My Jerry Maguire Moment: Stepping Out of the On-Deck Circle
Download MP3In this episode, George pulls back the curtain on a defining decision in his life and business: going all-in on April 1st. He frames it as his Jerry Maguire moment—the point where clarity meets courage and “good enough” stops being acceptable.
You’ll hear why he’s done watching elite people walk the halls like “The Walking Dead,” why he believes IT organizations are drastically under-coached, and how he’s choosing to step out of the on-deck circle and finally take his at-bat.
This isn’t just about George’s journey. It’s a direct challenge to every leader:
- Are you leading at the level you’re capable of?
- Are your teams just “getting by” or actually competing and dominating?
- Are you building high-performing teams and high-performing lives?
In This Episode, We Cover:
- The Jerry Maguire Moment
- What it means to draw a hard line in the sand as a leader.
- Why George chose April 1st as the day he goes all-in on DeadThree Coaching and leadership work.
- From ‘Good Enough’ to Elite
- The difference between “being okay” and truly pursuing greatness.
- Why simply winning isn’t the objective—domination is.
- How elite teams and organizations think about competing, standards, and outcomes.
- The IT Leadership Gap
- Why so many IT teams operate like “The Walking Dead.”
- The missing pieces: coaching, belief, communication, acknowledgment, and real standards.
- Why George is targeting IT leaders and teams specifically in 2026.
- Clarity Meets Courage
- How deliberate thought and action create clarity.
- Where fear shows up when you decide to bet on yourself—and how to move anyway.
- The tension between comfort, a steady paycheck, and the call to do more with your life and leadership.
- Getting Out of the On-Deck Circle
- The “batter’s box” metaphor: why most leaders never actually take their swing.
- What it looks like to stop deferring your opportunity and own the plate, even if you might strike out.
- Why it’s more important to swing with courage than to sit safely on the sidelines.
- What DeadThree Will Stand For in 2026
- Owning the mission, leading with purpose, and winning with discipline.
- Building programs for leaders who want:
- Structure instead of chaos
- Confidence instead of second-guessing
- Teams that compete, communicate, and execute at a championship level
Key Themes & Takeaways
- Care before product: Leaders must care more about their people than their products if they want sustainable high performance.
- Elite is exhausting—and worth it: The pursuit of greatness will drain you; that doesn’t mean it’s wrong, it means you’re in the right arena.
- No more walking dead: Engaged, empowered, and coached people are the difference between a compliant workforce and a high-performing culture.
- Clarity + Courage: You don’t drift into a bigger life—you decide it, declare it, and then act, even when you’re scared.
Three Actions to Take Today:
- Set Your Own “Jerry Maguire Date.”
Pick a clear date where something changes—how you lead, what you tolerate, what you commit to. Write it down and tell someone. - Audit Your Leadership Standard.
Ask yourself honestly: Am I just managing tasks, or am I actually coaching people and building high-performing lives around me? Capture one behavior you will raise the standard on this week. - Get Out of the On-Deck Circle.
Identify one big action you’ve been deferring—an idea, a conversation, a decision—and take the first concrete step toward it in the next 24 hours.
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