I’m not a huge basketball fan…neither college nor professional. But as I sit here watching the NCAA men’s national championship game, the ‘home town team’ having made a hasty and premature departure from the tournament, I realize that perseverance, dedication, and heart have all played large in determining the final two teams to wage battle for top honors. It occurs to me, as it did watching the highlight reels of those many underdog-upset victories in the early rounds, it is in those moments that these young men are truly focused on being the best they can be.
As I traveled the state, country, and the world as a senior enlisted military leader talking to soldiers and airmen, a popular question I got was “what can I do/what do I need to do to get to where you are?” My answer was always this: be the best you can be, wherever you are. Be the best Soldier or Airman you can be. Be the best cook or mechanic; the best medic or bomb loader; the best leader or follower. That’s it. You may or may not get that promotion you want or think you deserve; or maybe that you are more qualified for. But when you work hard at being the very best you can be, wherever you are, you will be ready for the next opportunity when it comes along. In the case of the Cinderella story superstars who broke the hearts and brackets of a whole lot of NCAA basketball fans, they were ready, and their time came. But what if that opportunity never comes (unlikely as it may be), how bad is it, really, if you are simply YOUR VERY BEST wherever you are?
I believe at least three things are important to being the best you can be. They are readiness, teamwork, and constant improvement. For the sake of respecting your time and managing mine, I’ll give you the short version here…
Readiness: I once heard former director of the Air National Guard, Lieutenant General Sid Clarke, say that we consistently plan for things that never happen, and things happen every day that we never planned for. To minimize those times when faced with things not planned for, maintain a breadth and depth of readiness to be as completely prepared as possible. Be well read, well-traveled, well educated, and well experienced. In other words, control what you can control by maintaining “the highest level of personal readiness”, as the United States Air Force Enlisted Force Structure articulates. That’s the first order of business.
Teamwork: No one is an island. Real teamwork is easily seen in successful sports programs. A lack of same is equally as evident. I heard Doctor Mark Evans of the United States Military Academy jokingly say “I expect you all to be independent, innovative, critical thinkers…who will do exactly as I say.” It’s not just about you. Take a moment and think about the last time you did something by yourself. Check that…think of the last time you ’accomplished’ something meaningful or worthwhile by yourself. It simply doesn’t happen. We need each other. That’s why many coaches and managers will gladly take a roster made up of unselfish athletes of ‘average’ talent who play with heart and put the team above their own ambitions over one with a superstar or two who never quite achieve synergy.
Improvement: Getting a little better in some way, each and every day. Money master Dave Ramsey calls it baby steps and compound interest; Doctor Gary Smalley describes it as the power of one; radio personality Dr. Randy Carlson calls it the power of one thing; natural strong-man Stuart McRobert refers to it as progressive poundage; and former Vietnam Prisoner of War Ed Hubbard attributes ‘incremental improvements’ to achieving the wonder of human potential during captivity and beyond. The point is to make constant improvement a habit and a lifelong commitment. Strive for it…repeatedly. If you can go to bed each night reflecting on your day and identify even just one thing you did better than the day before, consider it a victory. My goal is to do a little bit better each day, and improve myself and those around me along the way. To leave the people I know, the things I borrow, and the world in general better than I found them.
I can best do that by always striving to be the best I can be, wherever I am and whatever I’m doing.
Get strong. Be strong. Stay strong.