I have one. Do You?

Not sure what it is? To me, it’s when I get really fired up about something. Much like a pit bull, it’s all about encroaching on my turf or otherwise threatening something important to me.  I can’t help but feel a fire inside that just charges me up to take on whatever challenge comes up.

Now unlike your average fool at the bar, this isn’t about someone bumping into me or looking at me funny; it’s more in actually the business environment.  Nothing quite fires me up like some good competition or healthy negotiation.

I also see a parallel to sports…look at Michael Jordan…he just criticized LeBron for going to Miami and I totally get it. Jordan was pushed his whole career because he always had people challenging him on other teams that forced him to get better.  Kobe has been the same way, working harder than anyone to be the best. Love or hate Kobe for his personality, you can’t argue with how unbelievable his shot was in the NBA Finals (when Ray wasn’t smothering him…).  That fire I think is essential to success in whatever you do, as long as you can keep it under control.

For every Jordan, Bryant, Jobs or Zuckerberg, there are tons of people that let their heads drive them to self-destruction.  So how do you channel your inner pit bull to feed the fire when you need it and not destroy yourself?  I’m not sure totally, but I’m trying to understand it better; in my past I’ve found the inner pit bull has gotten me in trouble a few times but in general has been a net benefit.

The extra fire has helped carry me through many a challenge and luckily, instead of being blinded in rage, it has actually helped me think harder on challenges. Some of my most resourceful and innovative ideas have come while in “pit bull” mode. I think this is because when in “pit bull” mode I’m incredibly focused; nothing else gets in…it’s just me and the threat/challenge in front of me.  With that opportunity of clarity, it’s almost “easier” to come up with solutions.

So do you have an “inner pit bull” or what would you call it?

…Consider this a very open-ended, partially thought out post.  It will be connected to a more thought out blog post on Greenhorn Wednesday.