versions of themself.?

Players who you played sparingly last year, will not just become starters, but will become some of the most impactful players every weekend. 2nd team players, cast-offs from other clubs, and late developers physically will become something new altogether.

A better way of explaining it:

The players who decided to stay on their path, regardless of its difficulty, will become much better players.

3. People Will Be Attracted to The Vision

Your vision was a hard sell in the beginning.

After a year, people understand that what you do is different and on many levels, better. Your contemporaries stood still, talent accumulated, and didn't iterate on a worthwhile vision.

In a year’s time, you elevated your team from an idea to a standard.

And when you reach this point, keep iterating. There is more space to move into.

4. Day 1 and Day 365 Seem Worlds Apart

The team on Day 1 will not resemble the team on Day 365.

It’s the same people, but a completely different team. Getting a little better each week in accordance with a Culture Vision, Playing Vision and Game Vision creates a sort of magic that you cannot fully comprehend while you are in it.

Watching tape of your first match and then watching the one in a year’s time is a jarring experience.

Emotionally you feel true satisfaction, but logically you still can’t compute how it’s possible.

5. Dynamics are Completely Different

You solved a lot of challenges, which puts you in a completely different space.

Games used to be played completely in your half; now you play it in their half. Your vision used to be a difficult sell week after week, and now you have the complete trust of everyone involved.

Don’t get me wrong, there are always new problems to solve.

But you do so in a completely different space to when you started.

Final Words

I’ll finish with this one question:

Do you really need proof to fully commit to developing your people?

The answer is most likely no. Coaches are either willing to do the work that development requires, or not. Simple as that.

And if you find yourself unwilling to do the work development requires…

That’s fine.

You’ll just never be great.

Thanks for reading!

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