Growing up in Austin, TX didn’t expose me to hockey unless you count the ice rink at Northcross Mall where I would see people playing from time to time. As a sports junkie, I love all types of sports and always look for parallels between sports and business. Today, I want to explore the value of “Mental Toughness” I do believe that the role of a Goalie gives us a great example of “Mental Toughness”
First, a Goalie has to recognize that the entire team is depending on them to stop as many shots as possible as they try to score as much as possible against the opponent. In sales and business it is no different, you are asked to grow your business while thwarting the advancement of market share of your opponent. In order you maintain “Mental Toughness” you must master three things and be like a Ninja with them.
1) Don’t focus on what has happened. Things will not always go your way. Deals that you assume are in the bag will fall through and deals that seem like a long shot will get ink on the dotted line. It’s important to reflect and analyze; however, I am talking about avoiding living in last year. It may sound like this: “Last year, I killed it and now the company doesn’t want me to make any money so they raised my quota–here’s the “Mental Toughness” battle “I will never be able to achieve those numbers; The quota is just too high.” Orville and Wilbur Wright were not successful in their first attempt for flight. Orville Reddenbacher of Valpraiso, IN took over thirty years to master his hybrid popcorn kernel, and Sly Stallone was told over two hundred times he’d never make it. Those three stories are important because if they had not had “Mental Toughness” I wouldn’t have mentioned them in this post now would I. When a Goalie gives up a goal, they have to move on and get ready for the next shot they will face.
2) Don’t compare yourself to others. President Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” You have to be the best you at all times despite what your counterparts are appearing to achieve. Every NHL team carries two to three Goalies. If the starting Goalie starts to experience a slump or has a bad game the coach may insert the back-up. The back-up only gets to play if there is an injury or the starter needs a rest or worse the starter has given up many goals and the coach wants a change of energy. From the view point of the back-up, it is easy to constantly compare their skills to the starter. Now there is nothing wrong with benchmarking; however, the “Mental Toughness” battle starts when they say, “I’ll never be as good as the starter; I’m just a back-up and that’s all I’ll ever be.” I once managed a Sales Rep who was a quota busting killer who ate doubling and tripling her quota as a snack. On paper, this was a Sales Rep that everyone wanted to emulate from an outcomes and results perspective. However, this Rep was the classic iceberg–there was a lot more going on under the surface beyond what you could see. When the sales slowed they refused to take ownership and blamed everyone and everything on their lack of success. The best Goalies practice, prepare, and perform focusing on their skills and talents. Comparing yourself to others is like fools gold because you were created and assigned to be the best you.
3) Do trust your equipment and those around you. Maybe you’ve been asked to do something that you’ve never done before. You are not the first person or the last that will be asked to achieve extraordinary results. In order to crush the task or assignment you have to have the “Mental Toughness” to use every resource and tool at your disposal. Let’s examine the Goalie and their gear for a second. The Goalie wears a mask and a helmet, chest protector, arm pads, leg pads, ice skates, and a stick. Additionally, he has defensemen who’s sole purpose is to deflect shots off their bodies to prevent the puck from entering the goal. The Goalie cannot say, “I am not wearing my mask tonight because it is too tight or too loose. He has to trust that the Equipment Manager will get him squared away. In the same fashion, you have to converse with your version of the Equipment Manager and say: “This task is going to be difficult, can you help me?” If you do not reach out and get all the help that is available and fail–you cannot blame anyone but guess who? If you have a new CRM system, don’t spend time saying “how it won’t work or help you grow your business.” Flip that stinking thinking and say, “how can I use this new CRM system to expand my business to crush my sales targets?”
In summary, “Mental Toughness” can mean different things to many people. In this case, “Mental Toughness” refers to winning the daily battle of the mind and believing in yourself while avoiding the fiery darts of doubt, fear, and apprehension. You can accomplish any task, goal, or assignment by not focusing too much in the past, comparing yourself to others, and trusting your equipment and those around you. And if a shot gets past you and the red lamp lights up, you don’t have time to get discouraged and quit because here comes another shot.
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