In this edition, I’m breaking down the basics of the Complete Concentration flow trigger, real-world examples of it being applied, and how valuable getting your hands dirty is to the learning process.
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Have you ever wondered what a sports team and a jazz band have in common?
And no, it’s not a crazy person, that’s in charge, yelling and throwing things…
The similarity is something called a hive mind. It’s the comingling that produces a whole-is-greater-than-the-sum-of-its-part effect.
In jazz bands, this is when everyone comes together and the music soars, where there is a foundational shift in consciousness.
This is the same effect with sports teams, but instead of music, results and performance soars.
The preconditions for a band or team to hit this state of flow are the same as for an individual—instead of individual flow triggers they’re called social/group/team triggers.
There are 10 in total: Complete Concentration, Shared Clear Goals, Shared Risk, Close Listening, Good Communication, Familiarity, Blended Egos, Sense of Control, Equal Participation, and Always Say Yes.
Over the next 10 weeks, we’ll dive into each one and give some practical steps for you to implement.
A good way to look at these is, “The 10 Component Found in Every Championship Team, Organization, & Workplace.”
These 10 triggers will improve your skills as a leader and help you see what every coach and business owner looks for in their team.
It’ll also help you stand out from the pack and advance to a leadership position no matter where you go in life.
Now, let’s start with Complete Concentration.
Complete Concentration
In much the same way that individual flow demands complete concentration, group flow requires the same. The research suggests that walling the team off from the world is the best approach.
The best example I’ve seen of this is Coach Dawn Staley making her team take a nap before the Final Four started—giving us a sneak peek into her “daycare duties”.
We also see this same concept occur with “war rooms” for pro sports draft days, political campaigns, and big business deals.
This gist is no text messages or multitasking. No personal phone calls or social media.
Email is best saved for later.
The group gets your attention and is all in at the moment or the group doesn’t get into flow.
How I Used Complete Concentration 😎
The sales company I used to be in business with would hold regular conferences for us and wouldn’t hold back from providing a top-tier speaker lineup for us branch/district manager candidates. Danny, my division manager at the time, was of course a speaker. Dustin Marx, Danny’s former DM & DVM, was on the lineup. And one of the other main speakers was Drew Frank. I’ve featured some coaches who have won many trophies in their careers. But the last time I checked, Drew Frank has won 24 national sales championships in the company—some years winning as many as 4 titles, in 4 different sales categories. The Silver Cup is what the titles are called and to see a picture of him with all 24 is a sight to see.
Drew and Danny were the people everyone wanted to hear from at this retreat. They were a 1-2 punch when it came to sales and closing. During many talks, you could see candidates leaving rooms to take calls from sales reps they were responsible for. But when Drew or Danny was on stage— there was complete concentration.
Later in the retreat, Drew and I were walking together in passing. He thanked me for my attentiveness during his talk and shared: “Every talk I give a talk, it helps me to choose one person in the audience and talk directly to them.” I immediately implemented this tip and it was a good lesson on how valuable simply giving someone your undivided attention can be.
How The Greats Use Complete Concentration 🤌🏾
Did you hear Kirby Smart’s pregame speech for the 2023 National Championship game against TCU? If you didn’t, stop reading this and listen to it now. If you did, no explanation is needed. Every Georgia Bulldog in that room had his attention, and man did he have theirs.
“You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one,” is a quote Coach Wooden is famous for. Supports the notion of walling the team off from the world.
“What are you doing here? Tell me why you are here. If you are not here to win a national championship, you’re in the wrong place. You boys are special. I don’t want my players to be like other students. I want special people. You can learn a lot on the football field that isn’t taught in the home, the church, or the classroom. There are going to be days when you think you’ve got no more to give and then you’re going to give plenty more. You are going to have pride and class. You are going to be very special. You are going to win the national championship for Alabama.” This quote is an example of creating a bubble around a team or a program. An expectation that defines their culture—which is often defined as “this is how we do things here.”
This Week’s Book Recommendation📖
During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. Even more important, he succeeded in never wavering from coaching his way, from a place of deep values. Jackson was tagged as the “Zen master” half in jest by sportswriters, but the nickname speaks to an important truth: this is a coach who inspired, not goaded; who led by awakening and challenging the better angels of his players’ nature, not their egos, fear, or greed.
Eleven Rings is the story of a preacher’s kid from North Dakota who grew up to be one of the most innovative leaders of our time. In his quest to reinvent himself, Jackson explored everything from humanistic psychology and Native American philosophy to Zen meditation. In the process, he developed a new approach to leadership based on freedom, authenticity, and selfless teamwork that turned the hypercompetitive world of professional sports on its head.
Last Words…
The team flow trigger of Complete Concentration is the actuality of the phrase, “Birds of a feather flock together.”
The success of the team ultimately comes down to how much of a hive mind the team has. This includes being on the same page, everyone being bought in, and everyone contributing their part to make the whole greater.
Whether it’s giving your coach, your teacher, or your boss your undivided attention; that’s one way to make sure you’re doing your part.