DATE: 1/30/20

QIC: Chappie

While dreaming earlier this morning YHC was guided to another world. Time and time again when that happens, at sunrise YHC fights to stay asleep ’cause he doesn’t wan to leave the comfort of this place (name that tune). Nonetheless, it was time to rouse and post at The Grit Mill, for yet another beatdown in the name of #Two-Four…Kobe Bryant. Almost all the reps today were done with a Two-Four rep count simply to remember and honor one of the best ballers to ever play the game in our generation. The idea: Adopt the Mamba mentality which Kobe was so legendary for. Here’s how it want down:

WARM-O-RAMA

• SSH – 24 IC
• Squats – 24 IC
• [Legit] Crab Flippers – 24 IC
• Motivators – by the 10’s (Shout out to @sunspot and the Lanco PAX)
• Calf Raises – 24 OYO

Alternating 2 baby sandbags (20-pounders) between one another, PAX Mosey’d to 4′ wall near east end of Gigante International Market parking lot. On this beautiful newly-discovered structure PAX did the following…

THE THANG:

• Derkins – 24 OYO, Dragon Crawls – 24 Steps, MJB’s – 5 (return to wall)
  • Somebody mentioned going to Kobe’s first jersey number (8) to ease the pain. Lol! Nope!
• Irkins – 24 OYO, Bear Crawl – 24 Steps, MJB’s – 10 (return to wall)
• PC – 12 count 2x, Crawl Bear – 24 Steps, MJB’s – 15 (return to wall)
• BTTW – 12 count 2x, Bear Crawl – 24 Steps, MJB’s – 20 (return to wall)
• Iron Mikes – 12 OYO, Lt. Dan -24 Steps, MJB’s – “Two Four” (Return to parking lot)

3rdF BREATHER

This morning I’m sharing some thoughts adapted from Jocko Willink’s LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES & TACTICS. A portion of the book is about “The Power of Relationships” (48-51). In it he writes, “Leadership requires relationships. Good relationships with people above you, below you, and beside you…are critical for a strong team. The better the relationships, the more open and effective communication there is. The more communication there is, the stronger the team will be.”

He first talks about having a good relationship with those above you (i.e. your boss/bosses/managers, etc.) and gives this advice when it comes to building a trustworthy relationship with superiors:

▪ The first, most obvious way, (often overlooked) is PERFORMANCE. Your boss expects you to complete certain tasks. So COMPLETE THEM. On time. On budget. Without drama. Get the mission done.

▪ There will be things you might not be in 100% agreement with, do them anyway. It will always serve you well. If the boss wants you to fill out extra paperwork — Do it. If the boss wants you to cover a shift for someone else — You’ve got it! Does the boss want you to clean up an administrative mess that got spilled? — You’re on it! Even take on the nasty, low-reward missions that need executing — Get all over it.

▪ With each set of problems. Be the solution. With each problem you solved, the level of trust the boss has in you goes up.

▪ Over time, as you do what needs to get done, your boss/bosses will know that you’re the man who can be trusted to make things happen; you gain clout with the boss.

▪ Gaining clout with the boss allows you to give feedback or criticism of their plans if that becomes necessary (when time is right, and only when ego is set aside). So ultimately this leads back to one of the most powerful tools you could have as a leader and in the workplace — a good relationship with your boss. This will always lend itself to your team’s ability to BETTER accomplish the mission.

As followers of Christ, this ultimately (first) has everything to do with our relationship with God. God’s Word tells us,

“Whatever you do, do it heartily (with all of your heart), as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” (Col.3:23-24)

▪ Personal experience. Years ago only a couple of years after I’d joined the Army Nat’l Guard, I got stuck with KP duty (“kitchen police”) during Annual Training at Ft. Drum. I’d been in a few years by this point so quite frankly I felt that it was beneath me to pull KP duty, after all I was a high ranking PFC! KP sucked in a regular mess hall, but what was worse was that we were in the field. The next morning my Sergeants roused me from my fartsack at O-Gawd-Thirty and took me for about a 15 minute drive to the location of our field kitchen. As we traveled the road, images of M*A*S*H episodes were flashing through my mind as I bounced around on the dew-covered back seat of that 1/4 ton Jeep. But it was far from humorous–I was cursing under my breath for getting stuck with a duty that NO ONE EVER WANTED to get stuck with. I was mad as a hornet. As about a “3-yr-old” Christian, I knew the things I was saying under my breath were wrong. Plus, I dared not voice them aloud because I didn’t want to be insubordinate toward either of my Sergeants. Yet, God heard them! Then, about 5 minutes into the ride, the Lord spoke to my heart (His voice came alive in my heart by His Word being hidden there) and I heard that verse: “Whatever you do, work heartily at it, as for the Lord rather than for men…“

Those words hit my like a ton of bricks and changed my perspective and attitude in an instant. As I was dropped off I went to work on KP duty, which turned out to be about a 16 hr day. I did everything you can imagine and washed ever pan, and cleaned everything that didn’t move, etc. in that field kitchen. And I did it as if I were working for the Lord. Enjoyed it. Embraced the suck, if you will. By the end of that non-stop day, when my Sergeants came to pick me, the Mess Sergeant , along with the rest of the Mess crew said I’d done such a great job that they were begging for me to come back the next day. As much as I enjoyed my response was a quick “Uh, no thanks.” Yet two things happened: (1) I’d left a good impression on both the mess crew and with my Sergeants (my “bosses”), and, (2) I’d left a good testimony for serving my Lord — the ultimate pleasure in all of life is giving glory to His name!

Back at it…

Mosey return to AO, alternating baby sandbags between PAX.

Partial round of Mary:

• LBC’s – 24 OYO (Courtesy YHC)
• Dolly – 24 IC (Courtesy Ruxpin)
• E2K – 24 Single Count (Courtesy Loose Wheel)
• X’s & O’s – 24 OYO (Courtesy Waterfall)

COT/BOM:

• Announcements: Planning on putting a Site-Q meeting together sometime in Feb to plan into the year a bit.
• Prayers: For Waterfall, Felicia, and Dee Dee; for both Chauffeur’s and Doubtfire’s families; and for Papa Bears daughter sitting for her nursing boards near future.

Lots of 24 count reps to remember and honor Kobe Bryant. The Mamba Mentality gave us some good motivation to go beyond normal rep counts. The reminder to build relationships with those above us, based upon serving the Lord, gave us good motivation to go above and beyond even what is expected of us.

Always honored to bring the beatdown. Thanks for the opportunity HIM!

~Chappie, out!