Big Potential

Big Potential will show you that the real secret to success and thriving in all aspects of life is developing strong connections with others and treating them in a way that lifts them up.

UConn women’s head basketball coach Geno Auriemma knows what it means to surround yourself with positive influencers. Evaluation of his players focuses on how well they contribute to the team, instead of their individual accomplishments. The success of this method shows, too. As of the current writing, the team hasn’t lost a game in two years.

One study from my alma mater, BYU, discovered that in basketball, assists in are the highest determiner of the team’s chances of winning. An assist is when a player passes the ball to another player that scores. In other words, rather than being a ball hog, considering success and the goal of winning as a team effort is more productive than attempting to be a superstar.

It’s not just having a team-centered mindset that helps, however. Who you have on your team is just as important. Jim Collins, in Good to Great, refers to this as “getting the right people on the bus.” Surround yourself with people who build you up. Remove those people from your life which tear you down. When you’re surrounded by people who are committed to yours and the groups success, your potential increases.

The “I Saved a Life” program at Kaiser Permanente has saved almost 500 lives by empowering receptionists and other staff to be part of the lifesaving process. The leaders of the organization expanded their power by allowing people other than “medical providers” to participate in the health care process. If someone called to schedule an appointment, for example, employees could see if they were overdue for any preventative screenings. Representatives asked if patients wanted to schedule appointments for these procedures. In one case, 40% of those diagnosed with cancer had scheduled the screening appointment through one of these calls! You don’t need to be a leader to make a difference. But if you are one, delegating responsibilities to others will not only help you, but the entire organization. When you reach goals, the next step is to Enhance your assets by praising in the right way. Most often, we deflect praise away from ourselves. But when we instead reflect compliments toward the team, we grow our potential. One woman working at a law firm found herself in fierce competition with another for an open position as a partner. She knew that her ability to sell herself to the existing partners making the decision would be the determining factor. But when she bragged about herself in one interview she left feeling that something…