Tag: Caring for Others

The essence of Servant Leadership is found in caring for others. The andwin philosophy is likewise rooted in the care of those we have the privilege to lead.

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Gratitude

Be Grateful

Be grateful. Phillip Kane's andwin.net blog.
Asian Community News Network

Friday, November 25, 2022 – The Thanksgiving Week

This week, at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the Japanese national football team delivered a stunning 2-1 upset over heavily favored Germany. But as much as this installment of The Week could be about the near absolute likelihood of achieving whatever you believe you can do, or about how more-nimble Davids can prevail over too-slow and too-confident Goliaths seven days a week and twice on Sundays as long as they stick to the more-nimble playbook, it’s about neither of those things. It’s about gratitude and respect and how one begets the other.

See, after cheering on the Samarai Blue for 90 minutes, plus a bit of extra time, the Japanese fans stayed behind to help clean the stadium … not just the part they were sitting in, but the entire stadium. For Japanese football fans, Thanksgiving isn’t a once-a-year thing – it’s a 365 day a year thing. And because they are grateful for each day and everything in it, they likewise show respect for all they encounter; like football stadiums. It is not something the Japanese have to stop and think about. There are no dots to connect. It is reflexive … a common and simple truth: One will respect that which they are grateful for.

And that’s the point for the week.



Japanese football fans do not clean stadiums out of a sense of moral obligation or duty. They do so from a place of love and mutual respect – a place that is rooted in gratitude. The former simply flows from the latter. Easily. Without great thought or effort. Without gratitude, respect is nigh on impossible. Surely, one can behave in a respectful manner toward someone or something without having any sense of gratitude in their heart. But there is a world of difference between respect and being respectful.

True, caring leaders and those who fully buy into what they are trying to accomplish know these things. That’s why they wake up each day with grateful hearts and are careful, at any point in any day, when they feel that sense of gratitude slipping away, to restart their day – seeking to re-find that almost childlike sense of gratitude, and ensuring that it connects up with a spirit of respect for everybody and everything in their life. Because they do, people are more likely to want to follow them, and will more willingly engage in difficult tasks or invest long hours on their behalf. Think about your own experience. Recall the best boss, teacher, coach, leader, or superior of any other kind that you’ve had in your life. I’m willing to go out on a limb to bet you that this person was exceedingly grateful for whatever they had in their life.

And it was that spirit of gratitude that led them to first appreciate then respect you. And since, after all, because all of us want simply, and not much more than but, to be respected, those who lead with grateful hearts will, by the sheer business of odds, be apt to reach all of those around them, forming many-stranded cords of nearly unbreakable strength which become capable of accomplishing extraordinary things that exactly no one might ever have thought them capable. 

But it all starts with one person … waking up with a grateful heart … behaving with respect for others … picking up the very first piece of trash.

So, be that person. Be thankful for all that you have in the world.

Be grateful.

And win.

Categories
Make Others Big

Make it About Others

Make it about others. Phillip Kane's andwin.net blog
Image credit: Didgeman | Pixabay

Friday, November 18, 2022

This week, CBS ran a story about Ironman athletes, father and son, Jeff and Johnny Agar. Jeff is 59. Johnny is 26. They have competed in over 200 competitions together – competitions that require a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run. Jeff and Johnny are not your typical triathletes though. Johnny has Cerebral Palsy. So, in each race, when they swim, Jeff tugs Johnny; when they bike, Jeff tows Johnny; and when they run, Jeff pushes Johnny. The two of them together with their gear weigh over 400 pounds.

This is not something Jeff Agar does for himself. Speaking of her husband, Becky Agar said, “Even though he got him the 140 miles, he’ll always be hiding behind Johnny. He doesn’t want to be announced as an Ironman. It’s Johnny’s moment. And it’s the most beautiful thing to me.” Jeff Agar knows with 100% certainty that it’s not about him. And because of that, his son becomes really, really big. See, that’s the paradoxical truth of life and leadership: the smaller we become, the bigger those around us can get.

