Are you a champion?

My son Luca is heading to the Sunshine Coast, to compete in the Australian National Surf Lifesaving Championships.  He was fortunate to win the State Championships and will now compete at the next level.  It has been great to watch the hard work that he’s put in and to see him achieve some pretty incredible results so far. 

​​The extreme hours spent in the surf, swimming, paddling, beach sprinting as well as doing CPR, first aid assessment and  studying for the written test has been to say the least, a lot of work, but it is paying off.
The other thing that I realised is that many champions are surrounded by teams of people that help them compete and support them.  Luca is fortunate to have 2 great coaches. He also has one of his mates from the surf club who  achieved second place at the State, so they both are travelling to compete together (and also a chance for a couple of dads to travel up as well!)
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So what does it take to be a champion in sport or in business?  The characteristics are similar,  it takes commitment, skills development, execution, belief as well as a good team. 
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How Can You Be Champion:

• Commit.  The commitment that is required to be a champion is massive.  Having the belief and unwavering commitment to dedicate your focus toward a specific goal is critical.  Too often I talk with leaders who are not clear on what their goal is or what they want their people to commit to.  
• Develop Skills.  Practice, practice, practice is what a champion does in preparing for the competition.  Often in business, leaders do not take the time out of the day to day business to develop their skills.  When was the last time you reflected and improved your skills in the way you think, communicate, interact or lead?
• Build a Team. Champions know the importance of a team, and leaders need to as well.  Having clearly identified roles and the leader listening and asking for advice from their team of ‘experts’ is critical to being successful.  

I believe that all of us are capable of being champions, unfortunately most will not because they lack the commitment, skills development or team to bring it to reality. 
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I am not sure how Luca will go competing at the Nationals, but what I do know is that his preparation has been incredible and regardless of the result it will be an experience that he will keep for the rest of his life.  
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