Happy Monday!

Thanks for joining me again this week. I'm so grateful for the terrific feedback you've been offering. It means the world to me when you share this newsletter with others—please forward it to anyone who could benefit. The goal is simple: To help people increase their impact.

The principles this week came up many times with my clients in professional sports, and I hope you enjoy them!

Justin Su'a

For Athletes: Commitment

Long-term success will go to the committed. For any worthy pursuit, there will be struggle; choose something worth struggling for. And two things many people underestimate in pursuit of that goal are how hard it's going to be and how long it's going to take.

Self-Reflection Question: Does the level of my actions match the level of my goals?

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For Coaches: Positive Blind Spots

If you're dedicated to helping your players fix their mistakes, take the same approach to celebrating their successes. Every player has blind spots—not only for what they do wrong, but also for what they do right. Call out the small wins, highlight the progress that might go unnoticed, and recognize the problems that never appeared because someone did their job well. When you draw attention to their positive actions, you give your players the encouragement they need to keep moving forward.

Self-Reflection Question: Who is doing a great job that I should acknowledge this week?

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For Parents: What did you see?

There is an MLB player I work with who texts me the same question after every single game, "What did you see?" When I once texted, "Great job!" after a game, he replied, "...but what did you see?" This showed me that specific, thoughtful feedback is what truly matters to him.

The next time you want to praise your child after one of their games, go beyond a generic "good job." Instead, tell them specifically what you noticed—their effort, anticipation, execution, or attitude. Specific observations provide tangible feedback that they can use to improve and repeat in future games. Meaningful feedback encourages growth.

Self-Reflection Question: Think back to your child's last good performance: What did I notice? How was their effort? What did they specifically do well? Did I tell them?

Message of the Week: Groupthink

Groupthink erodes team spirit, smothers creativity, silences honesty, and blocks growth. Groupthink occurs when group members prioritize maintaining peace over speaking the truth. To avoid conflict, they agree in public, even when they disagree in private. Breaking free from it is essential for your team to thrive.

Watch for these warning signs that your team may be slipping into the groupthink trap:

1. Silence is mistaken for agreement.
2. Everyone feels pressure to agree with the majority or the person in charge.
3. No one feels safe to disagree, suggest new ideas, or challenge others.
4. When overconfidence takes hold, it blinds the team to hidden risks.
5. The team brushes off outside voices, labeling them as biased or unworthy of attention.

As a leader, uproot groupthink from your team by taking these bold steps:

1. Invite and welcome diverse viewpoints.
2. Celebrate candor and curiosity.
3. Seek out fresh perspectives from beyond your team.
4. Hold back your own opinions at first, giving others space to share their true thoughts.
5. Embrace a growth mindset and commit to constant improvement.

At the Performance Advisory Group, we serve some of the most respected coaches, executives, and athletes in professional sports. Our team is trusted to provide leadership guidance, performance coaching, and culture-building support behind the scenes, where the pressure is high and the margin for error is razor-thin.
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PAG is where elite leaders go to get better. We help this population navigate the human side of performance: leadership, communication, decision-making, team dynamics, and culture-building. Our approach is tailored, evidence-based, and rooted in trusted relationships.

If you are interested in seeing how we can support you, your child, your team, or your organization, we'd love to connect!

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