Best Two-Word Motivational Phrase EVER!
By leadership author and keynote speaker Ross Shafer
Hi, I’m Ross Shafer and I thank you for finding the Relevant leaders Club where I’m dedicated to keeping leaders and team members relevant; which means you have to matter to your customers and your co workers or they will just flat out leave you – and in this episode I want to talk about motivating yourself and your workforce with something simple.
So, what are the most uplifting two words? Well, I have to back up a few decades. In college, I played linebacker for the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. We were coached by a 6 foot five inch…260 pound beast of a man named Paul Wallrof…We called him Big Wally. Big Wally’s enthusiasm makes Tony Robbins look like a shy kid. When Wally was fired up, Wally’s voice could be heard in neighborhoods outside of our stadium. He was tough. Demanding. relentless…and we all loved him. Because when the other team scored a touchdown, Wally yelled SO WHAT?! When the other team intercepted a pass he’d scream SO WHAT!?…and if you were late to make a play…Wally grabbed your shoulder pads and bellowed SO WHAT?!
Those are the words. SO WHAT was his Rallying Cry to put the past behind us and encourage us to move forward. If you lose a sale you were told was a sure thing, think to yourself SO WHAT…and move onto the next lead. If you miss a customer meeting because your calendar said PM instead of AM, that’s a SO WHAT moment. You can’t take it back but you can make it right the next time. How about a young coworker who blows an assignment that other people had to clean up. How motivating would it be if you went up to that person and said, SO WHAT!? You’ll get the next one.
See, none of our careers are judged by one blunder … or one misstep that got through the cracks. We should diffuse the situation with SO WHAT…and show people they CAN redeem ourselves…and prove they are better than one mistake. Try saying SO WHAT to a person who needs to hear it. Try Living the SO WHAT attitude in your own life. Don’t beat yourself up and live in the past. Instead, learn and move on. And you want to know the lasting power of SO WHAT?
Recently, about 60 of us had a football reunion with Coach Wallrof…and all these decades later, those young boys who heard SO WHAT have become RESILIENT, SUCCESSFUL, MEN who never forget the two simple words that have shaped our personal and professional lives. Thanks Coach. Alright, If you’ve liked what you’ve heard here please subscribe to this FREE channel and get practical ideas for staying relevant, every week. I’m Ross Shafer. Thanks for watching.
Ross Shafer is the author of (9) popular business books and (14) human resource training films. In a former career Ross won (6) Television Emmy awards for his work as a TV host, writer, and producer. Today, Ross is a sought after keynote speaker and consultant for Fortune 500 companies worldwide.