When you look into the eyes of a winner, what do you see? Perhaps you notice a fire of passion, determination, resilience and a sense of self confidence that screams, “I can do it! Nothing can stop me from winning!”
We’ve all seen winners in our personal and -sional lives. They are the determined ones with a strong resolve and unwavering sense of purpose in everything they do. Always able to face challenge and adapt to change, they see adversity and defeat as minor and temporary setbacks, recovering with an even stronger, more steadfast desire to win. They never wallow on the path of self pity and consistently manage to stay focused on their ultimate objective. Winners are leaders with a mission, and they epitomize success in everything they do.
As I’ve worked with winners in the military and in business, I’ve noted an important similarity: Whether the winners realize it or not, their success omes from their innate ability to “Work It Now!”
That’s right! That is how winners define the word “win.” They have a Work It Now attitude about life, and approach every challenge with a resolute commitment to excellence. Winners undoubtedly recognize that it takes work to win, and they don’t put it off until tomorrow; they do what is necessary to win today.
The foundation of a winner’s state of mind is the realization that nothing in life worth fighting for comes easy. Sacrifice, effort and sweat are synonymous with success. If you look around your organization, see what the winners are doing, and observe how ‘easy’ they make it seem! It only appears easy because of all the time and energy they took developing their skills and sharpening the sword of success.
Winners are the ones who consistently practice the following:
- They arrive early and stay late until the job gets done.
- They volunteer for the tough projects when no one else will.
- They take pride in their work and enjoy the daily journey toward success.
- They take advantage of training seminars, ask questions and read books to expand their knowledge base and expertise.
WHO’S YOUR WINGMAN?
The same holds true for the top salespersons that repeatedly practice their presentations, the best pro golfers who perfect their swing, and the experienced surgeons who study the latest surgical equipment, medications and procedures.
In addition, winners not only work hard in their personal development, but also on developing trusting and productive relationships with their co-workers, friends and families. They appreciate that to truly be successful you often need the assistance of those trusted and reliable partners in your life to accomplish your objectives. Fighter pilots call these trusted and reliable partners wingmen, as they fly on each other’s wing in formation. Wingmen are used to backing each other up, monitoring safety and successfully accomplishing very dangerous and complicated missions.
The wingmen mentality of mutual support also applies to business and life, as we all need each other to help us overcome our daily challenges. While winners may not necessarily possess the inherent ability to do it all, their success often stems from the fact that they know who to go to for help in getting the job done. Moreover, they are easy to get along with and have an innate ability to connect with people.
As a former Air Force fighter pilot, my fellow wingmen and I lived by the credo, “The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war!” In order to defeat the enemy and stay ahead of the threat, we needed to spend countless hours studying tactics, technology and war-fighting doctrine. We trained together relentlessly in various environments in order to maximize our ability to survive in hazardous and volatile conditions. There was no room for error. If we failed, our lives and the lives of our wingmen were at stake. Finally, we planned, briefed and debriefed our missions as a unified, cohesive team, understanding that we could never fly a successful mission solo. We always had to fly with wingmen to achieve our objectives-and win!
NO EXCUSES ALLOWED
In addition to a “work mindset,” winners operate on a “now timeline.” In essence, they never put off until tomorrow what should be done today! There is no room for procrastination in a winner’s daily regimen. Furthermore, they don’t make excuses. In the stress and challenges of everyday life, it’s so easy to become overwhelmed by the countless responsibilities we face. Quite often, we become strangled by these pressures and challenges. Rather than take the necessary action to face them head on, we may find ourselves immobilized and fearful. How ‘easy’ it is to give in to the pressure and wait until tomorrow to face today’s challenges! Unfortunately, many tomorrows pass us by and the issues never get resolved. We remain uninspired and stagnant, and fail to grow in our personal and professional lives.
Winners, on the other hand, take action now. They possess a “make it happen” approach to life, and “sweat now” in order to prevent “bleeding tomorrow.” They tackle the toughest challenges first, and while their sacrifice may be burdensome at times, their ultimate reward is personal growth and the inherent satisfaction of a job well done.
The path to victory doesn’t come easy. It is often strewn with defeat and frustration. Winning is a byproduct of relentless self discipline, consistent training, passionate leadership and a positive attitude. This takes time, patience and perseverance to develop. In life, you often have to stumble or take a step back in order to make a great leap forward. For hidden in every failure is a victory waiting to emerge.
Never give up in your quest to be the best. Work It Now … and win!
About the Author
Waldo Waldman builds team unity within organizations as a high energy inspirational speaker and leadership consultant. He will be a featured keynote speaker at AWCI’s 2005 Expo: Construction Directions in Tampa, Fla. A former combat-decorated fighter pilot with corporate sales experience, Waldman brings an exciting and valuable message to companies by using fighter pilot strategies as building blocks for peak performance, teamwork, leadership and trust.
For More Information
To learn more about Waldman’s seminars or to register for his newsletter, The Wingman, visit www.yourwingman.com, or call him at 1-866-WALDO-16 (925- 3616).
