Players vs. Announcers… Which one are you?

By David Sussman, CEO, PFP | The Family Security Plan^®

We are all professionals in the game. The stakes are real and everything is on the line. There are two types of leaders present… Announcers who analyze the game , Players who compete during the game… Which one are you?

Everyone is an announcer at one point or another.

Most people do it from the comfort of their living room, the safety behind their screen or the proximity of the stands. The true student of the game analyzes possible outcomes before the game begins and delivers prophetic musings of the forthcoming results. Everyone in this arena is smart, capable and insightful. From pregame hype, game-time analysis and post-game reflections, the announcers have a voice that is difficult to silence. Does the announcer in you come out in the workplace? When do you take on this role? 

Players play.

They are making decisions on the field, court or rink. Players put themselves on the line hundreds of times each game. They take full responsibility for the results. Every move is contemplated in real time and assessed. Strategy is implemented and tweaked. Physicality merges with psychology.  The result is a prime time athlete executing plays and making adjustments to win. 

Players want the ball, the shot, and responsibility for the victory. Players credit the team in victory and shoulder responsibility in defeat. They expect to win while preparing to lose. Their resilience and persistence is put to the test each game as strategies either fail or prevail. Are you a player?

If you think you are a player, take this test. 

Identify examples of the times you grabbed an initiative and took full responsibility of it. The idea is yours. Implementation is on you. Analysis is yours. Decision-making is on you. Getting buy-in is yours. Building a team is on you. Infusing it into your operations is yours. How much did you truly “own?”

Now think of another example of the same thing. Now come up with another, and another. Keep listing your experiences until they are exhausted. Do you see a pattern? Have you been working on your game, practicing your role or do you have limited experience? Are you most comfortable on the field or in the announcers’ booth?

When you were playing, did it fail or succeed? Identify how many times you failed. 

Announcers rarely fail. They typically do not have to take responsibility for their misguided predictions. They have the luxury of jumping on the bandwagon of success or joining the firing squad in failure. They are able to jump back and forth during the game. Announcers are important, however, regardless of where they sit. They help players get better and they move the team towards victory.  

If you want to be a player, start playing and prepare to fail often.

Players fail more times than they succeed. Hall of fame baseball players fail to reach the bases 70 times out of 100 “at bats.” The most prolific three point shooters miss 55 times out of 100 shots. Running backs are tackled for limited gains throughout each game. One way or another, players fall down. The question is, how many times will the player get back up?

Answer? EVERY TIME!

Connect with David Sussman, CEO on Instagram, LinkedIn & Twitter

---

Don’t want to miss one of David’s Blogs?
Subscribe today!