I learned early on that it feels good to win. And the secret is that it is easier to win as a team than to win as an individual. What I have learned and what I try to communicate to my professional team as well as young salespersons beginning a life in commercial insurance is that sports teaches us is the importance of the team. Sure it’s great to score that goal yourself and hear the crowd applaud your effort, but in the long run, it’s the final score that counts. Did we, (not I) win the game. This concept of team comes usually comes later, however my epiphany to this crucial idea came early when I experienced first hand how important my team mates were to me as friends as well as sports comrades. This has been my philosophy over the years and continues to provide the reference in my pursuit for professional development and marketing excellence in the field of insurance. Yes, I would rather have an assist than a goal and this is one of the items where Everything I Ever Needed To Know About Business I Learned On The Sports Field!
Don’t get me wrong - I hate to lose. I go into every game wanting to win and expecting to win. But somehow along the way I learned a valuable lesson about losing. I learned how to face what happened, figure out what happened and then execute a revised game plan based on the errors that I made losing the game.
Losing also teaches you something about yourself. As one of my favorite Hofstra Professors, Dr. John Tantillo a frequent guest on the Fox News and Business Channel used to say: “Jim you can learn a great deal about someone, not when things are going well, but when things are going wrong.” Losing helps you to understand what you have done to lose the game and makes you realize that you must be better prepared for the challenge the next time you are in the arena. Darn it’s hard to lose, but it’s better to win the next game knowing that you have become better along the way! Yes, I learned how to lose and this is one of the items where Everything I Ever Needed To Know About Business I Learned On The Sports Field!
Sure winning is great. One of my idols, the legendary Vince Lombardi once stated that “Winning isn’t everything–but wanting to win is.” After reading that quote what else can one say. Plenty if you are a competitor.
Winning means that you and the team have put together a successful strategy as well as executing the plan that generated results. Does this sound like a successful plan for the assertive business professional. You bet it does. Being prepared as well as executing the plan equals successul both on the field and in business and this is why I believe Everything I Ever Needed To Know About Business I Learned On The Sports Field!
And one last thought that Coach Lomardi leaves for those who dare to care about outcomes: “If it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?” I guess that says it all! Thanks Coach.
