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Tim Tebow Is Making A Social Impact ... And What You Can Learn From Him
January 10, 2012
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A huge chuck of the country was watching the NFL Playoffs over the weekend as Tim Tebow led the Denver Broncos to a win over the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers.
It was another remarkable story in a series of similar events over the past couple of months in his NFL career, not to mention throughout his life, for Tebow, who didn?t have the credentials or skills of a top pro quarterback prospect coming into the season, but found himself in the starting position and uncovering a new culture of winning for his team.
He has used his faith, commitment and passion to truly make a difference for a team not expected to be in this position right now, and beat the odds over and over again.
Tim Tebow truly understands his purpose ... and his focus, discipline and execution is concentrated fully on this very strong center, while also being firmly committed to his beliefs. It's why people either love him or hate him. But no one can deny that he is making an impact in the game of football, and life.
Here's what I think Tim Tebow can teach all of us.
* Have a message. Believe. Even before this huge game became another footnote in his legacy, Tim lives the "believe" message and has represented beating the odds, imposing your will, and making your dreams come true in everything about him.
Are you, or your brand focused around a singular passion that has a purpose in service to connecting others in a meaningfully unique way? And you don't just say it, but have created a culture of living it everyday?
* Follow a game plan. One of the first things that Tim mentions to the media in the post game press conference after the Steelers win is, "I thought we had a great game plan." In order to win, you need a plan centered around a strong mission, and a playbook filled with tools that can be used to work the plan best, to connect each play to a victory in every moment, to the people that matter to your success.
* Play hard. Tim has a burning desire to be more, and he sets the example for the entire team by his will to do whatever it takes to live his dream. You can't just meet expectations, because to be extraordinary, it takes going beyond what others (and even you) believe is possible, and understand that you will be judged by what you do in every "now." Tim said after the Steelers win, "We knew it was win, or go home."
Most people will do what is asked of them, no more or less. It seems there is never enough staff, money or time to cover all the touch points to communicate with people today, but how bad do you want it, and what will you sacrifice to make it happen?
* Be human through real, grateful and authentic expression. The first thing Tim does after the win over the weekend is to thank God, his team, and his coaches. He understands that today is about WE, not ME and goes on to say, when asked about being a national phenomenon, "I'm very thankful for the platform that God has given me." He expresses his gratitude for the opportunity to play, then steers the conversation to "the real win," which he explains is an opportunity to hang out with a young girl who had been through 73 surgeries and was at the game. He would be sharing time with her after the press conference -- and that was really what was important in his opinion.
Always speak in a human voice and express yourself in a way that is endearing to others.
* Be in the moment. "When I saw him scoring, I just said, thank you Lord -- then I jumped in the stands ... it was the first time I've done that!?" Tim knows the magic of offering others inside access to the moment. He spoke in a way where we can understand what he was experiencing as it was unfolding in the game. He even expresses that throughout his time as a starter for the team, the coaches, throughout every game, had "stuck with me through good and bad." We were all insiders with him as the last play unfolded, and during his reflection of the real accomplishments that had set up this moment.
How do you share every moment so it matters, and has the possibility of connecting, as multiple things are happening in real-time play?
* Everything matters. Tim says it well, and it's the title of a movie about him called, "Everything In Between." Tim says, "When you die there will be a tombstone. It has your name, the year you're born and the date you die. In between there is gonna be a dash, and that dash represents everything you did in your life -- good and bad. It's how you're remembered. What do you want your dash to represent?"
How does your mission allow others to explore, join, create, participate, share and elevate themselves to also be represented by the mission?
The final quote that struck me during the post game press conference was Tim simply stating, "I am grateful for having an opportunity to effect people."
So do you, and by looking at the example Tim Tebow is setting in each moment, hopefully you'll see a possibility, beyond just ratings and revenue, that can have such a greater depth and impact than you can imagine ... and to win like never before.
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