Finding your philosophy.
I had someone tell me once that if I were hiring someone I needed to hire someone with a philosophy that I could work with. I could teach them the rest. In our business, that is often an overlooked quality. A gym owner will look at someone’s accomplishments, their ability to spot. They (hopefully!) will do some investigating into their background, make some phone calls to past employers and maybe call some parents or former gymnasts. All of that is a good start but as gym owners or managers interviewing a potential employee you need to LISTEN. You need to have some in-depth conversations to find out if their philosophy in and out of the gym is compatible with yours.
Teaching them your system won’t take long. Educating them to be a BETTER coach should be an ongoing process. You are probably not going to change their philosophy. They can change their mind on whether to teach a yurchenko or tsuk first but their core values will remain the same.
In my professional career there were 2 books that helped me form my overall philosophy. Recently I was flying through Heathrow Airport in London and had some time to kill. I was walking by a book store and they had both of “my books” displayed in front. Don Quixote and The Prince. One is my HEART, the other is my HEAD. One is my coaching philosophy, the dreamer. The other is my business side. I bought both.
THE PRINCE
Over Christmas break my son and I were talking about The Prince. Few historical figures are as divisive and polarizing as Niccolo Machiavelli. The fact that this Renaissance philosophers works date back 500 years hasn’t blunted its impact or controversy one bit. Some view him as the father of modern materialism, inspiring people to do or say anything to achieve personal gain, i.e. the ends justify the means. Indeed, the word Machiavellian – derived from his most famous work, The Prince – has come to mean cunning, deceit, and manipulation.
I, however, see him as the world’s first great realist and a positive influence on modern politics and business. Machiavelli may even have been the first to apply empirical scientific methods to human behavior by making innovative generalizations based on experience, observation, and history. Many of his ideas for achieving long-term political success and power translate extraordinarily well into the business world.
I never realized how closely my own ideas on business and leadership resonated with his. It turns out that I’ve more or less been quoting the guy for years without even realizing it. Coincidence? Hmm.
Some Business Lessons:
Either treat people well… or completely destroy them.
Men ought either to be well-treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge
None of our businesses are islands. We are part of the communities we are in. You will have interactions with other businesses and other gyms. When we go to competitions you have the same 2 choices. Treat other coaches well. Or completely destroy them.
I prefer to treat all with respect. It is just the way I was brought up.
If you suspect someone could pose a future threat, deal with them now.
The Romans never allowed a trouble spot to remain simply to avoid going to war over it, because they knew that wars don’t just go away, they are only postponed to someone else’s advantage.
By nature I am a pretty non confrontation person. When confrontation is unavoidable, I’d rather face it now. Sometimes it is an angry parent, disgruntled employee or even another coach in the community.
Study the greats. That way, even if you fall short, you’ll end up good.
A prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent, so that if he does not attain to their greatness, at any rate he will get some tinge of it.
A lesson that carries over from Don Quixote. I aim for great.
It’s safer to be feared than loved. But don’t go overboard with the fear thing.
From this arises the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved. It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both: but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.
A prince should make himself feared in such a way that if he does not gain love, he at any rate avoids hatred.
I think FEAR is too big of a concept. It is more about respect. I want my gymnasts and my employees to be afraid to disappoint me.
Perception is reality.
Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are.
The vulgar crowd always is taken by appearances, and the world consists chiefly of the vulgar.
Whether we want to or not, we are role models for our gymnasts and employees. How they perceive us is very important.
Smart people hire other smart people.
The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
If I ever find myself the smartest person in the room, I am in the WRONG room. I want to be surrounded by the best and the brightest. I give them actual responsibilities and hold the accountable. If they are successful- I want everyone to know it. If they are struggling, we will handle that behind a closed door.
Just do it.
It is better to be rash than timid, for Fortune is a woman, and the man who wants to hold her down must beat and bully her. We see that she yields more often to men of this stripe than to those who come coldly toward her.“All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it’s impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively.”
When it is time to make a decision, MAKE IT.
A few of my other favorite quotes
“It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.”
“It is essential that in entering a new province you should have the good will of its inhabitants.”
“He who is highly esteemed is not easily conspired against;”
“Therefore the best fortress is to be found in the love of the people, for although you may have fortresses they will not save you if you are hated by the people.”
