Leadership: Learnings, Laughs and Life Lessons

Larry Duncan, Vice President - Regional Services
Children's Hospital and Health System

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October 28, 2009

"A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be."

Wayne Gretzky, elite hockey player

The most successful individuals in business, sports and life have a tendency to see things more clearly. The most successful individuals can block out the extra noise, know where they want to be and then create a path there. Mr. Gretzky so eloquently described why he was great. While the good players are moving to where the puck (insert current state) is, the best players can predict with great accuracy where the puck is going to be and are there before everyone else. I am quite certain there are a number of times Mr. Gretzky skated to a location and nothing came of it, but that is not what we remember because more than anyone else he was there when it mattered.

Think about your own role. You do not need to be a professional athlete or a business tycoon or a research scientist to see application in these words. You do, however, need to occasionally stick your head up over the trees (or out of your cube or over your computer monitor) and look at the bigger picture. Not one of us does a job without need of improvement. It is easy to plug away at something you have gotten very good at doing.  And you will remain "good" at doing it until it does not need to be done anymore o someone else has figured out how to be great at doing it. The trick is to find the "space" where your job, business or life will be in the future and be ready for it.

Consider this personal or professional Research and Development. "What if" analysis always helps you prepare for the best or worst of the future. What if I could provide this care safely, closer to the patient's home? What if there was an ability to alert the front line of an imperfection before the product was made? What if I found a way to retire at age 50? What if my child could get a scholarship to an Ivy League school? What if my teammate saw me skating to unoccupied ice in his peripheral vision? Sometimes the answer is "GOAL"!

The Great Gretzky was not always skating away from the play nor can any one of us dwell there always. However, if we yearn to be great, to be promoted, to provide the best for our families, to excel at our professional roles, to expand our businesses . . .  we must also need to think ahead, to dream boldly and to take a break from the crowd and find the clear ice.  When we do, goals are obtainable. 

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Your turn

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As a member of the "dying breed of hockey fans", I loved your blog!!
Words to live by,
Scott

I am not a huge hockey fan but the concept has many applications off the ice. Glad you enjoyed.
Larry

Larry,
Great message. Inspirational.
julie

Julie,
I am very pleased you found value in the blog.  Please let me know what you think of future posts.

Larry, in reading your blog, it also occurred to me that managing a leadership career could very much be like skating on thin ice. It's usually difficult when you first start, you build confidence through experience and practice and then for those who work hard at perfecting their skills, the vision of going to the right place becomes second nature. Thanks for your provoking thoughts.
Mark

Larry

Great posting Larry!  This is the second time this month I've heard the Gretzky quote applied to healthcare and it certainly resonates. . .

When applying your blog to my personal career path and successes to date I took your thoughts a step further - knowing what to do with the puck when you've gone to where the puck is.

Catch the puck - "accept the challenge"
Control the puck (stick-handling) – "management excellence"
Move up ice - "Take action; don't sit idle"
Don't get caught with your head down - "anticipate barriers, forecast solutions, know your industry, and learn all you can"
Look for the open part of the net (known as the "holes: 1-5") - "assess your opportunities to execute and chose the most effective option"
Shoot and score!

Thanks for the opportunity to reflect for a moment!
Andy

Excellent extension of the thought.  You did such nice work I will leave it alone, other than being depressed the quote is circulating in several forums. :) 

Larry