Written by Christopher Ayoub, President, RealManage
In my last blog, we discussed the power of being a balanced leader through the 360-degree leadership model. Now I want to focus on the importance of having a champion’s heart. We will dive into what I believe are the necessary components to be a champion. I simplify this by using champion as an acronym:
Commitment, Humility, Attitude, Motivated, Perseverance, Integrity, Optimistic, No Limits.
Commitment is being dedicated to something much larger than self. When I think of commitment, I can’t help but think of J.K. Rowling. She is most famous for authoring the Harry Potter series that has impacted so many lives. At one point in her life, J.K. was nearly homeless as a recent divorcee raising a child on her own. She was on welfare and living off of food stamps. Despite some significant setbacks, she never gave up on her commitment to reaching people through writing. We should never break from our commitment, but like J.K. Rowling illustrated so well, sometimes we need to be flexible in our path.
Humility is such an important ingredient to being a champion. Why? Because in order to be a champion, we have to fail, learn from our mistakes and get better. A person with a champion’s heart will get back up from failure, adjust, and then conquer. Michael Jordan is a perfect example. In my eyes, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time (sorry LeBron). One of his most famous quotes is, “I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” That is why he is a champion.
Attitude is the one thing we can control. I love the old saying, “life is 10% what happens to you and 90% your reaction.” We simply get to make the choice day in day out on how we act and react. A champion with a tremendous attitude is a man by the name of Matt Fraser. Matt was deemed the world’s fittest man in 2016 when he won the World CrossFit Games. After becoming the champion, Matt was inundated with reporters asking him how he did it. His response puzzled many folks. He did not say “I worked harder than everyone…I have great genetics…I have the best coach…etc.” He simply explained he would never work out without a smile. There is scientific proof that the body and mind can be pushed to further levels when we are smiling. I could get into the scientific explanation for how a smile triggers the brain to shoot out more serotonin and dopamine, but you can just take my word for it. The bottom line is that a positive attitude and smile can go a long way and is a necessity for anyone with a champion’s heart.
Being a motivated person will get you further than all the brains in the world. I was recently the keynote speaker for a Junior ROTC Ball in North Texas. I was speaking to this young group along with their parents about having a champion’s heart. I asked for a volunteer and one gregarious young man stood up and I asked him who his favorite athlete is today. He quickly responded “Tony Romo.” The entire crowd started screaming out “Dak, Dak” for the new starting quarterback, Dak Prescott. I was actually glad he said Tony Romo. I asked him, “Do you think it is possible for an undrafted free-agent from a small school to become a 4-time pro bowler without being motivated?” Tony was not viewed as the most athletic, brilliant or powerful quarterback in the draft. He was more motivated than the others and that is why he had a successful career.
Perseverance is what makes us tough. This is what divides those that are really successful from those that settle for mediocrity. I love the story of how Walt Disney was fired from his first job at a newspaper company because he lacked creativity. Walt Disney persevered through that doubt and failure to arguably become the most creative human being the world has ever seen. His legacy will live on for generations to come and few can say that about anyone else. I also love to think about how Richard Branson was doubted at a young age because he was diagnosed with dyslexia. The perseverance he displayed through tough times helped him become one of the most influential business leaders of our time.
We are absolutely nothing without integrity. We could make a financial mistake and make up for that, but it is near impossible to regain the trust of others once we have compromised our integrity. We have heard all the stories about famous people who have had it all from the world’s perspective and next thing you know, they are in jail for fraud. We control our own brand and we should take pride in staying above reproach.
A champion is always optimistic. They are the glass-half-full folks. Do you think Eric Berry was negative or optimistic when he was fighting cancer, beating it and returning to being a Pro Bowl safety a year later? Champions believe they have a purpose and believe they can accomplish anything they put their minds to.
A champion never sets limits for themselves. Always dream bigger than where you are today. There are many things in my life I am proud of, but at the start of each day, I have to prove myself all over again. If we catch ourselves glorifying our past high school or college experiences, we are setting limits for ourselves. I recently told a group of high school students, “Do not peak in high school.” Dream big and work hard.
At the end of the day, incorporating these attributes and being the best version of ourselves will ultimately produce a champion inside and out.
Thank you for reading. I look forward to publishing my next blog outlining my seventh point on leadership!
Mr. Ayoub is a distinguished combat veteran and executive with a robust track record of excellence. He serves as the President for RealManage. Please click the following link to read Mr. Ayoub’s biography.
Like reading leadership blogs? You might also enjoy reading
Amanda Causey
Chris Ayoub, President
