Each week as part of our Thursday Thoughts series of blogs, we’ve been taking a look at how we can be the best possible version of ourselves. This week we’re shining the spotlight on how embracing change can have a hugely positive impact on our lives.
Champions embrace change and look to make changes when they are at the top of their game rather than wait to be forced to make change. There have probably been multiple times in all of our lives where we haven’t capitalised on our success, choosing instead to become complacent and forget how fast our competition catches up!
Take, for example, the football team who are one nil up, who spend their time celebrating and don’t see the equaliser goal coming in the next five minutes. They are mentally off pace without realising it. This is the time when the opposition will strike. Winners look for these lapses in concentration and gear up mentally because they see the opposition is vulnerable. They frequently succeed!
“If you want to continue to be the best in the world, then train and compete like you are second best! After throwing a World Record in Stockholm in 1990, I found it hard to attack and have the same hunger. I had been world number one for two years running and I started to look over my shoulder at the growing talent stacking up behind me. My attitude was to be quite defensive and to ‘protect’ my position. This was a huge error. My performance deteriorated and it took me a whole eight years to regain the world number one status. This time round, I had heard this simple quote which made so much sense to me. As a Speaker in business, and especially where companies have had a good year, the parallel in attitude and focus is one that often resonates”. Steve Backley
To catch the next wave, you have to spend time thinking of factors that will improve your performance and take you to the next level. It is about looking for the performance inches that will make a difference. You have to combine strategic thinking with tactical performance.This is where many businesses fall down. They spend too much time on management and not enough time on leadership. Both are critical to success but don’t belong I the same mental framework.
