Full Effort, Full Victory
How the Right Behaviors Build Champions in Life and Leadership
Many of you know how my sons and I like to do Crossfit. Years ago a friend of mine introduced us to the functional fitness program and we became addicted. We usually work out 5 days a week, 2 hours each session and it’s become a great way to build relationship and camaraderie with my sons as well as stay in shape.
Before we had our garage gym that we have now, we would visit various Crossfit gyms or “boxes” as regular clients call them. Each and every one was different. Just like churches, families, or businesses, they had their own culture, values, and systems. Some were laid back and had quiet music, offered childcare, and catered more to moms with kids. While others served mostly first responders and law enforcement.
On a trip to San Diego, my son Daniel was fortunate to workout at Crossfit Invictus. The owner of this gym is CJ Martin, one of the premier coaches in the Crossfit space. He is known everywhere for his “Full Effort, Full Victory” mentality that helps him send his teams and individuals to the Crossfit Games year after year. He and his team have created successful online training programs, as well as planted several satellite gyms across the nation.
Upon entering this gym to watch Daniel, I could feel it was different. The coaches smiled, looked us in the eyes, and welcomed us like we were family. The walls were covered with large banners showing Invictus athletes from past years on podiums, hands raised in victory. The floors were spotless, the equipment all had a particular place. It was organized. It was excellent.
While instructing the workout, CJ wasn’t joking around. He was clear and concise. He made sure that the athletes fully understood the workout and the movements before it began. During the workout, when Daniel would drop the barbell, walk away from the bar, and bend over to catch his breath, CJ would calmly walk over and whisper something to him. When Daniel would drop off the pull up bar to rest, CJ wouldn’t yell from across the gym, he would keep his voice low and whisper something to him.
After the workout I curiously asked Daniel, “What was CJ saying to you?” “Dad, he was explaining to me how an Invictus Athlete behaves,” he replied.
Daniel continued, “In this gym, you don’t walk away from the barbell in between reps, you don’t bend over at the knees, or scream out negative things, because these are signs of defeat. These actions and behaviors will ultimately affect your overall performance.”
"It's through curiosity and looking at opportunities in new ways that we've always mapped our path. There's always an opportunity to make a difference."
— Michael Dell
Trevor Moawad, the mental toughness coach for the Seattle Seahawks said, “Great teams revolve around great behaviors.” Right behaviors will always precede success. If you want to be great at what you do, you need to find out who the best are at what you do, and do some detective work. The elite always have a plan. Investigate everything about them and their organization. What are the things they do in their personal life and organization that got them where they are?
When you find out, CHOOSE to weaponize yourself with those same behaviors. You can’t just want it; you have to commit to it and execute. Go to work on building, fostering, and sticking to the right behaviors and watch your organization go to new levels.
Recommended Book:
It Takes What it Takes by Trevor Moawad