2025 · originally posted on LinkedIn
All through school as a young man, gym was my worst grade both by letter and by effort. S for satisfactory (the lowest effort grade one could get with a passing score) was common for me. This was a great source of shame and self-loathing for me as a fairly sedentary kid. No matter how hard I tried, it was just more of the same. Turns out gym class is pretty brutal when you have a lot more growing to do than any of the other kids.
Twenty years ago, mid-way through the tenth grade, that would all change. O. Outstanding. I couldn't believe it. And positive feedback on my determination and effort?! How could that be anything other than a mistake for a kid who could barely jog a kilometer at a time?
If you are a leader or a mentor, this right here is the power of seeing the best in your people. Provide guidance, structure, and consistency in your support. Be outstanding in ways they can model after you in the examples you set for them. And when they nail it, celebrate them, no matter how insignificant or trivial your praise may seem. For all you know, the lowest performer in your gym class could be one letter away from having everything change.
This report card didn't make me into the avid ultrarunner and seasoned Ironman triathlete I am today, but I will always treasure it as the first time anybody ever told me I could do it.