Last week I was the guest on Power Athlete Radio which is a global strength and conditioning organization. I connected with them through my Crossfit coach who thought they would want to hear about my resilience work and its application for elite and professional athletes.

The 90-minute interview was headed by John Welbourn, a former NFL lineman turned performance entrepreneur and CEO of Power Athlete, along with two of his top coaches. While we had a great time talking about resilience for athletes young and old the most interesting part of the conversation was their take on praise.

Seems that John’s approach is to minimize or eliminate praise in the belief that people should gain satisfaction by knowing and doing their best and that self-approval is all that is needed. When I pressed John about whether he takes that approach with his kids, he told me that he wants to make sure they know he loves them and tells them when they do well. I pointed out this bit of contradiction between work and home and I’m confident that I got him thinking about it.

The research is clear about the benefits of acknowledging success. The more we do it and do it with specifically describing the behaviors that lead to success, the higher the probability that it will continue, improve, and help overcome setbacks.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoy pointing out success that others achieve. The smile that accompanies hearing good things lights up faces and heats up the fire that burns deep inside.

© Richard Citrin, All rights reserved, 2018

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