“Confidence, honesty, and loyalty are sexier than a six pack,” shared one of the crazies with the team of six. We all laughed as we took this thought in. You see, this morning we practiced eliminating the masquerade. We practiced listening to our teammates share a bit about their worldview and we pushed our “rushing to judge” to the recesses. We practiced enjoying the differences in our thinking and in our beliefs. We asked questions like a banchee. And, the depth of dialogue reached a new zenith.
Teams everywhere don’t know what they’re missing. If you haven’t taken off the mask you can’t imagine how free it feels. Today, nobody had to tell the team of six that the depth of dialogue will someday translate to deep, domain specific performance. Today, they experienced it. Today ideas were translated into new behaviors at the speed of sound. Today a team got better. Today a team of six gained clarity around their differences. Diversity, real diversity of the thinking variety, gained some ground. And, this kinda diversity is the kind that translates directly to performance. This is the one you want. Confidence, honesty, and loyalty are attractive, aren’t they…
The six pack of crazies have been practicing. They’ve been practicing “catch and release” and it’s been good.
Confidence replaced timidity. Honesty replaced playing it safe. Loyalty to our true selves, to each other, and to bringing the vision into reality replaced loathing this thing we call labor.
Today, the team of six was minus their leader. The coolest part was that nobody knew, nobody noticed, nobody changed. Everybody played the way they’ve been practicing to play. Funny, huh.
This team of six is becoming a six pack of sorts. This six pack is strong. This six pack is able to take a punch. This six pack is getting tight. And, call it an unintended consequence if you want, this six pack is looking good…
BUILT TO LEAD 
For the past four year, I’ve had the pleasure of some quiet time with my bride on the same beach in St Barths. We go to the same place, same week, same resort, same restauratnts and every year, somehow, it seems to get better and better. Why is that?
Four years ago, we left our three little boys behind, one faced with the kind of unclear vision that’s truly scary.
Three years ago, I started to wake up and left some very challenging business and personal dillemas back in columbus.
Two years ago, I sat on the same beach now knowing, the difficult decision was pending and waiting for me at home.
Last year, at this same time I had taken a crazy jump and sat in the exact same lounge chair, literally a team of one and a pile of dirt.
Today I sit on the same beach with two communities about to be three, 125 people that have signed up for what we stand for, all kinds of great programming around what we love and most importantly, with a team of six inspiring individuals, becoming ONE.
I dreamed of how it would feel but never truly could imagine how good it would be, thousands of miles away from my “work” and to read a blog like this…
I have no words, but Thank you Katie, Thank you Chet, Thank you TZ, Frank, OG, Reika and LK. Thanks to my new BTL brothers, Thank you Dylan, Cash, Bono, Friedman, Lewis and all the crazies in this world for their inspiration. Thank you god!
Today is the same but very different, today is a good day!
Thank you kman. Your jump will forever sear me. Your jump deepened my belief. Your jump inspired me. Your jump looked like a giant leap at the time. Now, your entire team is jumping just like Y.O.U.. And, next year this six pack team will jump on by. We’ve been blessed, my friend. Blessings to you, your bride, and your Barths tradition…