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No birth certificate has ever proclaimed someone as “unstoppable.” Nor has one ever declared someone “a sluggard,” “mediocre,” or “a pessimist.” We become these not by declaration or genetics, but by our own decisions and grit (or lack thereof).

On an organization's roster, there are normally four types of team members: undertakers, caretakers, playmakers, and game changers. The behaviors associated with each category go beyond skills, knowledge, talent, or experience; they are primarily motivated by one's mindset. This in turn determines how well and consistently the skills, knowledge, talent, and experience of an individual are activated, thereby highly influencing his or her level of success. The following chapters will dig more deeply into each of the four categories, but for now, here is a brief introduction into each of the groups we will be discussing at length.

Undertakers

Undertakers bring a negative value to an organization. Two primary types of undertakers will be discussed in the first chapter; but know that the longer people perform at this level, the more damage they do to their own self-esteem, future, the culture, team morale, and results overall.

Caretakers

Caretakers are baseliners. More often than not, they do what is required of them and nothing more. They pledge allegiance to the status quo and to their job description. They do not initiate, bring new ideas, or offer solutions. If teammates are in trouble, you cannot depend on the caretaker to lift them up or carry their load. Caretakers often have the skills, knowledge, talent, and experience that would allow them to perform far above what they deliver; but, since they are not motivated to work that hard and are not interested in doing so, they drop anchor at the caretaker level.

Playmakers

Playmakers normally have more energy or drive than caretakers. They may also have more talent, but are primarily differentiated from caretakers in how their mindset enables them to apply their talent. They will occasionally do great things, but are not consistent enough to elevate their performance or results to reach game changer status. They are prone to letting the pat on the back become a massage, and their work ethic and urgency will fall as prosperity rises.

Game Changers

Game changers are unstoppable. They are relentless, which is defined as being “oppressively constant; incessant…unyielding” (Google 2017). These are the team members who consistently bring effort, energy, attitude, excellence, and passion to the job. It does not mean they always create the ideal outcome, but failure to do so is not due to lack of effort, energy, attitude, or work ethic.

It is important to understand two things up front about the four performance groups:

1. Everyone is normally a blend and spends some time in each group depending on his or her circumstances. However, one of the four mindsets will primarily dominate a person's time, which is then reflected in performance.

2. The groups are not permanent verdicts. As you will see, it is just as possible to think and perform as an undertaker and then become a game changer as it is to be on top, change your thinking and performance, and demote yourself to undertaker status.

In addition to discussing the four performance groups, Unstoppable will also outline steps to transform one's mindset from the lower groups upward, so that the game changer traits dominate your daily routine, your month, your year, and your life.

Perhaps the most exciting and helpful aspect of Unstoppable will be the insights from dozens of coaches, managers, CEOs, journalists, entrepreneurs, and elite performers into what separates the team member who occasionally makes things happen – the playmaker – from the person who far more consistently brings energy, focus, drive, passion, and excellence to a role – the unstoppable game changer.

For example, as the president and CEO of Sony/ATV Music publishing in Nashville, Troy Tomlinson works with some of the world's best-known playmaker and game changer status songwriters and artists. Tomlinson observes that the truly elite – the game changers – in his industry “possess a deep, focused passion for their art virtually every waking moment, and are willing to work harder than the hardest-working individual on their team” (Troy Tomlinson, pers. comm.). The same can be said for game changers in any field, anywhere.

Let me emphasize that you won't hear from academics, but rather from in-the-trenches, been-there-and-done-that achievers and builders of people and organizations. Even better, the principles are so widely applicable that you should be able to relate to and apply them regardless of your field or experience level.

While talent is an essential contributor to optimal and consistently solid performance, it is often overhyped. And, while talent is a great head start to becoming unstoppable, at the end of the day it is only potential. Frankly, without a mindset that consistently and ferociously activates talent, performance disappointments reign.

As president of LearnToLead, I have averaged speaking 120 times annually across 17 countries for the past two decades, and one of my favorite questions to ask attendees in my game changer seminars is: “How many of you agree that the right mindset influences the ability to win, more than skills, knowledge, talent, or experience?” Droves of hands shoot up. I follow that question with this: “I agree. Now, since mindset is so important, how much time do you spend intentionally building yours each day?”

^* Crickets chirping ^*

Time after time – blank stares, and total silence. A key objective of this book is to remedy this.

As the opening chapters outline common traits of each of the four performance groups, a common temptation is to begin thinking about other people and which group they most often fall into. While there is value in classifying others on your team in this manner, and then following up with subsequent coaching, the intent is for you to first assess yourself and upgrade your own mindset and performance; after all, you are more effective and credible when growing others after you have first prioritized growing yourself.

While reading a book or attending a course may create adrenaline and momentum, process and consistency bring change. To aid you in your personal development, I will also recommend various apps, websites, podcasts, online resources, and seminars to help you and those you care most about build a more robust game changer career and life. If your open mind, pen, and highlighter are ready to go, it's time to introduce you to the “undertaker.”