And that’s the point for the week.



Those who make it about others attract followers to them. Because those who follow them recognize in them a genuine care for those they lead as human beings, and a true concern for their welfare and safety. When we make it about others, their interests are placed ahead of our own, and as a result, we are made more aware of that which stands in their way of health and happiness, and we’ll move heaven and earth to fix it when these things are threatened. When we make it about others, they flourish, because nothing other than that is more important to us.

But when we make it about us, those around us cease to thrive. That’s because we suck the very life out of them. It’s exhausting and soul-crushing for others to support the nearly endless need of a narcissist to feel more important than they truly are. Those who put themselves first make others feel unsafe, less valued, and less important. They feel like disposable parts whose opinions matter for nothing and who wouldn’t be missed if they didn’t bother showing up one more day.

In organizations where it’s not about those in charge, the rest of the place looks out for one another and for their leaders. They offer up ideas to make things better and to catapult the organization forward. They bring their whole hearts to what they do because they know that it’s about them and making their lives better. And as a result, the businesses they work in move ahead with speed and force, accomplishing things that those in them only ever once dreamed were possible. All because people started making it more about others than themselves.

So, make others really, really big … by making yourself really, really small.And win.

Categories
Listening

Listen to One Another

Listen to one another. Phillip Kane's andwin.net blog
Image credit: Couleur | Pixabay

Friday, November 11,2022

This week, an election was held in this country. Despite predictions of a huge “red wave,” from state legislatures, to governorships, to the U.S. House and, ultimately, the U.S. Senate, those who were victorious were those who spent their campaigns talking about things that actually mattered most to their voters. Conversely, those who spent the past twelve months talking only about those things that mattered to them and their party – things their constituents were not truly concerned about – were punished at the ballot box. But life is like that. People will more often follow those who place the needs of others ahead of their own.

And that’s the point for the week.



The success of any enterprise, whether a country or a company, is inversely proportional to the degree to which those leading it impress their own personal self-interests upon it. That’s because when the direction of an organization is determined solely by those leading it, enthusiasm and commitment among everyone else becomes harder and harder to find. See, people want to be heard. They want a say in the direction of things they are expected to contribute to, and which impact their lives. Most importantly, they want to know that when the enterprise achieves its goals, their lives will improve.

All this begins with people who listen to one another and who take the time to understand what’s important to them. It’s no harder than asking then caring enough to listen to what comes next. It’s a simple fact that we learn things about each other when we take the time to talk about what matters to each other. Those who do so build things that others want to be a part of, believe in and fight for – because they see a place for themselves in these structures, and can imagine the better futures that they promise – all because someone cared more about what mattered to them than their own self interests.

So, take the time to understand what matters to each other.

And win. 

Categories
Caring

With Everything You Want Will Come Something You Don’t

With Everything You Want Will Come Something You Don't. Phillip Kane's andwin.net blog
Photo credit: L. Ann Kane

Friday, April 1, 2022

This week, my wife, Annie, who almost never complains about anything, reached the end of her rope with our dogs. We have four of them – three English Bulldogs and a stowaway Boston Terrier. For those of you who have ever had English Bulldogs, you know that they are much like having toddlers. They are only about that bright, are always needing something, and forever requiring this or that to be wiped … all on top of their routine indoor “accidents.” And if you’ve ever had a Boston, you know that they are pot stirrers. So whatever problems the Bulldogs are creating become near infinitely worse when you add a Boston to the mix. Normally, Annie is their chief cheerleader and life chronicler. She has 738,000 photos of them on her phone and texts at least 19 life updates of each dog every day. So, for her to have had it with them took quite a lot. Naturally, she came to me for help. I say naturally because whenever the dogs misbehave their ownership status reverts to me; they become my dogs again. My advice for Annie in that moment was simple: with everything you want in life, will come something you don’t.

