I strive because “how” we get things done matters. How we communicate. How we react. How we compete. How we win. How we lead. It all matters. In today’s world our laser focus on outcomes gives short shrift to the process of achievement, resulting in so many missed opportunities for personal and organizational growth along with sometimes tragic impacts on an organization’s culture.
Just think of the ethical failures we saw this year at companies like Theranos and Wells Fargo, or the doping scandal that kept more than 100 Russian athletes out of the Rio Olympics, or the recruiting violations that continue to plague Division I basketball and football programs, or — dare I say it — the depths plumbed in the race for the US presidency. The fallout from outcomes-driven cultures isn’t getting better. It’s getting worse.
Don’t get me wrong. I am a goals-driven, competitive person. I don’t believe you should get a trophy just for showing up. But process and outcome aren’t “either/or.” Goals can be achieved in a character-driven way, a way that reflects positive values.
That’s Where Strive Comes In
Strive’s mission is to spread the power of character-driven leadership. We teach coaches and students how to apply the rigor and grit of sports training to the practice of leadership. Our programs teach winning culture-building and leadership strategies. Our curriculum focuses on developing the competencies that research tells us the most successful, character-driven leaders possess: self-awareness, grit, self-efficacy, empathy, gratitude and teamwork.
In 2016, your donations helped Strive:
- Provide over $120,000 in need-based scholarships to high-potential student athletes and $35,000 in services to community organizations
- Double the number of students we served through summer programming
- Double the number of coaches and students we serve through our leadership workshops
- Introduce new measurement and evaluation metrics for our Sports Challenge program
Leadership is an essential tool that puts a student on a trajectory for success and reverberates in positive ways throughout the student’s family and community.
In 2017, Strive remains committed to serving even more students, coaches, schools and community organizations. Our goal is to once again DOUBLE the reach of our programs. With your continued support we will launch revolutionary new programs, such as a 4-week summer leadership program serving upwards of 300 low income students, creating a culture where young people thrive. We will introduce Coaches’ Summits which provide leagues and regionally based programs a new, affordable option for high-impact professional development.
