The Difference Between Good and Great

We as leaders evaluate talent every day, so it’s imperative that we understand the true meaning of great.

Good players play well some of the time, great players play great all of the time. The level of competition is the clear and most vital indication. The higher the stakes, the better great players play. They cannot be taken out. Understanding the level of competition is the best way to appreciate the difference between great and good.   Great players work the hardest, are never satisfied, are fueled with wanting to achieve and are curious to improve. 

“The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.” — Robert Hughes, Australian actor   

Great players always want to do more — good players feel they have done all they can.

KILLER INSTINCTS- PLAYERS-STAFF

Success can be like a martini — it can make everyone delusional in the belief that there is no reason to go the extra mile. “We got this” becomes the mantra as opposed to “We have earned nothing.” 

With championship level teams, there is never a mention of the achievements, just a mention of what lies ahead. What can we do tomorrow and how can we get better becomes the mission statement for the organization. There is always someone who is the driving force to fight the natural instinct of contentment. 

MENTAL TOUGHNESS

We must improve this team's mental and physical toughness to be able to compete at a championship level. We must prove to be mentally tough, on and off the field. 

On what sets disciplined people apart:

1. The capacity to get past distractions

2. The willingness to condition mind and body for the task at hand

3. The ability to keep your poise when those around you are losing theirs

Boxer Joe Lipsey was once a 17:1 underdog fighting Marvin Hagler. Lipsey obliterated Hagler in the first three rounds, but Hagler eventually sent him to the hospital with a blow in the 4th. His trainer asked him, “Joe, what the f--- happened?”

“I gave him my best shot at the end of round 3,” Lipsey said, “and it didn’t even faze him.”

Hagler’s mental toughness to take Lipsey’s best shot and the competitive spirit of not showing any weakness made Lipsey eventually quit. So when you’re out there competing and you get whipped on a play, what are you conveying? When you get off the ground, what are you exhibiting with your body language?

“To wear a player down, everybody wants to play hard in the beginning of the game. It takes a long time to wear a player down, so you have to have a tremendous amount of mental toughness to be able to do that, to sustain it yourself.” — Nick Saban