Trusting The Process
I took my two boys to the Philadelphia 76ers game last night. They beat the Denver Nuggets handily 123-104 and have their eyes set on the goal of home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, something they have not accomplished since 2003 when they had "The Answer" aka Allen Iverson. This is the first time they have made it to the playoffs since the 2011-2012 season. In 2013 the Sixers began a massive rebuilding "process" which involved restructuring of leadership, trading key players and A LOT of losing. From 2013-2016 the Sixers were a dismal 47-199. The approach the Sixers leadership took which became known as "The Process" gained a lot of negative press even from the NBA Commissioner and Dallas Maverick's Owner and "Shark Tank" celebrity Mark Cuban who mocked the Sixers in 2015 by stating "they have no idea what they are doing". However "The Process" began to take shape in 2016-2017 with the emergence of star center Joel Embiid who eventual took on the name "The Process". Joel coined the phrase "Trust the Process" that has become the creed which the team, its fans and the City of Philadelphia have rallied around (that and a recent Eagles victory over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl).
As I drove home last night and watched my two sons quickly fall asleep, I started to think about my business and the "process" we are going through as we grow and what it means as a leader that "Trusts the Process". NO ONE likes a process, it usually involves waiting for a long period of time, and almost always includes pain and failure. I started to think about how I lead through "the process" and all the challenges that come with running a company. Here are some of what I believe are requirements for leaders to "Trust The Process" and build championship caliber teams.
1. Trust- you need to trust your team and the other leaders you have around you. That is if you have the right team and leaders in place. If you don't then there is another conversation to be had, assuming you do and you are convinced of it then you need to trust them. Trust is not something that immediately happens because of a position or title, it is harvested in the context of relationship. If you lack relationship with your team then take the steps necessary to build those relationships. That, in of itself is a process but I believe a very rewarding one that pays significant dividends. It is an investment of time, energy and passion. The other aspect of "trust" is going with your gut. As leaders we have powerful intuition that in most cases serves us well yet we often over analyze and become crippled in insecurity and fear. Your instinct is incredibly powerful and not something to be tolerated but should be embraced and trusted. I'm not suggesting you don't need advisors in your life but a part of valuing leadership is trusting what's inside and how you are built.
2. Be Patient- Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia (and a bunch of other titles) talks a lot...but one thing he said that has stuck with me for years is "you are running a marathon not a sprint". So many people are focused on the short game and not the long haul. I make a lot of mistakes when I am thinking of the short game because it has to do with immediate gratification. That can be tied to financial motivations, avoiding pain or conflict or simply checking something off your list. It's the "path of least resistance" mentality that breeds impatience which can ruin a culture and destroy a company. I've learned that being patient is only possible if you have a solid foundation that includes an acute self awareness and a strong vision.
3. Enjoy it- in business there is so much to get upset about, at any given moment "the process" can grind on you and before you know it you are consistently complaining and even angry. I'm not the greatest at "enjoying it", there are many aspects of running a business that are simply not enjoyable. However I desire to figure out how to enjoy "the process". I believe that is the better way than complaining through it. I think a part of that is just being convinced of the truth that the purpose of "the process" is to make us better and stronger and that challenges are a part of that package. If we embrace "the process" small things begin to have less affect on us because they are really just things to learn from and grow from. I've got a lot to learn in this category but believe that it is an important key to go the distance.
4. Don't compromise- if you are going to build a championship caliber team you cannot compromise. Resolve to be a leader that sticks to "the process" no matter what the adversity is around you. Surround yourself with people who also believe in "the process" and please ignore the haters. Haters are different from people who have a valid criticism. You cannot and should not ignore criticism, if you do you will lose. A hater however is someone who wants you to fail and they will work tirelessly to see that happen. Those people whether you know them or not can be toxic if you give them permission to affect you. When you fail get back up and just keep going. Patience and perseverance will always win the long game.
5. Be humble- don't allow your ego to get the best of you. Ego puts you on an island where everything and everyone is your enemy. Refuse to be isolated and don't let proving others wrong be your motivation in business. Your motivation in business should always be your vision, your WHY and your team. Proving people wrong by "showing them" or "destroying your competition" will only get you so far because it only involves YOU. The center of it it is "I" not "We" or "Us". "Trusting the Process" is centered in humility and becoming a champion internally well before anyone rewards you externally.
