Sara Tatelman
Whether on the rink or in the boardroom, consistency is key to success.
“Anyone can get lucky and have a good game,” says Ross Bernstein, a sports writer and a keynote speaker at Benefits Canada‘s 2017 Benefits and Pension Summit in Toronto on April 11-12. “You can even take steroids and have a great season. But long-term success is about consistency. It’s about . . . doing it day in and day out and overcoming obstacles and injuries and losing sales — and [having] the ability to bounce back quick.”
Solitary sports like running can teach businesspeople a great deal as well, according to Bernstein. “I have learned a lot from marathons. I’ve learned a lot about the grind. You’ve got to put in the time. . . . You have to eat the right food. You’ve got to put in the miles. You’ve got to train. At that point, it becomes about accountability.”
Giving is also essential to succeed to both business and sports, Bernstein notes, pointing to athletes like Wayne Gretzky. ”They enjoyed assists more than goals. They really understood that by being a cheerleader, by mentoring others, by helping them, that really benefitted the entire team’s success.”
That winning generosity extends to helping competitors as well, since their success doesn’t mean others’ failure but rather a contact from whom they can learn and share industry tips and contacts.
“I have referral processes,” says Bernstein. “So I’m constantly trying to help people — competitors — get speaking engagements or write books or get TV time or book-signing time at bookstores. So I’m always thinking how can I help others, how can I continue to improve, how can I hang out with the right people? How can you run with people faster than you so you get faster?”
Bernstein’s keynote session will also provide practical tips to help employers to grow their business and give them more time and money. “We can do the stuff we’re really passionate about, whether it’s playing hockey or golfing or hunting or fishing or spending time with our kids or grandkids,” he says. “Those are universal truths that everybody wants to have more freedom and [time] to do the stuff they really want to do.”
Bernstein will be speaking at the Benefits and Pensions Summit on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. Check out the group benefits and pension sessions on the agenda and register for the conference by the upcoming early-bird deadline.