And that’s the point for the week.



It’s also true.

Don’t believe it? Think back to anything you’ve ever wished for and subsequently received. I’ll bet you that it came with something you didn’t want as well. It’s a simple fact of life. Everything comes at a price.

Rainbows come with rain. The down part of a rollercoaster ride comes with the boring click-clack up part. Spring always follows Winter. Higher income comes with a higher tax bracket. You get the idea. It’s always the case. With everything you want will come something you don’t.

The best leaders understand this intuitively. And they plan accordingly. They don’t draw up plans with lines that move only in an upward trajectory, because they recognize that ups come with downs and that highs come with consequential lows. They hire great people knowing they will have developmental areas. They recognize that any two steps forward will likely come with one taken back. They know that humans never get everything right; so, they don’t expect them to. 

As a result, they hold people to realistic standards. They factor in the inevitable back-ups. They rarely lose their patience or their minds when bad things happen – mostly because they expect them, but also because they recognize the futility of temper tantrums. They know that no good ever comes from dwelling on the bad. So, they don’t do it. Instead, they celebrate progress and those who achieve it. They happily endure rain, the click-clack parts, and the backward steps. Because they know that they bring with them progress, beauty and joy.

They are people that others willingly follow, mostly because they are people who hold others accountable without destroying their dignity. Because they know they will live through minor setbacks and simple mistakes. And because they know that they will be encouraged and consoled when they fall, not berated, embarrassed or belittled. Most of all, it’s because they know that they will be accepted for who they are – taking any bad with all of the good and all that they want with everything they don’t.

So, recognize that anything you want always comes with something you don’t.

And win.

To learn more about Phillip Kane, please click HERE.

To purchase a copy of Phillip’s new book, The Not So Subtle Art of Caring: Letters on Leadership, please follow this LINK.

Photo credit: L. Ann Kane

Categories
Caring

Show Up On Time

Show up on time. Phillip Kane's andwin.net blog.
Image credit: Jon Tyson | Unsplash.com

Friday, February 25, 2022

This week, the leader of the free world was late, by more than an hour each, for two scheduled addresses to the nation on the topic of Russia and Ukraine. It’s a pattern. Of the man’s inability to show up for things on time, Politico has said, “President Joe Biden is not a punctual man.” adding, “20 minutes late is standard, but it is wise to allow for up to an hour.” In the month of August, last year, alone, the man was, on average, 34 minutes late for every single event he was expected at. Over a longer, four-month period, he was tardy, on average, 22 minutes for every scheduled appearance. The Washington Post commented that for Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr, “scheduled start times are notional at best.”

Certainly, he’s a busy man. But being late for every appearance is a choice. And it’s no small thing.

While it’s absolutely true that those who don’t get the little things right almost never get the big things right, being chronically late isn’t a little thing. It’s a matter of respect. And respect is a big thing – or should be anyway. Leaders who choose to never be where they are supposed be, when they are supposed to be there, have a fundamental lack of respect for others.

And that’s the point for the week.



Punctuality is a simple matter of keeping one’s word. If we tell someone we will be there at 12:30, it’s a commitment, no different from any other. When we tell someone we intend to do something, we ought to do it, purely as a matter of respect – for ourselves and for them. This isn’t a political observation. It’s a human one. See, almost nothing will destroy the trust-based contract that enables one person to lead another faster than disrespect, real or perceived.

The people we have the privilege to lead simply and fundamentally want to be valued and respected. They want little more than for their leaders to treat them the way they themselves would want to be treated. When those in charge show up on time, they tell others, without saying a word, that they matter, that their time matters, and that both are respected. They tell them that they are valued and important.

