35 years since high school, and I still remember talk about the star freshman that hit the winning home run. I said, "What about the first home run? Was it not as important?" My friends walked away making comments about my lack of understanding sports. I still get those comments today. We had won by one run. The score was 10 to 9. If the first 9 home runs were not hit, then what value would be the last one? I was genuinely confused why we celebrated the last run more than the first run. I do understand the extra pressure that comes from do or die scenario. Maybe it was the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs, and he hit the run to win the game?

I too celebrate the winner, but results have a lot to do with luck and circumstances outside of our control. Effort and intention are hard to measure, so we demand good grades, very easy to measure. What gets measured gets done, so kids play it safe and take classes with easy teachers. My own kids don’t trust me when I tell them grades don’t matter because if they don’t score well, I bench them from sports and take away their electronics; however, it is true. I don’t care about the grade itself. Grades are only a proxy for effort. Have my kids put in the effort to meet the standards set by the school? I know these standards have little bearing on success in the real world. The life skill comes when you figure out how to achieve; how to try something hard and fight for achievement. The ability to learn for yourself. Grades are still the best way I have to tell if my kids are trying. It didn’t work well in the lower grades since it was too easy to get high grades. It’s a better tool for high school and college.

Peter Drucker believed we should record our intentions. Check our results frequently, and we'll quickly figure out our strengths and weaknesses. Can you achieve what you intended to achieve? If not, what needs to change? I plan my day in advance, and I have yet to work out the day as planned. I always believe I can get more done than I do. I try to improve, but the facts are there on paper. Drucker’s method gives me the feedback to improve.

A different way to think about it is to use Nassim Nicholas Taleb's metaphor. Which $100,000 is more valuable? A winning lottery ticket or a dentist's earnings?

If our intentions are to win the game, we need a machine more capable of winning more often. If we look only at the last home run or the final score, we might value the winning lottery ticket as much as the dental practice.

My point is lead people to create an environment that has the ability stay the course, maintain a sustainable pace, and hit winning home runs as often as possible. Celebrate the practice. I'll close with my favorite paraphrase of Bear Bryant, "It's not the will to win that matters, everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that makes all the difference."