It's not over til it's over...

I’m a football fan, and several times this season I’ve watched teams enter the 4th quarter with a lead—only to shift into “playing not to lose.” Inevitably, they did. The lesson is clear: whether on the field or in business, success requires staying focused and playing to win until the very end. Just as coaches must keep their players motivated and adapt strategies to changing circumstances, business leaders must do the same with their teams. Employees, like athletes, can tire or lose intensity. Without a leader to refocus them, momentum slips away. 

 

I’ve often written about the long process of building and opening a casino—sometimes stretching up to four years. Over that span, it’s natural for energy and urgency to fade. That’s when effective leadership matters most: setting a sustainable pace, allowing rest when needed, and deploying multiple strategies to prepare the team for the next push. Strong leaders are present. They sense the pulse of their people, adjust to individual needs, and recognize that one size never fits all. The constant is their attention, coaching, and ability to draw out the best in everyone. That’s what it takes to play the game all the way to the finish today.

 

Jim Larrañaga Sr. (born 1949): American head coach of the University of Miami Hurricanes men's basketball team from 2011 to 2024 when he retired.

Take pride in getting along...

I’m shocked whenever I read about road rage – people driving like they’re playing video games and being oblivious to the dangers in the real world. Anger and hostility seem to be increasingly acceptable behaviors despite all we’re taught to the contrary. And then there’s boorish behavior by customers being waited on by service employees… always unacceptable but often seen, especially in casinos by people who are losing money. During my long career in gaming, I was always encouraged and gratified by the patience and fortitude of employees performing repetitive tasks, often interrupted, and always smiling. I marvel at that acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness are life-altering lessons learned in the workplace where people of all stripes and backgrounds take pride in getting along. If only those lessons carried over onto the streets of life today.

 

Jessica Lange (born 1949): American actress known for her roles on stage and screen. And winner of two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. 

Be supportive and kind...

In life we choose our friends carefully. At work, those around us are selected by others and we’re forced to deal with that. Work teams tend to follow social norms, but not all the time. Because work assignments and promotions are generally based on merit, small-minded people might harbor jealousies and animosities.  They might belittle your ambitions, but the really great ones make you feel that you, too, can become great. This is where effective leaders make a difference – they never play favorites and always follow up with those not selected to identify ways they can improve their chances in the future. They diffuse hurt feelings. These leaders often find ways to involve all employees in temporary and pop-up opportunities to learn and show their skills, keep an open dialogue with all employees about their hopes and disappointments, and make everyone feel like they have a voice. They never let disappointment fester, nor do they let employees feel like they never have a chance. When I worked in Asia, I learned that allowing people to save face and have hope are important motivators. And since we all have known disappointment, be aware and knowingly empathetic. Find ways to help everyone feel proud of their actions today.

 

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 – 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist.[1]

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[1] He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced", with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature".

 

Don't let pride get in your way...

Nobody’s perfect. We’re expected to do our best and when we screw up, admit it, learn from it, and move on. Not carry it around like a weight on your back. If you can’t, it’ll get in the way of doing your best the next time. When planning the opening of Treasure Island, I searched for a system to electronically store applications so we wouldn’t need to file them. The theory being that hiring managers could search for and retrieve them online. Unfortunately, the computer industry hadn’t perfected high volume scanning, character recognition, or large file sharing. Titans in the nascent computer industry claimed they could but our beta test proved they couldn’t. We were just as frustrated as when opening the Mirage. Worse, I was embarrassed – I’d promised a solution, the company backed me, and the result was almost worse than doing nothing. That hurt. I had to admit failure, swallow my pride, apologize to others, forgive myself, and start over. And during the next 4 years, I had to go back to basics, study and prove everything I learned, work doubly hard to win approvals, and try again. While it was difficult, I realized how much worse it could be if I didn’t forgive myself. Because I could then start over with a clean slate. Don’t be too proud to take your medicine and start over today.

 

Publilius Syrus (85–43): Latin writer, best known for his proverbs, adages, aphorisms, or maxims.

Every step you take...

We want employees to feel proud of the work they do. While the thousands of employees working on our casino projects all felt proud on the day each opened, we learned that multiple, short-term milestones helped maintain morale during those extended developmental timeframes. Most department heads were hired up to 2-years before opening and each had lots of small projects throughout those extended periods of time. The lesson learned was that great things are done by a series of small tasks brought together. Each had to first create their own opening plans and timelines, review job descriptions for clarity and accuracy, develop training manuals based on the duties and responsibilities in those job descriptions, decide how many employees they needed in each position, review and interview multiple candidates for each of those positions, and finally train those they hired using those training manuals. I know from experience that they felt proud after completing each of those relatively small tasks. Each brought them a step closer to opening and those multiple milestones became the high points of a long and arduous project. Without them, the team could have burned out; with each they found renewed energy. Don’t miss the multiple opportunities to let your team feel proud about the small components of the overall work they’re accomplishing together today.

 

Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890): Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh

Keep it going...

Thanksgiving is about being thankful and the day after is about being grateful. For those around yesterday’s table, in person and in spirit. Together, thankful and grateful turn hope into a nurturing reality. Remember the way that made you feel and let that be the way we live our lives every day. Starting today.

 

Katrina Mayer is a writer, author (The Mustard Seed Way), motivational speaker, corporate executive, and an ordained interfaith minister. 

Happy Thanksgiving...

Look around at what you have. Be content. It’s enough. It’s a feast.

               Give thanks for all you have today.

 

      Wishing you a Happy and Contented Thanksgiving.

 

A "Buddhist" is a follower of Buddhism, a religion and philosophy founded by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) who sought to end suffering by understanding its causes and following a path to enlightenment.