Nobody knows the daily grind of competition and mental game better than athletes and coaches. Today I’m thrilled to share a conversation with basketball and performance coach Alan Stein Jr. on how we can apply these hard-fought principles to building better businesses.
Alan first blew me away with his networking skills — he joined a private group we’re both part of and quickly became an integral member, after I’d been mostly wall-flowering as the hidden introvert that I am. We talk about his strategies for building relationships and ditching unhelpful compare-and-despair for mindsets that are far more helpful and empowering.
Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at PivotMethod.com/podcast/raise-your-game. Enjoying the show? Make my week by donating just $1 and episode at Patreon.com/pivot.
More About Alan Stein Jr.
Alan is a world-renowned coach, speaker and author. He spent 15+ years working the highest performing basketball players on the planet and now teaches audiences how to utilize the same strategies in business that elite athletes use to perform at a world-class level.
Alan specializes in improving individual and organizational leadership, performance and accountability. He inspires and empowers everyone he works with to take immediate action and improve mindset, habits and productivity.
Topics We Cover
How he approaches entering a new group as part of professional pivoting (From basketball coach to professional speaker and author)
What can I do to serve the group? Emphasize what others need—with no expectation
Spent 20 years in the basketball space
Pivoting from player to coach to business and professional speaking
How Alan embraced the fact that he’s a rookie on the corporate side; why he’s thankful that he has never had a corporate job
Have to use our strengths, talents, passions
The story of two teams . . . David and Goliath
Believe you have the advantage, and don’t worry about the competition
Comparison is a game none of us can win
Turn the competitiveness toward yourself: look at past results (can I beat what I’ve currently been doing?) and what I believe I’m capable of (can I be bigger, better?)
Moving past jealousy, envy in sports, business, looks and life
Questions: What sacrifices do I need to make? What challenges should I expect?
Sacrifice: have to be willing to do things others won’t do in order to get to places where not everybody does
Every time you say yes to something, you are saying no to something else
One of the biggest mistakes we can make is thinking a big goal is going to be easy; it’s okay to expect challenges and adversity, and being told no on a daily basis
Three categories: the next play, controlables, the process
Controlables: there are only two things in this world that we have 100% control over 100% of the time: our effort, and our attitude
There’s a lot more in our sphere of influence (preparation, enthusiasm)
Successful people will readily say that effort is a choice; by default, that means that not working hard is also a choice
Parents always said to him: You don’t control what other people do to you, but you do control how you react, and how you choose to internalize that (or not)
All high performers use feedback to make them better
Alan’s three favorite recent books
Raise Your Game with Alan Stein Jr.
Listen below or on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube, Overcast, Stitcher, or Google Play Music:
Resources Mentioned
3 favorite recent books:
Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life by Byron Katie and the Judge Your Neighbor worksheet
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