The Super Bowl is upon us and once again the Kansas City Chiefs are playing in the big game. One of the biggest reasons they keep ending up here is their Quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Like many that play his position, he’s extremely talented, overly competitive, and has an amazing ability to improvise when things break down. All are key attribute of effective leaders.
Thankfully we all don’t need to have his ridiculous athletic ability to become great leaders.
If you’ve ever really watched him play or know anything about him, it’s virtually impossible not to notice is that he seems to be having more fun out there playing the game than anyone else. At his best, even when things don’t seem to be going his way, there is a smile and ease about him that just exudes that he’s having the time of his life.
Earlier in the season when the team was struggling, I noticed for the first time in his career he didn’t look like he was having all that much fun, and the team suffered because of it. When you are the leader your team takes its cues from you, which means your mood and temperament are directly reflected in the team’s overall performance. But if you’ve watched recently, you will notice that the FUN seems to have come back and with it, the team’s performance as well.
What is it about having FUN that can separate exceptional leaders from everybody else. Why do they seem to keep finding the Fun in whatever it is they do no matter the circumstances or how long they’ve been doing it?
We’ve all observed or experienced really smart and talented individuals that never seem to achieve at the highest levels. I would also ask you to see if you can remember how much fun they seemed to have in the pursuit of their goals? How did they show up during adversity? Were they at their best, or at their worst.
I would also argue that we’ve witnessed others that seem to do their work effortlessly and they tend to have a lot of fun in the process. What is it about them that keeps that sense of wonder, almost as if they are doing it for the first time. I would suggest that part of it lies in their unique ability to keep having FUN in whatever it is that they are doing. Even in the worst possible moments they seem to find a reason to laugh, smile and engage at the highest levels.
Look I get it, every day of your work life isn’t always fun. But I would also tell you that I have yet to see I high performing team or individual that doesn’t look as though they are having a lot of fun and thoroughly enjoying what they do.
Fun just feels like it’s in the DNA of a any high performer. They seem to find fun in everything that they do. From the most mundane tasks to the totally exhilarating triumphs, they just seem to be comfortable in the moment and have an ability to find the fun part in any and every situation.
Don’t kid yourself, they work extremely hard as well and do whatever it takes to develop the talent they’ve been blessed with. But they still have fun during the process.
Work and life isn’t always champagne and roses, and there will be days in your life that FUN is elusive and extremely hard to find. But I bet if you look hard enough, even on your most challenging days, you can find something that is fun about it. And when you find it, use it to propel you and your team forward.
Until next time
Cheers to you and your success, and finding the FUN
One Quarter Turn at a Time
Thoughts for the week:
There’s no fear when you’re having fun. -Will Thomas
When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun you can do amazing things. -Joe Namath
If you’re not having fun, do something different. -Larry James
You don’t stop having fun when you get old, you get old when you stop having fun. -Unknown
You really just have to decide if you’re a Tigger, or an Eeyore. -Randy Pausch
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