Happy Friday everyone!
We have all heard the phrase "hard work will beat talent when talent doesn't work hard". I believe this statement to be true because there is no substitute for hard work. So why is it also true that we see hard working, talented organizations or teams struggle? A common answer is ego. Ego can be defined as a person's sense of self-importance. When an ego becomes excessive, we label that organization or team as egotistical, which means excessively conceited or absorbed in oneself. Excessive egos eliminate the ability to attain goals and tear apart teamwork. This happens when the "me" is more important and significant than the "we". Excessive egos create unhealthy competition. This type of competition is grounded on a desire to see others fail to feed the excessive ego. Confidence, on the other hand, is separate from ego. Confidence can be defined as the feeling or belief one can rely on someone or something; firm trust. Confidence creates collaboration. Collaboration ignites interdependency, which means my success is dependent on the success and improvement of my teammates. Interdependency creates accountability. Accountability keeps egotism at bay while creating healthy competition within the team. This type of competition is grounded on the desire to see others improve and feed the confidence. It is this healthy competition that gives us the confidence to be committed to excellence at Battle Creek Public Schools!
Happy Friday!