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Hey Everyone, Hope you had a great Thanksgiving celebration last week! There has been a huge uptick in my work with clients around discovering and developing their unique competitive advantage. Here are five that have come up recently: A love for your craft
There is power in loving what you do—the process, the work, the climb. You have to love it because you’ll experience heartbreak along the way. You’ll go through slumps. Things will be unfair at times. And when those things happen, your love for what you do will carry you through.
Being good at crafting statements and questions
“What’s wrong with you?” vs. “Walk me through what happened.”
“How could you do that?” vs. “Help me understand your process?”
“You’re wrong.” vs. “I disagree.”
“Don’t be nervous.” vs. “This is exciting. You’ll feel some nerves, that’s okay.”
How you frame it matters.
Learning from people outside your industry
In my career, I've seen:
...Pitchers and hitters talk about how they would attack each other.
...Infield coaches and tennis coaches share footwork drills.
...Defensive backs and wide receivers discuss route running.
...MLB Managers and NFL Head Coaches exchange ideas on how to build a strong culture.
...A president of a professional sports team bounce ideas off a president of a Fortune 100 company.
...A director of astronaut development connect with a director of player development.
One way to think outside the box is to learn from people solving similar problems in different domains.
Being intentional about the story you tell yourself.
It's easy to believe the story you let run through your mind. The way you frame your situation affects your beliefs, emotions, effort, and how you treat people. Changing what you see changes what you do.
Being unoffendable
Assume positive intent. Don’t attribute malice to someone’s actions when it could be explained by incompetence. Shed the victim mentality that people are out to get you. Those who don’t get offended easily protect their peace.
Hope you have a great week! Justin Su'a If this email was forwarded to you and you want it to come directly to your inbox, click here to subscribe About Justin Su'a | Instagram | Linkedin | X Click to listen to the "Increase Your Impact Podcast" |
The Competitive Advantage Newsletter is your Monday morning edge, created for growth-minded athletes, coaches, and sports parents. Each issue is a 2-3 minute read and delivers actionable strategies and powerful stories straight from my work with the world’s top performers. If you're serious about getting better, join thousands of others as the place to start your week.
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