Faith and Reality

This Sunday afternoon, you will find me watching football along with millions of other people. As I gear up for the big game I am remind of how important it is for a business to operate as a team. In football, the need to have a coach focused on winning is important; however, he must mentor assistant coaches and players so they believe they can win every Sunday — no matter what is going on.

This is faith. That is, the undying belief that you can succeed given any level of adversity you may be facing. I am reminded of this by the Stockdale Paradox, written by Jim Collins, found in one of the greatest books ever written,  Good to Great. (It is a great read and well worth your time.)

The overwhelming theme of the Stockdale Paradox is best said by Admiral Jim Stockdale, “This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end-which you can never afford to lose-with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”

Every business owner should read Good to Great. If you have read this amazing book, you need to go back and review the Stockdale Paradox, now more than ever. During this economy it is imperative for business owners to confront the brutal reality of where their business may be at, but never lose the undying faith in realizing the dream they set out to achieve.

What brutal realities are you facing? How are you keeping faith alive within your organization?