What a Great Gift
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves.”
- Leo Tolstoy
I was out to eat with a friend the other night. We were talking about the economy and he mentioned his niece had been laid off recently. He also added that she had recently become disenchanted by the way the company was adapting to the changes.
The only thing I did say was, “What a great gift, now she can move on to her passion.”
Change is good. Especially when we aren’t happy where we are at.
Here is the problem: We don’t move on our own because we aren’t quite sick enough of the old job because it pays the bills. This is the first signs of being “Stuck”. “Stagnation” is the second step. It comes after you have been in the job so long that you can’t afford to change jobs. The final step is “Death”. This is when your dreams and goals have fallen along the wayside and you succumb to the numbness of working for someone else’s dreams as your professional dreams die.
My Leap of Faith
I had the dream of winning a Super Bowl since I was ten years old. In 1991 I had been a high school teacher and a coach for 6 years. I had been married for a couple of years. My wife owned her own business and we were living in her grandparents’ home, rent free. (The grandparents had passed away)
From out of the blue, my mentor and friend, Tim Weiss, called and asked if I wanted to go to the University of Arkansas to become a Graduate Assistant. I didn’t hesitate. I knew that I was never going to win a Super Bowl while at a small high school. Going to the UofA was a positive step towards accomplishing my life’s dream.
Here is the leap of faith. I would only make $400 a month, 10 months of the year. Rent was $450 a month, 12 months of the year. I’m not very good in math, but even I can see there was going to be some lean times. My wife trusted me that this would pay off in the end, and I trusted my passion.
Because we made that jump, I met Scotty Conley who later would bring me to Trinity Valley to be part of the National Championship program that he had built. I also worked under John Stucky. John Stucky was a genius (Read more about John in this blog: Humble and Hungry — Chris Carlisle (thecoachcarlisle.com)). ‘Stuck’ took me in and taught me all I could handle as a GA. A couple of years later he asked me to join him at the University of Tennessee, where we helped the Vols win a National Championship. Not only did Coach Stucky help me to understand the profession he just happened to have been friends with Pete Carroll.
When Pete got the USC head coaching gig he called his good friend, John Stucky, who recommended me for the head strength coaching job. Bada Bing, Bada Boom … Super Bowl!
It never would have happened had I not made that decision to leave “good” to pursue “great”.
Follow Your Passion
Before chaos enters your life, you need to continually access your dreams and the goals that will lead you to follow your passion to achieve your dreams. If you aren’t on your path, following your passion so you are accomplishing your goals to obtain your dreams, then at least have a plan. It’s okay use your current job as a bill payer. But don’t get so wrapped up in a job that you get in so much debt that you can’t walk away when you are in line with you passion. Instead, while you are working your bill-payer, fill your off time to begin to move towards your passion.
Too many get bogged down with expenses and have spent all their free time “chillin’” that they didn’t make any progress towards accomplishing the goals that would lead to your dream. When the right opportunity comes around, they can’t “afford” to leave their bill-payer to get on track.
The proper mode is to live a Spartan lifestyle. Saving money and using all the “free time” getting ready to make the “big move”. This is where most dreams die. For the first time they are making money. They see others living a lifestyle that looks easier than theirs. They “want” a new car, they don’ “need” one, they just want a new car … like everyone else. Never lose focus on your dream.
Build Your Foundation
Your dreams should be so big that you will need a firm foundation. Instead of planning how your office will look on the top floor of your dream, start laying down your foundation. This might take the form of taking classes that you will need to have when your make your “leap” onto your career path. It may be making contacts by going to networking events. It might be reaching out to ask if there are any volunteer or shadowing opportunities in your passion’s profession. You might find out quick that this isn’t a passion, but it is in reality a dead-end.
My son, Alex, was taking classes to get his computer science major, until he talked to people in the profession who said it required mind-numbing hours of coding. His true passion was in working with athletes. So, is about to earn his Masters Degree in Sports Science. As part of his profession, he is using all the information he obtained in the computer programming field. Since this is the way that the strength profession is heading, he is ahead of the game.
