Keith, Division Manager for a large construction company in Eastern Washington, told Session 4 of the Leadership Development LAB:

“In the fall of 1995, while attending Central Washington University, I was invited to play college football on one of the most highly successful football teams in the Northwest. The team had top five showings in the last five years. After my freshman year the head coach left to coach at a college in Illinois. The next four years our team had marginal success. It was my senior year and the team leaders and coaching staff were struggling to unite a playoff team. Then we lost at home to the league’s last place team. As a captain, I called a meeting of the coaches and the team leaders. I asked the question, 'What were we doing four years ago that made winning easy?' We wrote 'then' and 'now' on the chalkboard. We quickly listed everything we could think of that we were doing four years ago that we had stopped doing, and the things we were doing now that could be contributing to our lackluster, looser performance. After the list was completed, we all, as leaders, bought into the 'then' action plan and dedicated ourselves to winning like we used to. I have never seen a team more focused on change. We

united the leaders and changed the things that didn’t guarantee success. We won the national championship that year. I have the 1” diameter ring to prove it.

The lesson I learned from this experience is 'There is no better without change.' I learned that when success is a struggle, to look back on what my team was doing when success came easy.

The action I call you to take is to be the catalyst for change. Don’t wait for someone else to lead, to show the way. You take up the mantle of leadership. Get a chalkboard, an easel, call for a huddle, do whatever is needed to change the game. The benefit you will gain will be a united front of achievers that welcome changes for the better and successfully meet on a regular basis to redirect everyone’s efforts toward the vital initiatives required to succeed in achieving your common goal. You too will come out with a prize to cherish forever.”