The Significance of Preparation for Success

One my top hacks for success both daily and long term is surprisingly simple. No gimmicks, no tricks, nothing fancy. Just a deep focus on mental preparation. I'm watching Court of Gold on Netflix and was reminded of this in the gym this morning. Before Kevin Durant steps on the court—he’s already played the entire game in his mind. That line hit me hard. KD didn’t talk about talent. Or height. Or speed. He talked about mental preparation. He talked about how in his mind, the game is often won or lost long before tip-off. And it reminded me that this couldn’t be more true in go-to-market. The best founders, the best reps, the best operators, they all 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 through every move before they make it. – They don’t “wing” discovery calls, they prepare for them. – They don’t show up to a pipeline review without knowing the real story behind each deal. – They don’t run outbound campaigns without first mapping out ICP, buying triggers, and clear value prop. – They don’t jump into pricing convos without rehearsing objections and scenarios. Mental preparation is the foundation for execution. It’s how you move with confidence. It’s how you recover when things go sideways. It’s how you scale what works, because you actually know why it’s working. The biggest deals I’ve ever closed weren’t won on the demo. They were won in the hours beforehand when I rehearsed, refined, and walked through the meeting in my head 10 different ways. Preparation is underrated and quiet, but it’s often the difference between winning and losing. Whether you’re launching a new product, closing a quarter, or stepping into a room with your board, remember that if you wait until game time to get your mind rigt, you're already behind.

Do you use a model or framework when preparing for your important events or moments? Deliberate is a word that I most often use to best describe the philosophy and principles that I speak about.  Being deliberate in our planning and preparation leads to readiness.  Readiness allows us to execute with confidence and gives us our best chance for the desired outcome. The foundation of readiness is a comprehensive framework that gives attention to every facet of the engagement or problem.  Below is the framework that is very similar to the one I developed when we created the U.S. Navy’s Warrior Toughness program.  It was inspired by how we plan, prepare, and execute in military special operations.  - Commit. Identification of the problem or challenge, the desired result, why it's important, and what we are willing to do make it happen.  - Prepare. All facets of planning, resources, skill-building, and rehearsal.  This also includes the level of self-regulation required to execute well in the face of stress and distraction. - Execute. Though this is an extension of the planning and rehearsal process, this phase is tightly focused on the hot-seat moment.  In the military we would refer to this as “actions-on” or “being on the X.”  I offer up three simple considerations here.  1.  Situational Awareness What is the situational picture here in this moment? Is the game plan still appropriate or do I need to adjust or set aside the plan entirely in order to best serve this exact moment? 2.  Variable focus. Where should my focus or attention be right now?  Sometimes it needs to be on the complicated details but we constantly have to shift those focus points. Is the client or customer tracking and understanding what I am saying?  Are the team’s actions right now in support of the overall objective? 3.  Agility.  We have done our best to plan for contingencies but the day will come when we don’t have the exact answer for an unexpected scenario.  When we have the mindset and mental skills to deal with these challenges, we can swiftly execute the back-up plan or at the very least, maintain our poise and focus and not get knocked off of our game. - Reflection. In most situations we face in life-especially business, we are likely going to have to execute on the same or similar situations.  The first step of preparation is capturing the lessons learned.  Whether it was success or failure, what were the contributing factors? There is no magic to this formula. There is a lot more to it than written here but I still consider it to be dirt simple.  The point is that you have some type of framework that covers every aspect of what it takes for you to execute on your most important moments.  What are yours? #leadership #mindset #readiness

90% of what makes an event or gathering successful is put in place beforehand. By the time your event rolls around, you should be sleeping soundly knowing you’ve put everything in place for a successful event. That simply means you’ve taken the appropriate steps to de-risk it, and now have the mental bandwidth to quickly quash any last minute curveballs thrown your way (and we know there are always one or two!) How can you ensure the right plans are in place beforehand? So glad you asked because I’m about to share my secret sauce with you … My planning process that builds the following: “Prime” your attendees before they get onsite so they know what to expect, what to prepare, and what you’re going to deliver. This ensures everyone shows up with the right intentions, goals, and also helps ensure you’re reducing day-of attrition by giving people a heads up on what is expected of them and what they will get out of the event. It’s an art, and I can help you with this. Plan a 2-hour attendee-journey session with everyone involved (key stakeholders, agency, cross-functional team members, an event consultant, etc.) to ensure you poke holes at every aspect of the experience. Where might there be pain? If there are any pain points,  turn them into surprise and delightful moments instead. i.e. at registration offer people wellness shots and protein balls with conversation cards attached with toothpicks to assuage their hunger and boost their immune system (and also strike up a reason to get them chatting) Where are you lacking clarity? If there is anything left unanswered, make sure you figure that out onsite. You want to walk into your event knowing you’ve alleviated 100% of the outstanding questions so you’re not scrambling onsite. This can be as simple as: If the product team is demo’ing a product to attendees, knowing who’s taking notes and capturing the questions the attendees are asking so Sales can follow up. Think of your opening and ending with intentionality. It’s true - people remember the beginning and ending of experiences and a crucible moment, so get them right. (i.e. ask attendees to write a note to themselves that they want you to mail to them in 6 months. This gives you an excuse to reach out to them after the event while also reminding them of how thoughtful you are and what a great time they had at your event). Whatever you do, don’t start or end the event with logistics! There’s nothing that makes me cringe more than an Executive starting off their keynote with housekeeping notes! Take care of these before people enter the general session, or at the very minimum, have an Emcee handle them so the keynote can make a big slash at the cognitive hallowed ground that is the first 1-5 minutes of the session. Need more help with any or all the above for event? Find me here: https://lnkd.in/gajZfvkw.

Most people think Navy SEAL missions are action-packed like the movies. The truth? If it looks like Rambo, something’s gone very wrong. In the SEAL Teams, we had the “7 Ps” mantra: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. We know the success of a mission is built long before the action begins. You have to stack the deck in your favor by preparing thoroughly. That includes thinking through potential obstacles and contingencies, and training to adapt to the unexpected. And after it’s over, you analyze what worked, what didn’t, and why. It’s a cycle of preparation, execution, and relentless improvement. When I moved into the private sector, I realized the same importance of preparation applies. Whether you’re delivering a high-stakes pitch, negotiating an offer, or leading a new initiative at work, success hinges on what happens beforehand: ✅ Did you anticipate the tough questions? ✅ Did your team align on every detail? ✅ Did you think through contingency plans? In my executive search work, I see this truth every day: preparation minimizes risk and maximizes your chance of success. As a Navy SEAL, I learned that preparation is the ultimate competitive edge. The same principle applies in business. Do the work before the work.