“You know, Mattie, you would have saved yourself a lot of time if you had just given in early.” I said to her as I sat back in my chair.

“Lieutenant Lutz, you may think you’re all that and a bag of potato chips but I have to do my job.”  she replied.

She was right.  She had to do her job and, in turn, she made me do mine.  But, in the end, I did get my way.  Why?  Because I don’t know how to quit.  Perhaps it’s because I grew up the youngest of six kids, was my mother’s favorite and usually got my way but I stay with something until it’s done and I do get my way.  I may have to adjust my route (like I did with Mattie) but I don’t quit.

How about you?  Take a look around you at work.  Do you see a lot of people with potential but they’re not going anywhere?  Chances are they quit when things got tough or at the first signs of adversity.

We live in a society of quitters.  Don’t like your job? Quit!  Don’t like your marriage?  Quit!  This is going to be too tough?  Quit!  At some point in time society started feeding us the line of crap that we were owed something.  Here’s a NEWS FLASH…we are only owed what we earn.   I’m not telling you anything you don’t know.  You’ve worked hard to get where you’re at.

But in a society that accepts quitting (and the status quo), how do we help our team members to quit quitting so they can reach their full potential?

Help them up, don’t pick them up.

Give a hand when you need to but don’t pick them all the way up.  Let the responsibility rest with them.  If you pick them all the way up, you’ll have to continue to do it the next time they quit.

Don’t accept quitting.

Yes, that’s right….just don’t accept it.  Push them to their potential.  People generally gravitate towards the expectations set for them.  If you expect they’ll quit, they will.

Cheer, don’t fear.

Cheer them on when times get tough but don’t be afraid to give tough love when needed.   The leaders I remember were the ones that had the mix of cheerleader and butt-head older brother (you know, being tough on you so that you do better).

Success doesn’t always belong to the best or the brightest, it belongs to those who know how to persevere.  We, as leaders, need to help our team members reach their potential.   Go against society and be unconventional; DON’T LET THEM QUIT!

Do you have a leadership question I can help with?  Pass me a note in gym class and let me know how I can help.  OR…schedule 15 minutes with me and let’s talk it out.  SCHEDULE IT HERE!