“People acting together as a group can accomplish things which no individual acting alone could ever hope to bring about.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt.
I’m reading a book titled Finding the Winning Edge by Bill Walsh. He’s one of the winningest football coaches of all time and the father of the West Coast run-and-gun offense. This book has inspired me to write this article. I recognize that football might not pertain to your everyday life like it does mine but, I know everyone can relate to the teamwork aspect of the game.
There’s no doubt we’ve all had a rough 2020, and as we bellycrawl through 2021, I find the need to reflect on our successes and not our failures.
Lou Holtz coached for several college teams but is most notable as the coach of Notre Dame. Holtz probably says it best, “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” For emphasis, he also said, “Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it.”
After talking to many different technicians and shop owners, all I can think about is our Industry Team. What we all went through was unprecedented, yet as a team, we pulled together. We saw shops helping shops get through the toughest of times. You read about it on posts and blogs, and we heard about it over the phone. Our staff, your staff, you, and we are all together in this crazy chaotic real-time game of life.
Some shops were closing their doors, while others were growing and thriving. Some shops got hit hard by the virus while others didn’t. Even though over a year has passed since the pandemic started, some shops are just now dealing with it. To use a sports metaphor, regardless of when you entered this game – whether you were in the opening series or the game-ending drive, we’re all going to come out winners.
Pulling together during this time is imperative. We witnessed members of our industry leaning on one another during some of the toughest times of our lives, making the move into our next adventure easier. One of my coaches always told our players just before the game, “Winning is fun – go have fun!”
I coach high school football. Here’s my pregame speech modified for you. “Every day you get up, you are blessed! Every chance you get to put a smile on someone’s face, do it! When you get into the shop, be excited to help others, and know they need you. You are the one everyone looks up to. You are the leader, the captain, the quarterback, the coach. You will succeed, and you will fail, but don’t fear failure – dance with it! More people are venturing out, and they have enough on their plates already, be there for them. You have an opportunity to make people’s lives better every day! Do it! Do it for them, do it for your team, do it for you! Make a difference in someone’s life. Lift them up. Motivate them and create momentum. When you fine-tune something, it’s best to do it in small little adjustments. Some people adjust faster than others, but consistency is the key.”
As the great Vince Lombardi once famously said, “Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win occasionally; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit.”
I encourage you to start your day right and end your day exhausted, knowing that you gave everything you had to make your shop, your employees, and your life better. Now get out there, and let’s get that win!
We’ll see each other real soon as we restart the seminar season in a couple of months. Until then, remember, “Today, we get better, and I can’t wait for tomorrow.” – Lance Wiggins
