Everyone needs a good Corner-man. The fictional Boxing Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa had Mickey Goodmill. Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, José Nápoles, George Foreman, Jimmy Ellis, Carmen Basilio and Luis Rodriguez each had Angelo Dundee as their Corner-man.
Who is fighting in your corner? Who is the one person that can look you in your bloody eye and tell you that you can go the distance and beat the bum?
What if you don’t you have a Corner-man, then what? You get yourself a Corner-man ASAP!!! Get one as soon as it is humanly possible. Of course, you just can’t walk up to a complete stranger and say, “Hey, will you be my Corner-man?” You have to recognize that a Corner-man is what you need.
Once you have accepted that fact, they you do what you can to find one that will take you to where you want to be. You start hunting high and low for the one person that will be in your corner, all the time. However, until you find that person you will have to pay your dues and rest assured, it will be a struggle.
For example, in the motion picture Rocky, the first time we see Mickey and Rocky together, Mickey tells Rocky about why Mickey is paying more attention to another boxer, “Dipper’s a contender, a climber, you know what you are? A tomato. That’s right a tomato, I run a business here not a soup kitchen.” Mickey pulled no punches with Rocky and that is exactly what a good Corner-man should do. When Rocky asked Mickey why he didn’t care, in no uncertain terms Mickey said, “You had the talent to become a good fighter and instead of that you became a leg breaker for some cheap second rate loan shark…It’s a waste of life.” They worked out their issues and Mickey was in Rocky’s corner when it came time to fight the big fight. In the end, it was Mickey, the Corner-man, that went on to help make Rocky the success he went on to eventually become the champ (see Rocky II).
In real-life, Angelo Dundee is considered the greatest Corner-man in the history of professional boxing. He not only made champions, he made household names out of George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Muhammad Ali. Dundee made them champs because he pulled no punches and always gave them exactly what they needed: Someone to tell them the truth no matter how much it hurt. Each one of those great boxers had what it took to be champion but it was the Corner-man that kept their vision focused and kept them on track when it came to preparing and fighting the Big Fight.
Everyone needs a great Corner-man to keep them focused, keep them on track, and above all to keep them real. How do you find a great Corner-man? The answer is real simple: Become someone else's Corner-man.
While it is that simple, it is not going to be that easy. Becoming someone’s Corner-man will not happen overnight, nor will it be handed to you. What it will be is difficult and lengthy. That along with a large dose of being authentic, genuine, and the willingness to share will all but ensure your place as great Corner-man. Then by setting the standard you let any would be Corner-man know what you will expect of them.
The concept of a Corner-man isn’t new especially as it is based on common sense plain and simple. Always remember that no matter what you do and how hard you work the trick is to ensure that your Corner-man does not become your “Yes-man”.
“Yes-men” are dime a dozen and offer no real benefit other than to stroke your ego. There is nothing wrong with someone stroking your ego but if that’s all you have then you have no real shot at the success that comes by having someone fighting in your corner. No shot at being great because you’ll start believing what those that are stroking your ego are telling you. Certainly, that would be the last thing you want and that would defeat the purpose of having a Corner-man altogether.
Here are some Technorati Tags:
• Dave Guerra • Leadership • Leading • Leadership Development • Professional+Development • Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way • Corner-man • Muhammad Ali • Sugar Ray Leonard • Rocky • Mickey • Angelo Dundee • Work for it • Be one to get one • Give to the American Red Cross • Hire A Hero
2 comments:
Great article and great analysis. What's clear is that most people can't have a corner-man (or deserve one). This generation can't understand someone not telling them they're great...or even being critical. That reflection from the cornerman is interpreted today as being "too critical" or "throwing stones". As a result, most people (especially the psuedo-successful ones) will choke on their own ego, while eating the buffet served by their yes-men.
Thanks for the insight.
-lj-
LJ,
You are most welcome. I do agree that there are too many "Yes-men" and not enough people that will tell it like it is. I fear that those that "tell it like it is" do so only because their existence is based on the praise and admiration they get for sorta "telling it like it is."
Realistically, I can see how this happens as we are all human and who doesn't like the praise and the admiration.
However, there should be more care taken to not over do it with the "Yes" heck even Caesar had the Soothsayer tell him to beware the Ides of March. Then again, Caesar dismissed the warning (of the only one who had the guts to tell him the truth) and we all know how that turned out.
Thus the never-ending conflict between the Ego and Alter-Ego rages.
Post a Comment