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By Chris Gorres
For 20 years, I have worked with some of the best athletes across sports. This includes the best football and baseball players in the country, some of the best basketball players and soccer players in the world, and the best swimmer in history.
Although these different sports have separate and unique challenges, I find a common thread amongst NFL, NBA, MLB, and World Champions. That common thread is CHARACTER.
Over the next few paragraphs, I’m going to dive into the core character habits of elite athletes and explore how championship-level execution has almost nothing to do with talent.
It All Comes Down to Execution
S.O.A.R. Execution involves the creation of a (S)trategy or plan, the (O)rganization of implementing that plan, the (A)ccountability and ownership of the details, and the (R)esilience to fight through the challenges that come.
Strategize: Everything is Intentional
Success never happens by accident. It happens over time with careful planning that takes everything into account to maximize results and minimize time wasted.
This happens in off-season training where each day of work is carefully planned over weeks, sometimes months. This also happens through the course of the competition schedule or season where the weekly calendar accounts for games, practices, recovery days, film sessions, and more. Finally, this happens within the game itself where things are happening and adjustments are being made in real-time.
The best strategies balance ambition while also setting realistic expectations. They also NEVER happen alone. A good strategy requires different perspectives and is shaped by multiple people who are willing to be honest and collaborative.
This includes the perspective of savvy veterans with experience, the zeal of the young players and coaches full of energy and ideas, and the masterminds who find a way to expect the unexpected. Great plans are resolute but not rigid, allowing for adjustments to be made.
Organization: Managing the Details
The best plans will undoubtedly fail without organizing the necessary parts for success.
For the weight room, this could mean making sure that equipment is maintained, the facility is clean, towels and hydration are provided, and the arrangement of the room is suitable for the workout. For everyday life, this could mean making sure that your schedule is set and you have everything you need for nutrition, hydration, sleep, clothes, equipment, and more.
For game day, this means eating your pre-game meal at the same time, making sure you have everything you need packed in your bag, and you’ve had all necessary communication with teammates and coaches.
Planning the small details around your day can go a long way in making sure that everything gets completed as intended. It can help to eliminate unnecessary distractions so that you can remain focused on the task at hand.
Accountability: Taking Extreme Ownership
A well-organized plan now comes down to the individuals who take responsibility and ownership in making it real. The best in the world run towards accountability, not away from it. It’s part of the competitive gene that elite champions all have.
They believe that they are always in control and nothing can stop them from being who they were meant to be. That means it’s on them to make it happen, not on anyone else. So if a plan fails, it’s not anyone else’s fault but their own.
When things break down, they focus on what they can do to fix it instead of waiting for someone else or depending on someone else to fix it for them. They WANT this responsibility because they trust themselves more than anyone else. They are confident in their ability to contribute to the team or to the winning effort, and they will live with the results.
When an individual is willing to hold themselves to a high standard of integrity and accountability, it becomes contagious. Soon, everyone around them adopts that same level of expectation, and then the magic happens. Teammates now become accountable to and for each other!
Workouts are never missed. Assignments are never missed. Effort is never lacking. Teammates can be demanding without being demeaning, and accountability is not just an idea but a culture.
Resilience: Pushing Through the Hard Things
Nothing is easy. Even if you create a great plan, organize your life around it, and surround yourself with teammates that hold you accountable, it’s still HARD!
You will be challenged mentally with boredom, fatigue, emotions, and other things that happen in your life that require attention and energy. You will be challenged physically with soreness, injuries, and all of the other things that come with pushing your body to its limits. Your relationships will be challenged by those around you who want to be close to you but don’t carry the same priorities as you.
All of this will lead to mental and physical breakdowns. It doesn’t mean something is wrong; it just means you’re exactly where you planned on being!
Stay locked in on your goals, lean on the people who are with you on your mission, and do the hard thing even if it means doing it one step at a time. Trust the process and don’t always look for the immediate rewards.
Psalm 126:5 states: “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” Have faith that the work you put in now will lead to the ultimate gratification later, even if it’s a little delayed.
The Opposite of Execution = Excuses
Have fun and #LeadEmUp
