Be Extraordinary!

Extraordinary—Beyond which is usual, ordinary, regular, or established.

Shelley MacDougall and I are the coaches for CMAA. The concept of coaching services being offered for members of CMAA began at the 2001 World Conference on the topic of Club Management in San Diego, California. Last week Jeff Morgan and I were talking about the history of the coaching program for CMAA, he said he’s not aware of an association that has what CMAA has been doing for over 25 years. An Extraordinary Vision CMAA had so many years ago!

In the early years we were seen as the people you work with if you lost your job. We saw it as a privilege to be with someone in that time of transition. We supported them in the early days with listening and empathy, but very quickly helped them to gain awareness of their part of why things didn’t work out. We helped them gain self awareness to allow them to mitigate any weaknesses or shortcomings they might have, and to truly understand the gifts that set them apart. Our job was not just to help them get a job, but rather, help them to get the right job.

In 2006 we thought although we loved working with people who lost their jobs, we should do something to keep them from losing their jobs. We observed some great leaders were losing their jobs. We are Canadians and in hockey when the team is not winning, organizations don’t fire the team, they fire the coach who is leading the team.

We knew that club managers were getting lots of access to education and resources to support their leadership skills. We were not so sure about the leadership training that was being received by all the leaders that worked with the club managers. We thought, to increase the club managers success we could create something that a team of leaders could use, and in some cases learn leadership for the first time. We could create a more consistent understanding of how to bring the best out in the people they lead.

The time to create the program and launch it took longer than we thought it would, but in May of 2007 we launched the Extraordinary Leader Program.

We created a coaching-based leadership program. In our minds it wasn’t about putting more ideas into someone’s head but rather encourage behavior change and the awareness of the power of accountability that would bring out the extraordinary in their leadership and in their lives.

As coaches we observed that many leaders thought their team members needed to work on themselves, many people in relationships thought their partner needed to improve, and many parents thought their teenagers were the problem. In our program the first lesson of each month is about leading ourselves. In each month we do this before we focus on leading others.

We didn’t want to help people to be good leaders. We wanted to support them in being Extraordinary Leaders. We wanted to support them in having extraordinary lives, extraordinary relationships, extraordinary awareness, extraordinary experiences, extraordinary health, extraordinary wealth, and the ability to define what extraordinary meant for them.

There is nothing wrong with ordinary if that is what you choose. In our community we are looking for extraordinary. When you are looking for something, you tend to find it. If you are looking for something to support your anger, you will probably find it. If you are looking for what is wrong with another person, you will probably find it. If you are looking for trouble… you get the idea.

If you are looking for the extraordinary in others, you will probably find it. If you are looking for the extraordinary in yourself, you will probably find it. If you are looking for extraordinary opportunities you will probably find them or they will find you. You start to see the world and your place in it differently.

A cup of tea can be ordinary. A cup of tea can be extraordinary if you are drinking it in the company of someone special. It can be extraordinary if it is being enjoyed in an extraordinary location. It can be extraordinary if it’s been poured into a very special cup. It can be extraordinary if it’s consumed in your first chance for peace and quiet on a hectic or stressful day.

In our program we provide people with a structure to help them think, feel and act differently. We connect them with Extraordinary People who are doing extraordinary things. We give them lessons and encourage them to practice. We create an environment where they can get together with small masterminds of people where they connect, receive coaching and develop their coaching skills. We have lots of tools and resources. They also get two coaches that care deeply about their success.

Now here is what we have learned about the people who are extraordinarily successful in our program, that can help you today:

• They show up!
• They show up in an extraordinary way!
• They come to give as much or more than they receive!
• They default to a “it can be done “vs. a “it can’t be done” attitude!
• They are constantly searching for and experiencing Extraordinary!
• They are humble!
• They build others up!
• They have lots of energy!
• They have extraordinary intentions!
• The have extraordinary plans!
• They inspire extraordinary execution!
• They have extraordinary relationships!

Here are some other things we have learned over these many years:

• Extraordinary isn’t for everyone!
• Extraordinary can take a lot of effort!
• Extraordinary can take little effort!
• Extraordinary is a gift that all of our ordinary illuminates!
• Extraordinary exists in us all regardless of whether we recognize it or not!
• Bringing the extraordinary out in others is what Extraordinary Leaders do!
• It is Extraordinary to have so many extraordinary people in our lives!
• Extraordinary people have challenges too, but they don’t have to face them alone!

We are wishing you Extraordinary!