Just Give It Your Best Shot
When I was a kid, my family spent a lot of time at track meets. My older sisters were stars, winning races and setting records. As a little kid, I was happy to have the attention on their celebrity status in the world of junior sports. It left me free to roam in adult-free places. Those vast indoor arenas and outdoor fields became creative playgrounds, as I enlisted other formerly captive younger siblings in made-up games.
But when I turned nine and started competing, track meets became stressful. I dreaded the races, with pressure building as they called my age group to queue for the starting line, anxiety building as we folded ourselves into starting blocks and awaited the gun, feeling that fight-flight-freeze terror so many of us feel in our adult working lives.
One snowy Saturday, at an indoor meet, I refused to run, taking a stand, defiant, like the Fearless Girl statue staring down the bull on Wall Street. My father, a coach and former athlete, did not argue or scold me. He paused, knelt down to my level, put a hand on my shoulder, and asked me what I thought running was all about. "Winning, of course," I said.
His response surprised me, "You don’t have to win.” His eyes were gentle but serious as he continued, sharing that I did not need to be perfect or beat anyone. “Winning isn’t even in your control," he continued, then almost too casually, adding, “Just give it your best shot.”
Those words, delivered so straight-forwardly, as if noting the sky was blue, were life changing. I agreed to run that day, not for medals, but simply for the fun of it and to give it my best shot. That lesson stuck with me, shaping how I approach work and life, at least on my best days. My father’s advice—show up, try hard, and focus on the process, even on the joy of the work —has guided me throughout my career and in my work as a coach and consultant. Now, I pass this same encouragement to my clients: just give it your best shot.
In my three-decade career, I have learned the importance of mindset and progress over perfection, especially in times of change, when we experience new terrain for the first time. My father’s wisdom - now echoed in the well-researched principles of growth mindset and psychological safety, the science of failing well and optimal sustained performance - continues to inspire the work I do today.
My experience is full of change, so I understand when leaders and their teams struggle with anxiety, the paralysis of perfectionism, and change fatigue. These issues are all too common, given how quickly the business environment shifts today. My goal now is to pass on these lessons and contribute to leaders stepping up to their roles, so they and their teams can flourish at work and make a difference in their companies and in our communities. The world needs leaders today, and I have a track record of helping them find their way and stay in the race.
True to my father’s legacy, my practice emphasizes the human capacity to explore, experiment, learn, and become the leaders we know we can be. In other words, giving it our best shot.
To work with me, check out my website at BestShotConsulting.com.