Gain Connections
In any profession, who you know, get’s you in the door, what you know allows you to stay in the business. If you have no contacts, your chances of moving up in the profession is very difficult. I told you my story. Tim Weiss, Scotty Conley and John Stucky got me connected to the right people that allowed me to climb on a firm ladder.
As a head coach I had several of my assistants take “bad jobs” just so they could get a “head coach” job. The problem with a bad job is that you will only rise so far, and then you will need to become an assistant at the level you are at to become a head coach under the right person.
If no one on your staff is a major college or NFL caliber coach, they won’t be able to help you up the ladder.
Much like in business. If the people around you are small minded and only dream of being the best small business person in the neighborhood you will never get connected to people who will allow you to become the CEO of a Fortune 500 job.
The Acorn Becomes an Oak Tree
Bare ass it and take the lowest position in a major company. Then work your ass off. People want to have great workers around them. Young executives who are just as hungry as you are will see your work. They know your hard work makes their work better. When they move up, they will bring you with them.
For example:
- Mary Barra, CEO, General Motors: Mary started with the company checking fender panels and inspecting hoods along the line.
- Doug McMillion, CEO Walmart: Doug started with Walmart by unloading delivery trucks for the company.
- Karen Kaplan, CEO Hill Holliday: Karen started with the company as a receptionist.
- Alex Gorsky, CEO Johnson & Johnson: Alex started in pharmaceutical salesman.
- Ursula Burns, CEO Xerox: Ursula started as an intern for the company.
There are hundreds of others, I found these with one quick google search.
My father started with the railroad, after leaving the military at the end of the Korean War, as a spike pounder on a rail construction crew. He climbed to the position of Asistant Vice President and Division Manager for the entire railroad. He didn’t pursue the corporate office positions because he wanted to keep his hand in his passion: Building and running the railroads most lucrative division.
It’s a Long Road to the Top
None of the above mentioned became the CEO overnight. Each had a long arduous climb. But every one of them had a dream of being the best. When they found their niche, they didn’t stop until they were on top.
In today’s society of instant gratification, people want to walk into an upper management position without putting their time in to learn how the business is run. Even as they climb, they don’t take the time to understand the heart beat of the company.
We see these people failing quickly and being let go a few years after they attained the top position. Since it’s going to take time why not learn the interworking’s of the company or the profession. Obtain all of the education, know-how and contacts that you will need when it is time for you to sit in the big chair.
What a Great Gift
When the worst thing in the world, you get let go, happens. Take time to understand why. And then take time to understand that what just happened was the greatest gift the company could give you. They freed you up to chase your dreams.
Sadly, what happens in real life is that the person who is let go starts flailing around thinking of the worst thing that could happen: They’re going to live in the streets. Because of this they take the first job that opens up. Most times it’s not their passion. But it offers a paycheck.
And they hop back on the merry-go-round of having unfulfilling job. They will become Stuck – they will complain about their work until they Stagnate and they will hold on for dear life watching their professional dreams and their passion Die right in before their eyes.
Excel In Chaos
Don’t think small. We might have to start small. But we can still dream big.
As long as we are on the right path to accomplish our goals, and on the way to achieving our dreams, we control the chaos. We decide who we are going to work for. We decide how much effort we are willing to give in order to accomplish our goals. (Remember the amount of effort you are willing to give will be the extent of how high you climb.) If your dreams are out of this world then your work better be out of this world. But you control that.
Don’t let a change in your game plan stop you from pursing it. “Success is not final; failure is not fatal …” so says Winston Churchill. If you were laid off, as my friend’s niece was, then take it as the universe pushing you off the merry-go-round you were spinning to your demise on. You are now being forced to take the proper steps to get back on path as you chase your passion to obtain your optimal life.
What a Great Gift!
Have a Great Day!
