Lessons from 2022, Part 3

In this episode of the No Neutral Moments podcast, the host welcomes Joshua Norman, a former football player, to discuss his journey from high school to college football, his NFL career, and his post-football endeavors. During the interview, they discuss the rigorous process of being drafted by an NFL team, Norman's high school football career, his recruitment to colleges and ultimately choosing to attend the University of Oklahoma. They also delve into the early days of the football program under Coach Bob Stoops, including the intense training and expectations set by strength coach Jerry Schmidt that eventually led to their national championship win.

Norman also shares his experience transitioning from running back to tight end and his struggles with injuries, bouncing around teams, and eventually deciding to focus on music ministry and a program called SOUL Mission that focuses on building players spiritually and mentally. They discuss the impact of the program on players and the importance of having support from coaches, administration, and nutrition staff.

The interview also covers a book written by Josh called "From the Field to the Firm," which emphasizes the importance of leadership skills and the need to create a culture that values growth and performance. They discuss the importance of small meetings, face-to-face engagement, accountability, and the need to live in the present moment.

Overall, the interview offers valuable insights into the world of football and the importance of building players' character off the field. It is a reminder that there are no neutral moments in life, and that success is achieved through hard work, dedication, and living in the present moment.

9. The best question a C-Suite can ask itself is “How does the competition kill us?” The problem is most C-suites don’t have the balls to ask themselves that question and honestly answer it. Reason #1…it will show how their leadership has made them vulnerable and they are not sure they know how to fix it! (2) The answers will demand hard work and most people are trying to slow their churn rather than increase their churn – which will be where you find out who stays and who goes.

I believe this is where coaching is at its best. I agree with Greenleaf when he asserts that a coach does not need to be a subject expert in the industry practice of those he consults and coaches. He needs to be able to view from a somewhat neutral position so as to have no bias filters and then have the ability to speak boldly into the blind spots.

10. Perks and privilege are culture killers. It is amazing how much people pay attention to this stuff and they shouldn’t have to.

One of the great habits a successful leader can cultivate is to not look or appear successful…the Sam Walton story visiting stores.

This is going to sound SO old school but I would encourage leaders to aggressively find ways to look normal and even do more for the “mid-level” than you do for yourself.

Walk the furthest to the front door!

11. Forgiveness and bitterness are still tough enemies of joy to fight back. But you have to. Great competition but not great grudges. Revenge will turn bitter eventually.

12. The Five Core Needs are still the five core needs and you ignore them at your peril.

13. Mind Styles still works.

5. The church as I knew it will not be the church as we knew it in the years ahead. I’m wondering what this will look like while at the same time being more and more certain that this new church will be visible in the marketplace more than the traditional sacred space

6. DEI and ESG are the proof of the right thing being ignored by the best business minds so the worst business minds (government) hi-jack the right thing and turn it into the wrong thing. The turning of the tide on this matter back to the better leadership of business will be a long, hard slog as radical elements (on both sides) have taken the issue and run with it with their viewpoints.

Just like my COVID experiences this is “leadership fulcrum” issue…the conversation is dominated by extreme actions and reactions. It is up to the best leaders to see beyond the smoke and haze and chart a path that best benefits humanity – capitalism at it’s best.

7. The politics of social media and sound-bites is killing us; and will kill us if we do not find ourselves into a renaissance of thinking leaders who think long and hard before typing, texting and posting. Great thinkers and thought leaders will emerge (I hope); but cutting through the noise will be hard.

8. The extremes are islands of safety where an absence of critical thinking takes place. It takes a brave new group to get off the islands and see what is in the ocean of opportunity and challenge.

I have a PLS friend who has quite the social media presence who says, “Stay in the deep end.” Not sure all he means by it but this is true. The shallow end has a lot of noise and a lot of people but the real adventure is in the deep end – and most of life is played in the shallows where so many actually believe they are really deep when they just stick their head underwater.

We need a lot more responding instead of reacting. That means we need thinkers and meditators. Critical, long term thinkers who take very few things at first glance or first blush. This will border on cynicism and negativism but it is really a matter of staying in the deep end and seeking to understand.

Lessons 1–4

1. The circle of trust is still a small circle and you’d better have one! You can have thousands of friends but the circle of trust is rarely found in the large group who “like” you. This is the Covey idea of circle of concern and circle of influence. Where we spend out time and with whom we spend our time. One of the key disciplines in this space is you must be constantly self-evaluating and correcting. This is not a process that stops – it’s ongoing.
2. The pyramid of performance is a real thing…still!
3. Profit is good but you had better pay much closer attention to the holistic equipping of people or they will dump you. It is no longer about work/life balance…it’s the whole thing or its nothing – except for the 60%! 
4. People are looking for something soulish in all that they do…the marketplace is the perfect place for this search to find an answer. The employee has changed and is not going back to being a cog in the machine (even if they are a cog in the machine!). People and organizations have changed. Don’t fight it and don’t give into it…seek to understand how it is manifesting itself around you and be proactive in creating the best atmosphere possible in your “game”.

Check out the full episode: Broken Catholic podcast with Joseph Warren (October 29, 2022)

Today's episode is brought to you by Admarc:

The foundation of a product or company is its logo. Along with your brand identity it shapes how people define your company. For over three decades Admarc has designed logos for companies small and large across the Permian Basin and the country. After all, your identity is by design.

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