No excuses

Yesterday Carson Dach asked me to share Anthony Robles' story with you. It's with great pleasure I introduce you to Anthony, a 22 year-old student-athlete at Arizona State University (ASU). Here's a quick look at his career:

• Born July 20, 1988.
• Recorded the most push-ups in junior high as a sixth grader.
• Began wrestling in the eighth grade.
• Last two years in high school he went 46-0 and won two state championships.
• Senior year at ASU he went 36-0 to become a three-time Pac 10 champion.
• In his final match at ASU he won the final, 7-1, to become NCAA National Champion (125 pounds).
• Voted the 2010-2011 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.
• Three time All-American.

I'd like to parallel his body of work with a few lessons within Mark Sanborn's book, The Fred Factor:

1. Everybody is making a difference everyday. The question is, what kind of difference is each of us making?
2. The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
3. How many good ideas die for the lack of action and follow through on your part?

It's your job, as a leader, to create an environment where, as Sanborn puts it, action is rewarded. He also tells us, "No one likes to fail, it is much more important for an employee to know that taking chances to do the right thing will be acknowledged, not punished. When people feel their contributions are unappreciated they will stop trying. And when that happens innovation dies."

Choose to take action on your next idea and turn it into something extraordinary... no excuses. Anthony doesn't accept excuses, especially because he did all of that, and more, without a right leg. Anthony was born without a right leg and chose to take action. Will you?

(Photo by Michael Arellano)

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