In the article I published a few weeks ago, I wrote about Bill Walsh, the coach who took the San Francisco 49ers from one of the worst teams in professional football to a dynasty, winning three Super Bowls in nine years. Walsh believed that watching the scoreboard was the wrong focus.
His philosophy was simple: concentrate on the behaviors that produce winning, and the results will follow. The score takes care of itself.
I also described a checklist I made early in my career. I wanted to be recognized as one of the top business thought leaders in the world, so I identified exactly what that would look like. Then I backed up and mapped out, step by step, everything I would need to do to get there. I figured that if I checked everything off the list, the outcome would take care of itself.
When I wrote that article, I had no idea I was about to receive news that would become a clear illustration of exactly that idea.
Thinkers360, the world’s largest thought leader platform connecting hundreds of thousands of executives and experts globally, has nominated me for their 2026 Thought Leader of the Year in the Personal Excellence category. The award recognizes individuals who have shaped the thinking in their field and raised the standards for others. There are 45 nominees from more than 20 countries. I am humbled to be among them.
The nomination is meaningful, but what produced it matters more. For more than 30 years, I worked the list every single day, giving thousands of speeches, writing books, doing consulting, and delivering training programs around the world. I have been obsessed with honing my craft and constantly deepening my understanding of what it takes to build and lead highly successful organizations. That is what led here.
The same approach will work for you.
Begin with the end state. Get as specific as you can about what success looks like, what you would be doing, what you would have learned, what skills you would have developed. Then find someone who has already achieved it and study the path they walked. You do not have to invent the route. You just have to understand it, adapt it to your own goals, and write it down.
That list is your process. Start with what you can do right now and build from there. Stay focused on what is directly in front of you.
Do that consistently, and the scoreboard will take care of itself.
One small favor. Voting for the Thinkers360 Thought Leader of the Year award closes April 30. If you would like to support me, it takes less than two minutes and you sign in with your LinkedIn profile. VOTE HERE.
If you feel this article is worth sharing, I would be grateful for that as well. Thank you very much for your help
– John