No Excuses Leadership

Chip Management

There’s a moment in every Texas Hold’em poker tournament where a player has to go “All In”.  This means that the hand they have been dealt is so good, or offers their best chance to make a significant gain, that they literally push all their chips into the middle of the table and say “I’m all in!” Not being a poker player myself, I can’t imagine how tense it must be and what a emotional ride it must feel like to make that “All In” call.  If you watch this gutsy move on TV or in person, you see the height of drama unfolding before your very eyes. What you won’t see is someone making such a call during every hand.  The reason is simple?  Not only do they fail to have good enough cards dealt to them in order to make such a move, but they typically don’t have enough chips do so either.  The best poker players on the planet know how to use their resources, or chips, in such a way that maximizes their chances of winning.

TAKE ACTION

Have you ever met anyone who wants to go “All In” on everything?  If you have, you know that people like that are typically either burnt out, burning out, or wound so tight that their stress level is through the roof. It’s a recipe for disaster and the message is clear:  We can’t go all in on everything!  A better alternative is to manage your resources (time & energy) wisely and choose the right endeavors to invest those resources in. Stop trying to be all things to all people all of the time.  Know what is most important, invest in those things heavily, and then let the chips fall where they may.

BE BOLD

"Burnout is what happens when you try to avoid being human for too long."

-Michael Gungor-