The Navy SEALs represent one of the highest-performing organizations in the world. Since 1962, their primary functions have been conducting small-unit special operations missions to capture or eliminate high-level targets or gather intelligence. All Navy SEALs are hand-selected, meticulously trained, and properly equipped.
What interests me most about the Navy SEALs is their mission selection process. How do they choose the best candidate for a mission? Surprisingly, they rely on two metrics that we are familiar with: PERFORMANCE (on the battlefield) and TRUST (the kind of person you are and how you interact with others).
What’s even more interesting is that the Navy Seals would much rather select an individual for a mission with a medium level of performance and a high level of trust (Mid P/High T) VERSUS a high level of performance with a low level of trust (High P/Low T). Consistently, the High P/Low T individual was not selected. They also believe that a Mid P/High T individual was significantly closer to a High P/High T(the ultimate candidate) individual than a High P/Low T individual. The person that you are and how well you can be trusted is much more important than you think!
Here’s the link to watch the video!
Let’s unpack what that could mean for you in sports or in your organization!
Performance
Performance is not everything. Performance shouldn’t be recognize or acknowledge to the detriment of what you stand for. Competing for a team or working for an organization while following a sets of values that represent you is much more important than any result-driven performance. If one of the highest organizations in the world can follow a protocol like this, I believe we can too.
Trust
Trust should never be overlooked. It is the foundation of any sports team, organization, or business. Anything built on trust has a chance of success. Whether it’s for a product, a coworker, or your teammates, trust is non-negotiable. If you can’t trust the environment around you, it may be a warning sign. Additionally, trust is a significant pillar of a process-oriented approach
This is one of my favorite quote that was mentioned by a very important person in my life.
“You are already winning if you are doing your best“
This is an important reminder that giving it your all is more than you think!
