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The Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training.

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Over at the Simplest Thing that Works, Erika Andersen has a marvelous post called "Excellence is Riveting." Erika is not a tennis fan, but found herself, last Sunday, watching Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, battle and battle and battle at Wimbledon.

Last month, Tiger Woods won the US Open, by sheer force of will. Yes, he is the best golfer in the world and maybe the best ever. But that US Open victory was about guts, and staying focused while in great pain as much as it was about talent and skill.

Right after the victory, Woods announced that he would not compete again this season and went off to 'have surgery. Does he regret his choice to press on at the Open? Nope. He says the US Open win over Rocco Mediate was his greatest victory ever.

Excellence doesn't come easy. Talent is important, but so is hard work. Take the greatest players in any sport today. No matter how much talent they have, they practice hard. They work hard to condition their bodies. They learn to concentrate.

That's true for all the great performers, even those who didn't win the genetic lottery and get a double-measure of talent. A good example is Steve Nash.

Nash was born in South Africa and grew up in Canada. He didn't start to play basketball until he was twelve. He went to Santa Clara University. When the Phoenix Suns chose him fifteenth overall in the 1996 NBA draft, their fans booed the selection.

From the perspective of twelve years on, we can see that those fans didn't understand Nash's potential. He's been the National Basketball Association's Most Valuable Player twice. Canada has awarded him its highest civilian honor, the Order of Canada (OC).

Greatness isn't a matter of talent alone. The game isn't over once the gene lottery is done. Steve Nash isn't great because he has the best skillset in the NBA. He doesn't.

He's great because he took the skillset God gave him and combined it with a clear goal and the work ethic to squeeze every drop of value out of the talent he has.

Greatness is not only the preserve of the Roger Federers and Tiger Woods and Michael Jordans of the world. They showed up with once-in-a-generation talent and then applied their work ethic to making the most of that talent.

If you aspire to greatness, you can't do a thing about the genetic hand you were dealt. You can't do a thing about where you were born and the fortunes of your family.

But you can do something about how you develop the talent you have. You can do something about how hard you work. You can do something about how much you concentrate on results.

The role model for the rest of us isn't Tiger Woods, Roger Federer or Michael Jordan. It's Steve Nash and all the other almost-ordinary people who do extraordinary things.

Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.

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Wally Bock has helped people learn to be great bosses for more than a quarter century. His latest book, Performance Talk: The One-on-One Part of Leadership, makes learning key leadership principles almost effortless by teaching through a story and providing lists of resources for further growth.

Click here to find out more about Wally's coaching services.

For weekly tips and resources pointers, check our Wally Bock's Three Star Leadership Letter.

Click here to find out more about having Wally speak to your company or convention.