It doesn’t cost a thin dime more to be on time versus being late. But both are choices, each with remarkable consequences. One builds and adds to trust, furthers credibility, and accelerates productivity and the attainment of team goals. The other not only detracts from trust but it likewise suggests the presence of some other underlying defect, whether incompetence, malice, narcissism, or a simple inability to comprehend and manage the tiniest details. No one wants to follow people who refuse to show up on time – who say, by their actions, that they matter more than anyone else, or that they lack fundamental decency, dependability, or integrity. These are not people that others want to entrust anything to, let alone their livelihoods or their futures – or the fate of the free world for that matter.

Those who show up on time stand out, not just for being where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there but for the calm confidence that doing so affords them and for the masses of people who seek to follow them – people who would do anything for them because they know that he or she would do anything for them – starting with caring enough for their time to show up every time on time.

So, show respect for others. Show up on time.

And win.

To learn more about the author, please follow this LINK.

To pre-order a copy of Phillip Kane’s new book, The Not So Subtle Art of Caring: Letters on Leadership, a book about winning while also showing kindness to others, please click HERE.

Image credit: Jon Tyson | Unsplash.com

Categories
Caring

Go Among Them

Go among them. Phillip Kane's andwin.net blog

Friday, February 11, 2021

Above I490 in Rochester, NY a spray-painted banner screams out for someone to care enough to actually do something about the raging epidemic. But it’s not the epidemic you’re thinking of. It is an epidemic that has been, though, responsible for the death of exactly 100,306 Americans in the 12-month period ended April 2021 – a 28.5% increase from the 78,056 overdoses one year before.

65%, or about 65,000 of these deaths, were attributable to synthetic opioids, primarily Fentanyl. By comparison, a decade ago, in 2011, just 2,666 people died of Fentanyl overdoses. That’s a nearly 2,500% increase. And the people closest to the problem are screaming for help. But those in charge of things – those furthest from the problem – don’t seem to be listening. Those who live with the impact of this horror have an acute understanding of the issue. Those who’ve never seen it before have not one notion about it. See, it’s almost impossible to manage what you’ve never seen before.

And that’s the point for the week.



The amount of knowledge associated with anything is inversely proportional to the distance from that thing’s epicenter. Want to know less about something? Move farther away from it.

Those on the front lines of things know what matters most about those things. If you ask them about these things, they will gladly tell you. If you refuse to ask them, they will find other ways to be heard – they hang banners over interstates, or quit their jobs, or act out inappropriately. But whether asked or not, two things will always be true: one, these people know what they are talking about, and two, these people speak up because they care.

And they will tell you that people who have never spent a single minute in their reality have exactly no chance of solving their problems.

The drug crisis in this country is getting worse because the people in charge of this country have spent almost no time at the leading edge of the problem. Pick a chronic issue and you can be assured that whoever is in charge has never seen it before.

The worst leaders are those who pretend to know things about anything they’ve never seen before. The right answer is easy enough to come by – if they’d only just ask, if they’d only just go look, if they’d only accept that the possibility exists that they might not have all the answers.

True, caring leaders don’t need desperate pleas scrawled on bedsheets to alert them to the fact that problems exist. They know these things because they spend time in every province of their responsibility, with people at every level. For them, these visits are “get to dos” not “have to dos.” It’s because these people genuinely love every single person they have the privilege to care for, regardless of where they are from, who they love, what they look like, what they believe, or who they might have voted for. They do things not because they are popular or because they are easy, but because they make the lives of other people better. They believe in the notion that the first will be last and that their purpose in life is to serve others.

And because they do, people will follow them anywhere. They will do so because they trust these leaders completely – to do right by them, to attend to what matters to them, and to make life better for them. This trust is earned by spending time with those who follow them – where they live and work, by shaking their hands and looking them in the eye while thanking them and assuring them that they matter, and by following through on promises made.

