What are you willing to give to get to the top?
For me and my team, it’s not a destination. It’s a lifelong pursuit.
We are athletes in our craft. The days can be long. The efforts can be great. The glory can be short-lived. But all of this is what makes us relentless.
I recently had the leadership team at Triple Crown Consulting read Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim Grover – a fantastic book about the legendary trainer behind basketball greats like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade.
In his book, Grover explains the commonalities he noticed between these great athletes that served as the foundation of their success and how their relentless pursuit can be applied by anyone seeking greatness in their craft. Many of the concepts outlined in the book solidify a lot of the best practices we have in place here at Triple Crown – and the people we try to be (and avoid being) every day.
Grover divides people into three types: Coolers, Closers and Cleaners.
- Coolers aren’t prepared. They aren’t driven and they don’t push themselves to perform. They go through their days systematically, with little competitive drive.
- Closers prepare and practice, but they’re also prideful. When they’re faced with less rehearsed scenarios, they tend to fail. Their primary source of motivation is for praise, not for results.
- Cleaners are relentless. They let nothing stand in their way. They withstand adversity, and they conquer challenges head on. They do what they do because they want to be the best. They don’t do it for the glory. Cleaners are talented, but that’s not what makes them great. They are focused. Responsible. In charge.
So, what does it mean to be a “Cleaner”? What does it mean to be relentless?
Here is what a few of the Triple Crown Cleaners think:
13 ‘Relentless’ Takeaways
1. Get in the zone – and stay there. Remain resolute. Do not get distracted by your surroundings, or other profile types not operating on the same level as you. Compete with yourself and be motivated by the results you produce to produce more.
2. Relentless work effort. Train. Be. Do. Better.
3. “Those who talk don’t know, and those who know don’t talk. I don’t talk.” Let your work and success do the talking. Do not boast.
4. Put in the time. Come in early. Stay late. When others duck out for lunch, stay for 15 minutes longer. When the person next to you checks out at 4:45, stay through 5 o’clock. Thirty seemingly short “extra” minutes a day, five days a week, four weeks a month, 12 months a year is 7,200 “extra” minutes, or 120 “extra” hours to be better. We all have the same 24 hours in a day – why not make the absolute best of your time?
5. Be a sportsman. Compete – compete with yourself, compete with others. And never forget that whenever you sit back to celebrate or overindulge in your own success, your competition is catching up. Don’t let them.
6. Accept and pursue new challenges. On the other side of your comfort zone is more success. Move to a new city. Start up a new office. Learn a new skill. Be a leader in your own life and in your own pursuits. Take charge.
7. “Want to know a true sign of a Cleaner? He feels no pressure when he screws up and has no problem admitting when he’s wrong and shouldering the blame.” If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying hard enough. The path to success is riddled with failure. Stomach them, learn from them. You will respect yourself for it, and so will everyone else.
8. Never take the shortcut. Do the work. “Challenge yourself to be uncomfortable, every time you think you can’t, do it anyway.”
9. Be unstoppable.
10. Know there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, and never lose sight of it. “I’m going for this and if I’m wrong, I’ll make a change and I’ll still be fine.” Few people are willing to take risks because of their fear of failure. Don’t live like this.
11. Admit when you’re wrong. Take ownership. Know your own weaknesses.
12. Never lower your expectations – for anyone. “When you’re so extraordinary at your craft, when your talent is so natural and your skill is so elevated, it’s hard to understand that not everyone is like you and can do what you do. It’s not a matter of them trying more or working harder, they really just can’t do it. If it’s not handled properly, it will destroy your team.” Know how to identify other people types, and respond accordingly.
13. Control your effort. Always give more. And never, ever quit.
“When you are a Cleaner you know exactly who you are.” Cleaners do not question why they do certain things, they just act.
Finding a true Cleaner is rare. Are you one? Join us.
