Jon Gordon overflows with truth. Here are a few excerpts from his 2015 lecture at Coaching U Live.
"We live in a world that likes to focus on the outcome (the fruit)...if we ignore the root the tree dies."
"Culture needs to come first."
"Your culture determines whether your strategy is successful."
"Feeling is so much more powerful than hearing."
"Optimism is a competitive advantage." Contagious
"Leadership is the transfer of belief."
When we are busy we can fail Communication. It has to work at 1-on-1 level.
"Winning teams have great communication."
Invest in Connection with your team. "It is more powerful when a team wants to play for each other."
"What are the great moments in your life?"
He discusses exercises like "Hero, Hardship, and Highlight" and "if you really knew me, then..."
"Commitment says I am putting the team first."
"Swen Nater never started a game in college...and was a first round draft choice," because he competed to make Bill Walton better every day.
"To work harder, you have to Care more." How do we show that we care? Do we have a "caring trademark?"
"If you're not Consistent, your team doesn't know what to expect from you." We have to earn trust through our consistency of attitude, behavior, and leadership.
More than anything else, Gordon's talk illustrates the value of reciprocity. It gets back to that concept of "are we building a program or a statue?"