I used to call it creating a ‘wow’ experience for customers, Seth Godin refers to it as being remarkable and has dedicated an entire book to it, and my friend Jada Ross said it perfectly last night: “If you’re going to do something, dedicate yourself and be the best at it.”
Jada was inducted into the Charleston Southern University Hall of Fame for his football achievements. Jada didn’t just say those words with empty thought, he had power and conviction behind them. Jada amassed over 450 career tackles in his collegiate career (an amazing feat in itself if you don’t understand football) as well as setting numerous school and conference records for his individual play. He also helped lead our team to a conference championship (first in school history), a 14 game win-streak spread over 2 seasons, and was an integral part of turning a program with a losing history into one with a winning mindset. He was the ultimate combination of an outstanding individual talent that played well on a team and never put himself or his achievements over the team as a whole. He was the best at his position, and he more than deserved that induction into the Hall of Fame.
When Jada said, “dedicate yourself and be the best at it,” he was speaking directly to the current student-athletes in attendance at the induction celebration. But as he spoke there was the faintest mummer of agreeing that swept the room from coaches, faculty, has-been student-athletes, and more in the room that his words resonated with, especially me.
When was the last time we put our best effort forward? When was the last time we dedicated ourselves 110% to a task and did not let excuses get the best of us? As Jada also said, “The time will fly and it will be over before you know it,” and even though he was referring to the student-athletes remaining time to compete, it is applicable in our everyday lives. Nobody has ever been celebrated for giving a sub-par effort in sports, in business, or in life so why wait? If we’re going to do something, let’s dedicate ourselves and be the best at it.
Congratulations Jada, I’m proud to call you my teammate!
