Pivot.

A few months ago I had the opportunity to visit the Philadelphia 76's corporate office and learn about their culture and their way of doing business. Getting a guided tour filled with an intense amounts of information I was quickly and powerfully engulfed in the atmosphere and collegiality of the organization. It became apparent rather quickly why and how they are leading the way in how a professional sports organization can thrive regardless of wins and losses. 

Scott O'Neil, president and CEO, has a clear vision for his organization and has an intense passion for being successful on the ice (New Jersey Devils) and on the court (76'ers). However, being the leader that he is, he has meticulously dedicated himself to the power of relationships, knowing his people and driving the collective culture of the teams he oversees by being present in all that he does. He defines leadership.

Reflecting back on that unique experience, there was a word shared that day that has remained in mind and has been ingrained through my thoughts of leadership ever since. That word is PIVOT. Shared in that meeting by a young executive, he described pivot this way:

Decision making. Make decisions that impact the organization to make us better, adjust and adapt quickly, fail forward, we need to pivot, don't keep doing things that are not working, PIVOT right then. 

Thinking through this description and having had the experience, I reflected on how this could translate and possible evolve into my One Word for 2018. 

My words have been: Finish, Purpose, Intentional and Push these past four years. All powerful and timely in their respective way, this year will be different for me professionally. It will be full of different experiences and new opportunities. A job change, new colleagues, creating a culture in a new space. Leading, organizing and guiding others I will be in a constant state of change. I will need to PIVOT day in and day out throughout the year ahead. 

My adaptation of PIVOT is this:

Remaining grounded to what is at the core of what is most important in teaching, learning and leading (culture) while recognizing the need to pivot to take your organization to "the edge" and strive to become ELITE. I will need to be present and be prepared at any given moment as I guide the organization in the work ahead. PIVOT as I, and we, fail forward and always be ready to pass, dribble or even drive the lane. To pivot is to embrace all that is around you. 

And with that, my OneWord for 2108 is PIVOT. My gratitude goes to Mr. O'Neil for his model of leadership of an impressive organization filled with passionate and loyal stakeholders. Thank you Michael for sharing what may have seemed to be a simple lesson in culture and climate and since then has morphed into much more. And, with equal gratitude, to the colleagues I see each day that have helped me thrive and succeed in what I get to do day in and day out. I serve. And I do so with great pride.

In the end, pivot throughout your journey in leading and learning. It is a game-changer and success will come on and off the court.