Prior to this year, I’d never seen Brené Brown in person, but I’d been a fan from afar. This year, I’ve seen her twice — most recently at the Fast Company Innovation Festival in New York, just prior to the launch of her new book, Strong Ground.
(We’ll dive deep into the book this Friday at Wiser by Choice. Join us, or register to receive the recording. You don’t have to have read the book — that’s the point of the no-reading-required book club.)
Brene’s new book is full of sport analogies — another reason I’m a fan (Go Jays!) — and one observation has stayed with me: you would never bet on a team that has no coach.
Her point is that high performance requires investment.
And I love that she then turned the mirror on herself, acknowledging her own need to get back on track with seeing a coach, a therapist, a personal trainer and a mentor.
Did I mention I’m a Toronto Blue Jays fan? Watching their game yesterday, I was struck by how large their coaching staff is. Those players know a thing or two about playing baseball already, yet they continue to invest in upping their game. They had a few days off last week, and many of them said they spent the time working with the coaching staff on their mechanics.
High performance requires talent and practice, but also inputs from people with fresh and knowledgeable perspectives. That’s why I went to the Innovation Festival, and I’ve summarized my insights for you here if you’d like to hear more.
It’s also why I landed back at the gym, on the massage table and in a coaching appointment last week.
We say we want to level up or gain some clarity — but it doesn’t just magically happen. Book the session you need.