3 Ways to Handle Obstacles at Work

The following is a guest post by a long-time friend of mine, Dr. Michael Nichols, who was named as one the Top-100 speakers in the country in an Inc.com article.   

Click here to see some of his free leadership training videos.

This week while traveling, I had conversations with several people about how tempting it is to compartmentalize areas of life like OBSTACLES. Maybe it helps us feel better about ourselves. Maybe it puts problem areas in a neat little box so we can push them out of sight and out of mind.

Think about this – OBSTACLES are inevitable. They’re a natural part of life and work. Right?

So, if obstacles are to be expected, even unavoidable, why the need to label them?

The fact that we label obstacles makes them scary. Conjures up anxiety.

What if we simply viewed obstacles as a part of life – and a part of our work?

Obstacles occur to help you determine if you really believe in the vision.

Yet most people never get past the obstacle. So they never accomplish their dream. They never live out the vision.

So today, when you face obstacles – and you will – here are 3 ways to handle them…

1. Quit calculating the size of the obstacle and remember the size of your vision. Keep your eye on the vision. Focus on it. Fanatically.

2. Find a solution instead of letting the obstacle become an excuse.

  3. Prepare for future obstacles. If obstacles stop you, you will never breakthrough. You’ll never experience the miracle. And your vision is worth it.

Your life matters immensely. And your work matters. So don’t give up. Don’t quit. Not today.

Question: What obstacle are you facing that you need to move past today?  

Coach Bechler Note:  Overcome some obstacles and prepare today by clicking on this link to watch a quick free video from Michael Nichols that will be sure to add value to your life.

Persevering to Finish Strong

Has your season been disappointing? Are you frustrated with your results? Do you have a sense of despair? Do you feel that there is little hope?   If so, then I want to encourage you today to run the race with perseverance and finish strong. Don’t be discouraged.

I am reminded of the Jacob Riis’ quote concerning rock sculptures…

Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.

Just like the stone cutter, you don’t always know when good will come but you do know that if you quit, it will never come. 

Last season, our football and volleyball teams were both struggling. However, they didn’t quit and kept on persevering. 

Both teams were able to put it all together and win first-round sectional games in the state tournament. If they had let despair get the better of them, they never would have found success.

5 Components of Contagious Leadership

The following is a guest post by a long-time friend of mine, Dr. Michael Nichols, who Inc.com listed as one of its' Top-100 speakers in the country.

Is leadership really leadership if it's not being passed on to others?

Ralph Nader once said: The function of leadership is to create more leaders, not more followers.

Culture-shaping leaders place the success of others, the team, and the organization above their own well-being. Often at great personal cost. They understand that there’s far more value and fulfillment in sacrifice than in self-preservation. And they consistently choose to serve future leaders in a way that makes them more successful.
And future leaders love them for it!

So if you’re energized by developing new leaders, here are 5 often-neglected factors that will take your leadership viral…

1. START

This might seem a little obvious – you’ve got to start.

I can’t tell you how many people have sat across the table – over coffee, breakfast, or lunch – and told me about their new idea. Or their intention to write a life plan or a vision for their work. Or their vision for a new product, service, or organization.

Then, months (or years) later, when I ask how it’s going, there’s an uncomfortable pause followed by – I never was able to get it going.

There’s always a reason to not start. And there are many more reasons to walk away. And every one of those reasons will guarantee your failure. They’ll sentence you to a life of mediocrity.

At some point – if you are going to lead – you’ll have to chuck every stinking excuse out the window and do something. Take one small step. Make one simple decision. Do something! Just start.

So what is it that is keeping you from making progress? Why haven’t you started?

One of the most encouraging books I’ve read this year is "Start", by Jon Acuff. Every leader in the world should read it.
 
Coach Bechler Note:  Get 'started' today by clicking on this link to watch a quick free video from Michael Nichols that will be sure to add value to your life.

Hope Is Not The Best Strategy

"I hope we do better this year."

"I hope that I start."

"I hope that we win the championship."

"I hope that I get recruited by college scouts."

Have you ever said any of those statements?  Have you ever used the word 'hope' in describing something about your athletic team or your athletic career?  Have you ever wished that something was different but did nothing about it?

Former NFL head coach and current ESPN broadcaster, Herm Edwards, once said that "Every goal needs to have a plan or else it's just a wish."

This year, do you believe that you will win, be better or start because you are finally a senior?  Or will you accomplish your goals because you have a plan for how to achieve them?

