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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Score That Matters summary
Ryan Hawk, Brook Cupps
Growing Excellence in Yourself and Those You Lead
14 mins
Brief summary
The Score That Matters emphasizes the importance of becoming an influential leader by focusing on character, relationships, and consistent growth. The authors share actionable strategies to cultivate leadership skills that truly make a difference.
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The Score That Matters
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Key idea 1 of 4
The internal scoreboard
What score are you keeping in the game of life? For most people, success means hitting external targets – closing the big sale, breaking the record, or outperforming the competition. But this relentless pursuit of validation creates an exhausting treadmill. A sales manager who hits their targets one quarter faces immediate pressure to exceed them the next. An athlete who breaks a record finds their achievement quickly overshadowed by new competitors. The goalposts keep moving, leaving even high achievers trapped in a cycle of endless striving.
What’s the alternative? Andrew Carnegie spoke of “the Judge within” – an internal scoreboard that measures alignment with personal values. This internal metric focuses on process over outcomes, asking questions like, “Am I meeting my own standards?” and “Is my behavior consistent with my stated values?” Rather than comparing ourselves to others, this approach emphasizes personal growth and purpose.
Consider how this plays out at work. A software developer measuring success purely by external metrics might focus solely on shipping features quickly to meet deadlines. In contrast, one guided by an internal scoreboard might include things like writing maintainable code and mentoring junior teammates, ultimately making a greater contribution to lasting value for their organization. Similarly, a teacher focused on external metrics might teach “to the test,” while one guided by internal standards would focus on nurturing genuine curiosity and understanding in their students.
The author’s experience of coaching the Centerville High School basketball team demonstrated the power of this approach. Instead of setting traditional goals like winning specific games or achieving a certain record, he had them focus on “attacking each opportunity with purpose.” This process-oriented mindset freed them from the psychological traps of an outcome mindset and led them to unprecedented success – including the team’s first state championship and a 45-game winning streak. This last detail also highlights another drawback of external metrics – sometimes external targets put a ceiling on what you can achieve.
This internal approach to excellence creates compound effects that ripple outward. Leaders who embrace this mindset don't just transform their own performance – they create cultures where others discover new kinds of potential, catalyzing waves of positive change throughout their organizations and communities.
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What is The Score That Matters about?
The Score That Matters (2024) explores how society's obsession with external metrics like social-media followers, revenue, and material success often leaves people feeling unfulfilled. It presents an alternative approach focused on developing an internal scoreboard that aligns with one's purpose and values, offering guidance on how to regulate emotions, handle adversity, and avoid comparison while pursuing meaningful personal growth.
Who should read The Score That Matters?
- Personal development enthusiasts interested in career growth
- High achievers feeling burnt out from chasing external metrics
- Anyone who wants to cultivate sustainable excellence
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