Fixing even badly broken things can be done. But no more are these things possible to do with one’s eyes closed than when what needs fixed has never been seen before. Those who believe they can are the same narcissists who look down upon those closest to the work and who likewise reject the poor in spirit; who have no empathy for those who mourn; who prey on the meek; who cast out those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; who ridicule the merciful, the pure of heart and the peacemakers; and who ignore those who are persecuted and who hang banners on interstate overpasses.

So, go among them. Get close to the problem.

And win.

To learn more about the author, please follow this LINK.

To pre-order Phillip Kane’s new book, The Not So Subtle Art of Caring: Letters on Leadership, from John Hunt Publishing, London, please click HERE.

Categories
You Get What You Give

You Get What You Give

You get what you give, Phillip Kane's andwin blog
Photo credit: JOE | Flickr.com

Monday, September 6, 2021

This week, while running errands with Annie, I happened to see a young boy in the midst of a battle of wills with his mother. It was a beautiful Saturday, and instead of being out and about with his friends, he was headed into a tutoring center. He wasn’t happy. Curled up in a ball on the pavement and crying, it was clear, even to a casual observer, that he had no intention of moving – not for love nor money. But as much as I was taken by the antics of the little boy, I also couldn’t help noticing his mother; mostly for the calmness with which she was dealing with her son’s total lack of cooperation.

Rather than yell or scream, threaten him, tower over him, or otherwise yank a knot in him, she knelt at his level, and in a normal tone of voice, sought to settle him down. She was patient and kind. Eventually, his mood and manner began to coincide with hers. Once quiet, he began to listen, then reason. Within just a few moments (which to her, no doubt, seemed more like an eternity) he stood up and made his way to class, one of his hands clasping his mother’s, the other wiping away at his eyes.

I smiled, thankful for the reminder of one of life’s greatest truths: that we get precisely what we give.

And that’s the point for the week.

The boy achieved calm because he was on the receiving end of calm.  Had his mother chosen to meet his emotion with anger, or a show of power or force, he’d most assuredly have returned like for like, resulting in not only a public scene, but, more importantly, a series of events which would have left an emotional mark on both mother and child. But by kneeling and assuming his same level, the boy’s mother said, without uttering a word, “I’m no bigger than you or no more powerful than you, but rather I’m here for you, I’m present in your life and I’m on your side.” Because she came toward him, he ultimately came toward her; people give what they get.

True, caring leaders, when presented with resistance, respond like the mother in the parking lot. They do not become emotional. They do not become confrontational. They never regard such situations as opportunities to assert their authority. It’s because true, caring leaders recognize that the privilege of stewarding others is not live action role playing (LARPing) or some other performative art done for the benefit of some audience. It’s also because true, caring leaders are not narcissists. They recognize that almost nothing in life is about them. They know that their ultimate success is derived by enabling the success of those they lead NOT by winning petty squabbles against them. It’s because they explicitly understand that they get what they give.

When leaders more often understand this simple equation, not only are confrontations reduced to simple, temporary distractions, but they build trust by the armload between themselves and others – trust that propels their organizations to accomplish more in less time, with less effort and less waste. What’s more, those they lead will do almost anything for these people, because they know that, if asked, these leaders will do almost anything for them. It’s why the teams they lead win way more than they lose. These are leaders who fight for their people not with their people. These are leaders who know that others get really, really big when they get really, really small. These are leaders who understand that you get exactly what you give.  Even if it’s something as simple as a hug on steaming hot asphalt some Saturday in September.

Remember, you get what you give.

And win.

For more about the author, visit https://phillipkaneauthor.com

Categories
Joy

Grab a Front Row Seat to Joy

Grab a front row seat to joy. Phillip Kane’s andwin.net blog.
Image: Andre Jackson | Unsplash

August 26, 2021


This week, I had the chance to meet Chris and Jenny O Calleri of Huntington Jewelers in Las Vegas, Nevada. At one point in our meeting, Jenny O shared something particularly poignant about her business – something that makes being in it especially gratifying. Being in the jewelry business, Jenny O says, gives her an opportunity to be a part of the most joyful moments of other people’s lives. For her, proximity to such joy would not be possible anywhere else. It’s why Jenny O does what she does. And it’s clear that she gives every bit as much joy as she gets. 