Keep Athletic Departments Accountable

This editorial appeared in the Chronicle-Tribune on May 21, 2015

We are both grateful and concerned about the effort to plan spending for the Marion High School athletic department. Last week Athletic Director Jamy Bechler came to the school board and said he has been working in the past year to clean up the spending of funds that fall outside of the overall school budget.
“I had a stack of bills numbering about $15,000 and we did not have the money to pay for that when I came in,” Bechler said. “What we did is we tried to stop the bleeding. We tried to stabilize the athletic department and we tried to modify some behaviors in terms of making sure we put into place an expenditure process.”

Other than paying for the transportation of sports teams, public schools don’t use tax money to fund athletics, Bechler said. The department relies on donations and event ticket sales to provide much of the money that goes for things like uniforms and paying officials to referee games.

“The data we have currently goes back to 2006 where we had a CD (certificate of deposit) of $95,000,” Bechler said. “That was essentially our savings. We had a checkbook for $31,000 in 2006. Eight years later when I took over, we had $30,000 in our savings and $6,300 in our checkbook. Over the course of eight years, we lost nearly $90,000. Essentially we are living beyond our means.”

Bechler was appointed director last spring. We are grateful he had the courage to do something to fix the problem while there was still time. He has shown leadership, even though those used to spending on a whim will now have to adhere to a budget. Bechler has instituted a spending process to increase accountability and the fund now projects a surplus balance of $12,000 at the end of this year.

Thank goodness Bechler did the right thing.

But we can help but wonder along with School Board Member Pam Hutchison that if the unchecked spending without a budget went on for so many years, perhaps there are other areas of school finance the board should check and make sure matters are being handled correctly. It might not be tax money, but the athletic department money is public money. We need to have a handle on it.

Transforming Marion's Athletic Spending

Bechler addressing the crowd at the Marion turf field dedication ceremony in August

This article was written by the Chronicle-Tribune's Jillian Fellows on May 14, 2015

When Jamy Bechler was appointed director of the Marion High School athletic department last spring, he took command of sports teams with a storied and successful past as well as a mountain of debt from more than a decade of unchecked spending.  

Bechler presented a financial summary to the Marion Community Schools board members at their Wednesday meeting, and the numbers told a story of the highs and lows of athletic spending over the years.

Bechler began by quoting from a financial report put together in 1996 by the athletic director of the time that "the athletic department was very close to dipping into the investment principal in order to meet operating expenses."

That report indicates that the financial situation for Giants athletics has been in poor shape for many years, although current records only date back to 2006.

"The data we have currently goes back to 2006 where we had a CD (certificate of deposit) of $95,000," Bechler said. "That was essentially our savings. We had a checkbook for $31,000 in 2006. Eight years later when I took over, we had $30,000 in our savings and $6,300 in our checkbook. Over the course of eight years, we lost nearly $90,000. Essentially we are living beyond our means."

Immediately after stepping into the athletic director position a year ago, Bechler was faced with debt and unmonitored spending. Bechler and his staff quickly began efforts to turn the finances around.

Marion Student-Athletes Learning Leadership Skills

Some Marion High School student-athletes are learning how to be better leaders in order to help their teams on the field of competition and improve the world around them.

About 25 student-athletes from various teams at Marion met weekly this past semester before school to learn about different leadership concepts.

“The morning sessions taught me a new thing every single week on how to be good teammate and player both on and off the field,” said Luke Oliver, who plays both football and soccer.

The student-athlete leadership training was led by Marion’s Director of Athletics Jamy Bechler.   It was a combination of the IHSAA and NAIA’s Champions of Character programs and Bechler’s own ULeadership initiative, which promotes the concept of “Leadership Begins with U.”

Opportunity Knocks

The Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes will battle Monday night in the first-ever College Football Playoffs Championship Game. Both teams have glaring examples of people who took advantage of opportunities presented to them and didn’t quit or become disruptive to their teams. I will come back to these Bucks and Ducks in a moment.

As a long-time coach and now an athletic director, it pains me every time that I see a student-athlete get disgruntled over playing time or their role on the team. In nearly every case, the player quits. Oh, they might not quit the team and they might not even make a visible show but slowly and surely they cash out mentally. Instead of seeing the opportunity in every challenge, as Winston Churchill used to say, they see the difficulty in every opportunity. Unfortunately instead of persevering, they make excuses and take on a victim-mentality.

Win the Day

As I write this, it is January 1st.  It’s the first day of the new year.  This is a day of new beginnings.  It is a day that gets people thinking about change.   I went to the gym this afternoon for my normal exercise session.  There were a number of new people there that I haven’t seen before.  I think this will become the new normal…at least for a month or so.  New Year’s resolutions abound.  Promises are made.  Commitments are revealed.  The start of a new year is a great time to re-evaluate where you are personally and professionally.  There is no magic to a new year but the perception exists that wonderful things can be accomplished and that we have a clean slate.  It is always good to make long term plans and seek to improve our lives.  However, I think New Year’s resolutions can sometimes be a little daunting.  New beginnings are great but what if our goals are rather large?

