Surpass Your Limits

"Set the pace, lead from the front and get comfortable at the tip of the spear!"

Seldom does performance match excessive expectation.

Super Bowls are rarely super. Pay-per-view fights are hyped without money-back guarantees. And there's that old expression that applies so perfectly to horse racing: There's no such thing as a sure thing.

Then there was Secretariat at the 1973 Belmont Stakes.

He carried a lot more than jockey Ron Turcotte when he went to the gate a 1-to-10 favorite.
He had the weight of Secretariat Mania on his back. The international buzz surrounding him was deafening.

He was being counted on to win the race and become the first Triple Crown champion in 25 years~ the first of the television generation that had already put him on an unrealistic pedestal.

Secretariat's response went beyond unreal. He won by a jaw-dropping 31 lengths! His 31-length gap was so big, even the widest angle of the CBS camera covering the stretch run could barely show Secretariat in the same shot as the next-nearest horse, Twice A Prince. At this point Secretariat's only reference point was himself.

His time of 2:24 for 1 1/2 miles set a world record many argue may never be broken. Secretariat was so dominant that he looked like a Rolls-Royce in a field of Volkswagen's!

At the risk of sounding a bit loopy, I often find myself drawn to the amazing story of this horse and inspired by the awesomeness of his dominate performance on June 9, 1973. And if you have ever felt that you have the talent, skills, and potential to completely dominate your market, crush your competitors, and make huge quantum leap gains, but for some reason, you have not put it all together. It's time to plan, collaborate, execute and manage expectations.

Don't be afriad to lead. Get out front and check your team, plan, collaborate, articulate the plan and live the change you want to see in the team. Set the pace and get comfortable being uncomfortable at the tip of the spear.

Everything counts!