It’s the strangest thing. Here I am watching the Olympics and the soundtrack in my mind isn’t “Chariots of Fire,” it’s Kenny Rogers.
Can you hear it?
“You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em…know when to fold ‘em…know when to walk away…”
It’s exactly that wisdom that Simone Biles has demonstrated this week in withdrawing from Olympic competition when she recognized that her mental mindset was not where it needed to be.
Rather than press on, risk injury, or jeopardize her team’s chances of winning a medal, Biles made the courageous decision to step away from the mat.
It got me to thinking about the times in running a business when that same wisdom is necessary.
When it’s time to recognize you can’t do it alone and need a team.
When you’ve made every attempt to retain an employee who just can’t perform and, finally, make the decision to let them go.
When you’ve spent too much time and money on creating a new program or service that just isn’t selling…but you want to give it just one more shot.
When you are presented with a tempting opportunity, but something just doesn’t feel right.
When you’re going on fumes, neglecting yourself and your family, and it feels like there’s no end in sight.
These are the times when it takes courage to step away. To understand that business is as much about mindset as it is about money. To be willing to defy expectations –both internal and external – to do what’s right for you, your family, your team, and your business in the long run.
That’s when it’s great to have a coach (like Simone Biles does) to support you in making the right, hard decision. It’s what we do for our clients all the time.
Because in the end, it’s not about our wisdom, but about what you know deep inside when you take a minute to make sure that your mindset is a match for the challenge of the moment.
When you recognize that it’s time to make a change, take a different direction or walk away from the table so that you can come back to win another day.
Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away so that you can…
Go forth and do great things,