My Favorite Quotes

In the last issue of THE ENCOURAGING LEADER, we highlighted some of the best books to help you become a better leader.  This issue’s theme centers around quotes.  We asked a number of leaders to write about their favorite quote and what it means to them. 

Just as I am obsessed with reading books, I love quotes.  The first motivational quote that I ever learned was “Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal”.  When I was an aspiring junior high basketball player in Michigan, the state’s Mr. Basketball was a player out of Saginaw by the name of Mark Macon.  He went on to have a great career at Temple University.  I saw him featured on a CBS special.  In the segment, he mentioned that quote.  I wrote it out on a piece of paper and taped it to the wall next to my bed.  Every morning when I’d wake up, that was the first thing that I saw.    

That quote still resonates with me.  Through the years, I have worked with many athletes and that quote is still a go-to for me.  The Kentucky Derby was held last week.  Every time I think of horse racing, I am reminded of this quote.  Horses have blinders on that keep them from seeing what is beside them.  All they do is look straight ahead.  They focus on where they need to go.  We’d do well to remember this concept.  Why get caught up in drama, distractions, detours or disillusionment?  Set your eyes on the prize and focus on the goal.

See the entire newsletter of favorite quotes from top leaders across the nation. 

Jamy Bechler is the executive director of U-Leadership and a John Maxwell Certified Leadership Speaker and Coach.  Contact him at CoachBechler@CoachBechler.com to find out how you or your team can be more successful.  Click here to signup for THE ENCOURAGING NEWSLETTER

Bechler to lead the Marion Athletic Department

The new leader of Marion Giants athletics brings collegiate-level experience and a vision for maximizing student-athlete potential, supporting coaches, and generating community excitement. 

Jamy Bechler will take over as director of athletics at Marion High School starting June 2. He was approved by the Marion Community Schools Board of School Trustees during its regular meeting on May 14.

“There’s a lot of opportunity at Marion,” Bechler said. “You need a visionary leader when you have 20 sports, a wide fan base, and a proud tradition. It’s a big job, and I’m honored to have been chosen.”

Bechler most recently served as associate athletic director and head women’s basketball coach for Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tenn. He has previously served in various coaching and instructional positions at colleges around the country. His history of visionary leadership in developing high level programs, his emphasis on innovative thinking, and his passion for supporting coaches and helping to provide the tools and opportunities for growth are traits that will help advance Marion Giants athletics.

“Jamy brings to Marion successful experience as a collegiate coach and athletic administrator. He will relate well with our coaches, our student-athletes, our alumni, and our community,” Marion Community Schools Superintendent Brad Lindsay said. “His rich experience at the collegiate level will help us prepare our student-athletes for life beyond Marion High School.”

Bechler emphasized the importance of the lessons student-athletes can learn both on and off the field with good leadership in place.

THE ENCOURAGING LEADER: I Love Books Edition

 

THE ENCOURAGING LEADER:  Winter 2013 Issue

http://www.U-Leadership.com/TheEncouragingLeader-Winter2013.pdf 

I admit it; I am an obsessed reader.  I normally read 2 or 3 books at a time.  There is the book that I read when I am on the stationary bike; there is my evening time book next to my bed; and oftentimes a book for when I travel.  My wife has a Kindle Fire, but I am old school and prefer paper books so that I can dog-ear the pages and highlight certain sections.

The books highlighted in the latest edition of THE ENCOURAGING LEADER are books that I'd recommend for anyone in any field that wants to be successful.  The books are:

• 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership -- John C. Maxwell
• True North:  Discover Your Authentic Leadership -- Bill George
• Good to Great -- Jim Collins
• Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty -- Harvey Mackay
• Talent is Never Enough -- John C. Maxwell
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team:  A Leadership Fable -- Patrick Lencioni

Dave Ramsey's Cookie Cutter Answers Taste Good

Today I read an article by a financial "expert" saying that people should not listen to Dave Ramsey and his financial advice because people's lives are too complex and important to be boiled down into short cookie cutter answers or platitudes.  Unfortunately, many other financial analysts have also had problems with his method of advising people on how to be financially successful. 

