Words That Change You

It was a hot July day in 1981 as I stood in the doorway watching the Tiger basketball camp in the Griswold, IA gym. I had gone to talk to my girlfriend, now my wife of 37+ years, as she worked at the school for her summer job.

I had graduated from Griswold High School in 1980, went onto Simpson College to study music performance and education but had dropped out six weeks into the Fall semester. (Another story for another day).

From October to this hot day in July I had worked at two different jobs and really had no plan or direction for my future. My hair sat on my shoulders and who knows how long it had been since I had shaved, although you probably couldn't call what I had a real beard.

As I stood in the doorway my high school basketball coach, Kent Gade, walked up to me, poked his finger from his 6-5 inch frame and said "Why don't you do something with your life?". He turned and walked away.

Those words, that one sided interaction, changed the trajectory of my life. Within a couple of weeks I had shaved, gotten my haircut and enrolled in Iowa Western Community College.

The man I still call "Coach" spoke life back into me with an eight word phrase but those eight words were powerful.

Coach Gade cared enough to confront me and it woke me up. He took a risk but he cared enough to take that risk because he knew I needed to hear it. Caring overrides risk.

As a leader do you care enough to take the risk to confront someone to make a change they need to make?

Words are powerful. Words used correctly and at the right time can change a life. I know because eight words changed mine.