From Best to Better

Audio Version

Who is the GOAT, the Greatest of all Time? This is a question that sparks great conversations and debates between sports analysts, friends, and family members. People have an opinion and reasons why they feel a certain player, coach, general manager, announcer, commentator, etc. is the GOAT. Sometimes people become so passionate in their stance on who they believe to be the GOAT that the argument can become heated, depending on who is participating in the discussion and the individuals being discussed. Here's my question. Out of all the people, from the beginning stages to now, why are these individuals being discussed? Why are they considered to be the GOAT? Why are these individuals considered by others to be the best? I believe these individuals are being discussed because of their consistency in being the best and not becoming complacent, stagnant, and satisfied with being at the top. These GOATs understood that being the best was temporary if they did not improve, and while being the best, they continued to get better.

John Maxwell discussed this on his podcast, The Maxwell Leadership Podcast, which was released on July 8, 2020, entitled “Leadership Lessons from Michael Jordan's ‘The Last Dance’.” “The Last Dance” was a documentary series on ESPN that came out during the pandemic. This series was about the Chicago Bulls and their final stage of glory before the team broke up. In this podcast, John Maxwell presented some leadership lessons he learned from Michael Jordan in the ESPN series. Here's a portion of Maxwell's excerpt in that podcast. He states, "You see, being the best was not good enough for Michael. You know, I've been into this conversation with people before on the difference between best and better, and best is all about now, I give you 100%, right now I'm giving you 100%, everything I can in this teaching. It's my best effort, but tomorrow, I have to improve it. Best can always be improved. Best is only best for the moment. And so, my best today, my ceiling tomorrow becomes my floor or my ceiling right now, my best right now to you becomes the floor that I build on tomorrow. So, best always can be improved, and when you watch the documentary with Michael, the thing that just absolutely came home very clearly is that Michael didn't rest on the best."

As I listened to Maxwell make this point about Michael Jordan, it resonated with me as I thought about how he was not satisfied with just being the best, but worked hard to get better and remained at the top. Not only did it resonate with me, but it also inspired me, and I began to think about this principle of moving from best to better. I want to move past just doing my best by putting in the work to make today’s best be better than it was yesterday, and I want to help others do the same. This is a great concept to behold as a leader, but it becomes something even greater when we, as leaders, use our influence to help those we lead to take on the mission and the mindset to grow from best to better.  

So, how do we do this as leaders, both for ourselves and for those we lead? Angela Duckworth, in her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (2016), talks about deliberate practice. This type of practice is intentional and complements this concept of going from best to better. In her book, she lists four requirements of deliberate practice, which are:

• A clearly defined stretch goal
• Full concentration and effort
• Immediate and informative feedback
• Repetition with reflection and refinement

These four requirements are practical steps to move from best to better. Practice definitely does not make perfect, but as my friend Harvie once told me, “Practice makes habit.” As we teach ourselves and others to build habits on those we already possess, we will move from best to better.

On May 7, 2002, during a press conference, Allen Iverson responded to reporters and asked how could he help his teammates by practicing (paraphrased). As leaders, we can demonstrate that we are not satisfied with our level of productivity and success by helping ourselves and our teammates through deliberate practice to go from best to better.

Application:

1. Set Stretch Goals: Everyone can get better at what they do. There is always room for improvement. Be specific about growth by setting a goal that will stretch you toward that growth. You can do this for yourself and for those you oversee.
2. Focus: Stick to whatever stretch goal you decide to go after. Maintain focus on your stretch goal and intentionally practice it. If you decide to change your stretch goal, then start back at step 1 and then refocus your attention on the new goal. Try not to accomplish too many things at once. Doing too many things can cause you to lose focus and can prolong the process. Place yourself in an environment where you can focus your attention on the task at hand. Only use what you need for the task so your focus remains on the task. If technology is needed, don’t begin to scroll and click on pages that take your attention away from what you need to accomplish towards your stretch goal.
3. Seek and Provide Feedback: Discuss your stretch goal with a coach, mentor, trusted friend, or family member, and seek feedback as they watch you practice. We must also provide those we are leading with timely and specific feedback. For the individuals you have set a stretch goal with, set up regular check-ins to provide feedback. Also, when you observe them both formally and informally, feedback on the spot is always helpful. (Providing feedback is also good to provide to individuals you have not set a stretch goal with. This is an area that I am working to improve in.)
4. Reflect: Take time to reflect on your own or with someone you are leading by asking at least these three questions. What areas do I/you still need to work on? How have I/you improved within the stretch goal? Am I/you at the point where the stretch goal has been met and another one should be set? Reflecting is a step that solidifies the process. It is a key component because, as you evaluate your learning, you will know how you can make your best yesterday better today.

Conclusion:

Striving to do our best should always be the goal, but hopefully, your best today is better than your best yesterday because of the work put in to become better. So, what stretch goal will you set that will keep you moving from best to better? The more we keep moving from best to better, someone just might consider you as one of the Greatest of All Time person of influence in their life. 

Additional Comments:

I want to hear from you. Please post your comments and suggestions in the comments section on this page. Thank you for reading or listening to this blog post. Stay tuned for the next blog, scheduled to be posted during the week of Monday, October 6, 2025.