 

Dave Ramsey is probably known best for his stance on avoiding debt.  If you happen to be in debt, then he wants you to get out of debt.  Debt is a shackle around your ankle.  It keeps you from ultimately having financial freedom.  His radio show is heard by millions of people daily.  He seeks to help his callers get a handle on their finances during the few minutes that he talks with them.  His 7 "Baby Steps" are the basis of what he talks about.  His book The Total Money Makeover is one of the best financial books I have ever read (the other would be Larry Winget's "You'reBroke Because You Want to Be").

Bechler Becomes RedHawks All-Time Wins Leader

written by Wade Neely for www.GoRedHawks.com

PULASKI, Tenn. – In addition to guiding his squad to one of the best starts in program history this season, RedHawk Women's Basketball head coach Jamy Bechler recently made program history on a personal level as he became the program's all-time winningest head coach earlier this season.

Bechler, who is in his fourth season at Martin Methodist, earned his 58th career win with the club's 91-84 victory over No. 14 Faulkner (Ala.) on Nov. 16, passing Jana Williams for the most wins in program history. Williams recorded 57 victories during her four years as the program's head coach from 1996 to 2000.

During his four-year tenure at the helm of the RedHawks, Bechler has been responsible for a number of accomplishments, including a win over a ranked team in each of his first four seasons. Ironically, it was Bechler's latest victory over a ranked opponent that lifted Bechler to the school's all-time wins mark.

JUST BRING THE SHIP IN

"Don't tell me how rough the water is, just bring the ship in"...This quote showed up on Kobe Bryant’s twitter feed during this past year as a “Mambo-ism”.  However, I don’t know who originally said this.  I have said similar things for years.  Among them is the one quote that my players always roll their eye at when I say ‘Don’t tell me about the labor pains, just show me the baby.’  One of my former bosses was Andy Carter.  He was the Vice President of Athletics when I was at Newberry College.  I remember him always saying that ‘if it was easy, I wouldn’t need you’.  That has stuck with me to this day.  Each of us have certain strengths that we bring to the table.  We have a responsibility to utilize these strengths to attain success.  Another thing that I constantly say that gets an eye roll from my players is when I ask them what is in the middle of all excuses.  I then proceed to tell them that the answer is ‘U’.  The same can be said for what is in the middle of all results.  Obviously, there is team work involved in a lot of what we do and most of the time, we are not on an island.  However, we must take the approach that we must do everything that we can do to be successful.  John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach, once said ‘Do not let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do’.  You have heard it said that you are normally part of the problem or part of the solution.  You may not be able to do everything, but you can always do something.  If we wanted to, we could sit around forever coming up with reasons why we can’t do something.  That is not productive.  What can we do?  How can we make things better?  Sure, there are many challenges that come our way that might appear to be insurmountable, but what kind of attitude do we take?  I know it’s cliché but we need to have a can-do approach. 

Jamy Bechler is the executive director of U-Leadership and a John Maxwell Certified Leadership Speaker and Coach.  Contact him at CoachBechler@CoachBechler.com to find out how you or your team can be more successful.  Click here to signup for THE ENCOURAGING NEWSLETTER

EVERY GOAL NEEDS A PLAN OR ELSE IT’S JUST A WISH

While watching ESPN’s 30 for 30 entitled “Broke”, I heard Herm Edwards say "Every goal needs to have a plan or else it's just a wish."  The context was regarding athletes and the way they handle money, but I thought it was a perfect quote for more than just money.  As someone that works with college students on a regular basis, I see this problem all the time.  People want things but they don’t always know how to get those things.  Even worse are the people that don’t really want to work for those things that they say they want.  I’ve often said that hope is not a strategy.  Sure we want to have hope but that can’t be all.  It’s very similar to wishing.  Wishing is also not a very good strategy.  The Bible even has a verse that says ‘Faith without works is dead’.  The late singer, Rich Mullins, wrote similar lyrics when he said ‘Faith without works is like a screen door on a submarine’.  You can’t just want or wish for something to happen, you need to do something about this.  You need to work up a plan to achieve your goal.  Author John Ortberg has stated that ‘If you want to walk on water than you’ve got to get out of the boat.’  This is similar to what I heard Bobby Knight say once ‘Every one has the will to win but not everyone has the will to work to win.”.  Yes, having faith or dreams is a start, but action has to go into these goals in order to have a better chance to be successful.  What are your goals?  It’s important to define them.  But go further, what is your plan to achieve them?  Former NFL quarterback, Todd Blackledge, once said ‘Work will win when wishing won’t’.  Just remember that it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.

 Jamy Bechler is the executive director of U-Leadership and a John Maxwell Certified Leadership Speaker and Coach.  Contact him at CoachBechler@CoachBechler.com to find out how you or your team can be more successful.  Click here to signup for THE ENCOURAGING NEWSLETTER