BE GREAT. BEING GOOD ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH.
Good isn’t good enough when the goal is lasting excellence. Greatness requires disciplined preparation, personal responsibility, and a willingness to do what others will not.
“If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem wonderful at all.” Those are words spoken by a true master of his craft, Michelangelo. He’s known for painting the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican and the sculpture of David. He wasn’t just good at what he did, he was great.
Michelangelo didn’t want to be good at his craft. He wanted to be great. That greatness set him apart from others. The result from a master seems to flow with ease, but no one knows the true effort it takes for it to appear as such.
The Work Behind Greatness
Bud Bilanich has written, “Jerry Rice is in the NFL Hall of Fame. He was well known for his commitment to fitness. He worked out harder and longer than any other pro football player. When he was asked the secret of his success, he said, ‘I am willing to do the things every day that others won’t do, so I can do things on Sunday that they can’t do.’ In other words, don’t be idle, work hard, prepare, commit to taking personal responsibility for your own success.”
Good teams don’t win Super Bowls. Good artists don’t make it to the Hall of Fame. Good computers don’t knock Apple off the throne on which they sit. It takes greatness.
In today’s world, you can’t just be good. You must be great. This is a standard at EAG, and we try to practice it. Not only do we try to live it, but we want to instill that mindset into our clients and vendors.
What does it take to be great? How does one achieve that standard?
Good Isn’t Good Enough
First, be dissatisfied with good. Good isn’t good enough. That which you produce must be a cut above the rest. As a chef, your food needs to have a flair and taste like no other. Not only does it need to be presented with excellence, but it must taste great. Don’t be happy with being good. Let that become a fire that fuels you to climb the mountain of greatness.
Outwork Others
Second, outwork others. A friend of mine was once asked by a young leader, “What’s the one thing I should do as a leader?” My friend responded, “Drop the idea that there’s just one thing. To be great, there are a million things you must do.” His point? There’s no shortcut to greatness. You’re going to have to outwork others. Greatness is something that doesn’t come to you; you go to it. Practice your craft. Put in the time. Be devoted to being the best.
Make Others Better
Third, make others better. Great leaders improve the people around them. Great chefs train future great chefs. Great athletes mentor the next generation. Greatness is contagious and those who have it want to give it away. Wanting to be great and paying the price to be is so rare that when we find someone who shares that desire we’ll pour everything we know into them. Greatness leaves others better.
Greatness Starts with You
Finally, greatness starts with you. Greatness doesn’t find you. You must earn it. Greatness is rarely earned in a 9 to 5 schedule but in a life dedicated to being excellent. You must make the decision to want to be great and then begin an endless journey in pursuit of it. Put in the hours. Read the books. Practice the techniques. Make the decision to be better than the crowd.
Be great. Being good isn’t good enough.
Creating Unparalleled Experiences,
CHRIS ADAMS
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