I continued to think about Jenny’s words on my flight back to Ohio. And suddenly, it occurred to me that for Jenny O, the joy is simply more obvious. The truth is, we are, all of us surrounded by joy. Every one of us has a front row seat to the joyful moments in the lives of those around us. It’s just that we’re often too preoccupied to see them. 

And that’s the point for the week. 

Each day, something joyful happens in the life of someone we know. Whether it’s big joy, little joy or in-between joy, there’s joy to be found – if we simply pay attention. It might be the engagement of the new guy in accounting; a passed driver’s exam of your assistant’s youngest son; or the sweet 16 of one of the driver’s twin daughters.  All of it joy, occurring right before our very eyes, but hidden behind the veil of a simple choice on our part to be less present in the lives of those we lead.  

It’s choice that, I think, Jenny O would say is nutty – to miss out on the chance to be a part of the rarest of human emotion – to grab a front row seat to joy – when it’s sitting right outside our door.

True leaders, though, choose to be present in the lives of those whose care has been entrusted to them. They know their birthdays, the names of their children, and when something important is about to happen in their lives. Because they do, they tell those around them, even without saying a word, that they care about them, that they matter, and that they are interested in them as human beings, not just as a means of production. 

As a result, trust flourishes and along with it effort, loyalty and dedication to the cause of the whole.  Teams with truly present leaders give more because they get more, and, as a result, they rarely ever lose. 

But even more than that, for the leader who becomes more present in the lives of others, their own life becomes dimensionally better – more complete, more interesting, and, well, more joyful.  

So, grab a front row seat to the joy that’s always been there. 

Be present in the lives of others. 

And win.

To pre-order Phillip’s new book, follow this link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-not-so-subtle-art-of-caring-phillip-kane/1139978178?ean=9781789049084 

Categories
Love

Choose Love

US Marine holding a baby. Afghanistan, 2021 / Choose Love from Phillip Kane's AndWin blog
Credit: US Central Command Public Affairs

Sunday, August 22, 2021

Last week, more than 20 people were killed in Afghanistan though our President told us no one was dying. An NPR reporter went off script during Friday’s press briefing and that same President became flustered and walked out. Meanwhile his Chief of Staff is retweeting third-rate MSNBC pundits, his State and Defense spokesmen are contradicting one another and his Vice President just took off for the scene of one of the country’s last foreign policy disasters. And 30% of somebody somewhere in this nation believe all of this is acceptable. But this morning, I saw a picture that reminded me of something that I sometimes need reminded of: none of this is bigger than love. 

And that’s the point for the week. 

The picture is of an American soldier at K-Hai airport in Kabul, holding an Afghan infant. The soldier is exhausted and filthy. He’s tenderly cradling the infant in both arms, looking down into its face, and he’s smiling. It is a beautiful and perfect example of love. 

He’s not thinking of the enemy, or a botched exit, or who’s to blame, or what might happen next. In that perfect moment, he’s perfectly present in the life of that child. He’s chosen love. 

It’s a reminder to the rest of us that we should too. 

The millions of people who see that picture and the billions more who witness countless other acts of love today will be moved to choose: to think differently about life – to choose love – or not. 

Because when this entire mess is over, love will remain. And it is love alone that will make surviving it possible.

See, life is a choice. We can dwell on all that is wrong and broken. We can put hatred and partisanship above what is right and join the 30%. We can choose darkness, or we can seek the light. We can choose to tear down, or we can build up. We can choose indifference, or we can choose love. 

But, in the end, love will win. See, light will always overcome the darkness. And good will forever triumph over evil. 

