Why Practice Matters: Lessons from Athletes to Business Leaders #2

The ability to practice is like the ability to achieve—you need one to get to the other. We consistently encourage the leaders we serve to practice the skills we work on in a small group format. We challenge the room to practice leadership, then share how it went the next time we meet.

While at the Tennessee Titans, our session focused on Meetings With Purpose. After many strong ideas on how to improve the meetings they (Vice Presidents and Directors) run, we challenged the room to “enhance a meeting you lead this month.” This was an open-ended challenge with no rules or guidelines—just improvement.

Fast forward a month to our next session. We began the meeting by asking who had a chance to enhance a meeting they led. Josh Corey, Vice President of Cause Marketing, smiled as his eyes widened. He shared that he brought his team of five together and asked if they still needed a particular bimonthly meeting. His team worked through the pros and cons and decided: “No, we do not need this meeting.” They could handle the challenges on their own and cancel it.

The simple math tells us Josh saved his team—and the Titans organization—120 hours a year (five people meeting for 60 minutes twice a month over a year).

There was a quick celebration in the room. Then Ginny Needham, Associate Chief of Staff, said, “We actually did the same thing.” She shared, “I got our team together, explained my thoughts, and we canceled a bimonthly meeting also.” In Ginny’s case, the math was the same: five people meeting for an hour twice a month over a year, netting another 120 hours for the organization and participants.

The real wins show up in satisfaction, ownership, and energy—and in the fact that people may get to see their loved ones just a bit more.

We all have only so much time, and to be able to quickly create 240 hours? Priceless.

Josh and Ginny both took the challenge to heart and practiced good leadership. Their practice led to the achievement of time for 10 people—what a win for everyone involved.