building my Leadership Philosophy (part 3)

It's taken a while for me crystallize what exactly my next leadership principle is. The first two came easy, and built upon each other. The third stands a bit apart from the other two. Not because it's less important, but because it moves from the more strategic realm to the operational. Constantly Strive for Excellence and Fail Better help define the "what" of my leadership philosophy. My third principle, Grind, helps to define the "how".

What exactly do I mean by "Grind"? No, not the kind of dancing you did in high school when the chaperone wasn't looking at your part of the dance floor. Grind in the sense of a blade grinding against a sharpening stone. There's many excellent examples in the scientific realm that show slow, measured improvements as being the most effective and sustainable kind. One of my favorite bloggers/authors/weight lifters, James Clear, often writes about the Grind. He uses the "1%" rule as his version of Grind. According to James, individuals seeking to improve themselves in any subject, be it photography, cooking, or whatever, should aim to make a 1% improvement each time they engage in the activity. The reason behind such a modest approach is it's sustainability. His common example is his own personal attempt to back squat 300 lbs. Instead of letting himself ebb and flow depending on the myriad of factors that affects an individuals performance in the weight room (quality of sleep, nutrition, rest, what phase the moon is in, etc.), Clear stuck to a defined schedule of 1% increase in weight each time he squatted. Because he already knew exactly how much he would squat each workout for months ahead of time, there was no need to motivate himself in the gym. Could he have reached his goal sooner? Sure. But by trying to jump up in weight rapidly, he would have increased the chance of overreaching and injuring himself. James has found "1%" to be the magic number for a systemic, disciplined approach to improving himself and his habits.

Another author I'm a fan of, Jim Collins, uses a similar analogy to Clear's 1%. Collins is a fan of the "20-mile march". In his example, a man who must walk from one side of the country to the other walks exactly 20 miles each day. No more, no less. Beautiful weather and feeling like he could walk for a 100 miles that day? Nope, 20 miles. Snow storm and pneumonia? 20 miles that day. Day in and day out, the hiker goes 20 miles. Collins builds his analogy off of Roald Amundson's famous South Pole expedition. Amundson forced his men, no matter what, to achieve a prescribed distance each day. Like Clear's 1% , its the discipline to stick to a schedule, a prescribed system, that ensures the success of the walker to cross the country.

So by now, it's clear that the overarching theme of this point is discipline to the system. Once you sign up for something, be it squatting 300 lbs or being the first human to make it to the South Pole, achieving the goal is best accomplished by performing in a measured, modest way. Say you want to double your companies profits. Going "balls to the wall" to expand your customer base, venture into new markets, and build new products for the new customers is more often going to lead to disaster than success. So why "Grind", instead of something like "disciplined, systemic approach"? Well, first off, "disciplined, systemic approach" sounds horrible and boring. Second, because someone made famous by his disciplined, systemic approach already coined "Grind".

Ray Lewis, the recently retired All-Pro Defensive Tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, uses "Grind" as his catch-all phrase to summarize his path to success. Lewis out-played nearly everyone else on the field every single play. He played professional football, one of, if not the most, damaging and physically destructive sports far long than most other players (with a few notable exceptions like Jerry Rice, who are worthy in their own right of many accolades). How does Lewis account for his success? He Grinds. Every day in the weight room. Staying late at practice to work on skills and drills. Exhaustive study of his play book and of his opponents tapes. Like a sword against a sharpening stone, Lewis ground his mind and body into a razor sharp weapon. It wasn't genetics (though they help) or innate skill. It was working harder and longer than everyone else. GRIND.

So to tie it all together, my first two leadership principles, Constantly Strive For Excellence and Fail Better, direct myself and others to seek greatness and not be afraid of falling short in that pursuit. My third principle, Grind, tell how to best accomplish those first 2 principles. Disciplined, systemic approach with targeted, methodical improvements. It sounds boring, but it's absolutely the truest path to success.