That’s because people are fundamentally good – 97 or 98 percent of them anyway. Even most of the 30% know what they are up to isn’t right. It’s just that humans have a hard time admitting they are wrong. And an even harder time loving people they don’t know or who have hurt them before. But eventually, even the hardest hearts give way. 

Love will, in time, conquer all. In the history of recorded time it always has. Because when people are given the choice, or simply remember that they’ve had one all along, they choose love.

Because love forgives all. Love forgets all. Love overlooks all. 

Love doesn’t pout. Or dwell. Or brood. It doesn’t seek equity, or revenge, or reparations. 

Love is accepting. It doesn’t divide. And it doesn’t see difference. 

Organizations founded on and fueled by love become shining beacons on a hill. They are propelled to heights unheard of and become the greatest examples of themselves in the history of mankind – by love and for as long as they choose love. 

I saw a picture today that reminded me that it’s true. 

So choose love. 

And win. 

To pre-order Phillip’s new book, follow this link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-not-so-subtle-art-of-caring-phillip-kane/1139978178?ean=9781789049084

Categories
Be Wholehearted

Be Like Tamyra

Be like Tamyra, Phillip Kane's Andwin.net blog
Photo credit: Azamat Mukanov | Shutterstock.com, License paid

Thursday, August 12, 2021

On August 3, Olympic women’s wrestler, Tamyra Mensah-Stock became the first black female to win a gold medal for the United States in wrestling, beating Blessing Oborududu of Nigeria in the 68kg final. Her performance on the mat was only matched by her performance afterward when a jubilant Mensah-Stock triumphantly waved then draped herself in the American flag as she celebrated her historic victory. Asked what it felt like, she replied, “I love representing the U.S. I freaking love living there.” She then pumped her fist and pulled the flag even more tightly around herself. What was clear to anyone paying even the slightest bit of attention was that Tamyra Mensah-Shah had brought her whole heart to the task of competing for her country. It shouldn’t have been surprising then that she had won. Those who bring their whole heart to things tend to win more often.

And that’s the point for the week.

Things done half-heartedly rarely end well. It’s a simple matter of fact. Those who mail it in, go through the motions or allow themselves to be distracted by things that don’t matter will almost always lose for the sole reason that they bring less of themselves to the fight.

And while wholeheartedness is not a guarantee of victory, those who do bring their whole hearts to things win more than they lose. They do so because at the final bell, they’ll have brought all there is to bring, spent all there is to spend, and have left nothing at all on the field of play.

Whole-heartedness is closely related to belief. In fact, without the latter, the former is not possible. Only that which we firmly believe in can we bring our entire selves to the task of achieving. Any doubt, any reservation, any disagreement with the ultimate objective will directly correlate to a loss of commitment to it. And as commitment wanes, so with it the odds of achieving success.

No amount of talent can compensate for a lack of heart. A collection of B players bringing their whole hearts to a task will mop the floor with any group of uncommitted A players seven days a week and twice on Sundays. It’s because the mind and body can only achieve what the heart will allow.

Those who bring their whole heart to things are easy to spot. They stay at things longer. They seldom give up. They seem to be bothered less by setbacks. And they tend to be far less concerned with their own well being than with some greater good. More than anything, they recognize that wholeheartedness is not something that can be commanded, bought or coached; it is rather, like most else in life, a choice – a deeply personal choice between fully giving of oneself or making it about oneself.

Those who give their whole heart to something bigger than themselves build trust among those around them – whether at home, at work or in their communities – because others know that they can be counted on. And when trust blossoms and flourishes, teams are propelled with force and speed toward ever greater heights of achievement. All because simple people dared to make a simple choice: to bring more of their heart to something instead of less of it.

So, in whatever you do, be wholehearted about it.

Be like Tamyra.

And win.

To pre-order Phillip Kane’s new book, please follow this link: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Subtle-Art-Caring-Leadership/dp/1789049083/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Not+So+Subtle+Art+of+Caring&qid=1630960840&sr=8-1