“Change is a door that can only be opened from the inside.”
-French proverb

ELEPHANTINE DECISION MAKING
(From What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School by Mark H. McCormack)

A circus keeps a baby elephant from running away by chaining it to a stake. When the animal pulls at the chain the cuff chafes its leg, and the baby elephant concludes that to avoid pain it’s best to stay put.

But when the elephant grows up, the circus still chains it to the same small stake. The mature elephant could now pull the stake out of the ground like a toothpick, but the elephant remembers the pain and is too dumb to use the new set of facts-how circumstances have changed. The tiny stake keeps a two-ton elephant at bay just as effectively as it did the baby.

Many executives are too dependent on old facts, on outmoded conventions, or are still basing decisions on what worked twenty years ago. This is elephantine decision making.

What old ways are you still using?

What old beliefs are you still holding on to?

How are these things holding you back?

Some of the most successful people in history were laughed at.

People laughed at the Wright Brothers.

People laughed at Einstein.

People laughed at Columbus.

Turns out, they weren’t crazy. They were leaders.

Fred Smith, the founder of FedEx wrote a paper in college about starting an overnight delivery service.

He got a C on that paper.

His professor gave him a chance to re-write it. Smith handed in the same exact paper. The professor was confused.

Smith simply said, “You can keep the C, and I’ll keep my dream.”

So don’t worry if others think your idea or passion is something to laugh about. Love what you do and put in the work, then they won’t be laughing for long.

As for me, I plan on changing the world through sports, leaving a legacy…and getting on Oprah before she goes off the air.

What are you laughing at?

“People by and large become what they think about themselves.”
-WILLIAM JAMES, the father of American psychology

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Sue Elkind and Naime Jezzeny.

In 1920, Babe Ruth hit 54 home runs in his first year with the Yankees.

But that’s not the amazing part.

In that era, players weren’t hitting home runs, in fact, Ruth’s 54 homers were more than the TOTAL number of home runs hit by the rest of the TEAMS in baseball, except for the Philadelphia Phillies.

He wasn’t just the best, he was in a whole different league!

Babe did something that had never been done. He acted like the person he wanted to become. He didn’t do what everyone else was doing.

Most people wait until they become successful to act successful, but the great ones in history acted great before they became great.

You don’t have to be confident to act confident.

You can be confident now.

You don’t have to wait until you open your gifts to be happy.

You can be happy now.

You don’t have to wait until January 1st to make a resolution in your life.

You can make that resolution now.

K + A = R

Knowledge plus Action equals Results.

Stop being comfortable and start being great.

Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays to all.