Greatness is witnessed as much as it is felt. Sport allows you to witness greatness. It provides you with an opportunity to experience something exhilarating.
I often wonder why some experiences turn out to be much more exhilarating than others. I have realized with time, that the greater the amount of uncertainty and adversity you face as an athlete, the more exhilarating the experience, if and when the result is in your favor.
I had a similar experience at my companies' sales conference. It was a period of great uncertainty in the life of my company that culminated in a wonderful triumphant event. And it created the desired impact. At least my eyes and ears led me to believe it did. And mind you they are very sound :)
I have read a million books on how companies 'made it'. But to actually witness the process behind it is quite spectacular. To take tiny bits and pieces of a puzzle that fell apart and be told 'Hey some pieces are missing, you still need to figure the puzzle out though'. I think that was the task my senior management faced. And a splendid job they did. Not only did they glue the pieces together, they found the missing ones and are doing what it takes to complete the picture.
A company, in my limited realm and knowledge of corporate America, is almost like a little child that needs to be reared the right way. Sometimes the child grows up to learn things a certain way. But with the world moving so fast the child needs to learn to adapt... maybe do different things, maybe do the same thing in different ways, contrary to 'thinking' it's doing different things but doing them the same way. And Lo! One day the child grows up and realizes 'this just doesn't work anymore, does it?' So starts the process of unlearning, what has been learned and realizing what has worked all these years, may not anymore.
Unlearning requires going back to the core. A lot of soul searching which, companies do just like adults when they hit their midlife or quarter life crisis. And it is a good thing. Reflection is good. Only good can come off a crisis. When the chips are down and you 'make it' despite the adversity, there is no greater satisfaction. Always keep that athlete in you alive, I say:)
It’s funny, I actually feel like my company's life and my life run parallel at this moment. On one level we're trying to constantly progress, think 'out-of the-box', reinvent and innovate ourselves. On the other we're reflecting, going back to the core and unlearning things that we may have carried for years and years thinking – this is the right process to follow for good. Instead of thinking – this is the right process to follow for NOW. And b, c, d and e are also other right processes to follow for NOW, but that may change in the next minute.
Lessons, lessons, lessons – what would we be without them. I always knew I disliked math, but it doesn’t take a genius to calculate the importance of adapting to change. :)
