Page 27 - Barbecue News Magazine SEPT 2020

Caribbean movies and Captain Jack Sparrow’s “broken” compass? As you recall, the compass wasn’t really broken, it just pointed to what you most desired, it gave our hero direction. The same is true with having a purpose. Is it to be the rib king, like legend, Dave Anderson? Is it to be World Champion like Mark Lambert? Is it to begin a move- ment in the food world like Ken Phillips and Brett Gall- away? Perhaps it’s just doing something else you most desire. Find purpose and then you will have direction. But like Jack, direction isn’t enough, you still have to set sail.
AUTHENTICITY
In 2001 Notre Dame head coach, George O’Leary resigned after only five days on the job. You’re probably asking, “Why?” Well, the reason is simple, he lied about his aca- demic and athletic achieve-
ments on his resume. He did learn from this and went on to have a highly successful run as head coach at the University of Central Florida. Being authen- tic builds trust in your team, in those around you and allows you to sleep at night. Kids today talk about “being real” but this is just about them say- ing they are being authentic. Authenticity is as real as it gets.
COMMUNICATE
Foundational in any relation- ship. Whether it’s in a marriage or business, you must learn to communicate. I’m reminded of Jeff Foxworthy’s joke on south- ern terms and how confusing it could be to people who just don’t understand southerners. But true communication must be clear and concise. Needs to be timely. There’s no sense talking about something which is no longer relevant. Most im- portantly, communication must be open. Many bosses say they have an open-door policy, a se- lect few truly follow through with it. This is a necessity in food sport as well as business.
TEAMWORK
President Regan had a plaque which read, “It is hard to say what you could accomplish if it does not matter who gets the credit.” When watching foot-
ball on TV the quarterback receives tons of accolades but when he is interviewed, he most always refers to the whole team allowing him to be great. Without the pit crew the NASCAR driver couldn’t win a race. This is especially true as we move forward in day to day activities. We all have heard the adage, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” In re- ality, this is more than a slogan, it’s one very important way to make an impact.
The next time you see a leaf impact a pond or see a fish jump to impact the lake (ocean) remember you can make the same impact, regardless of the size fish you may be. The size of the body of water in which you swim also does- n’t matter. What does matter is you seek to make an impact in the pond.
SEPTEMBER 2020
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