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“If You Want Something to Grow, Pour Champagne on It!”

Only the curious will learn and only the resolute overcome the obstacles to learning. The quest quotient has always excited me more than the intelligence quotient.

Eugene S. Wilson

What do Clint Eastwood in the movie Million Dollar Baby, Tom Cruise in Jerry McGuire, Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side, and Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans have in common? They are all characters who supported and sought the best in others, even in their darkest hours. Growing champions isn’t necessarily about applause, cheers, or approval. All of those actions may be present, but championing makes someone feel treasured, not just appreciated. They use the philosophy first espoused by Carol Lavin Bernick, chair of a skin beauty products manufacturer, “If you want something to grow, pour champagne on it.”

Great mentors focus on the effect they are trying to create, not on the set of tasks they are supposed to “check off.” It’s much like empowerment. Leaders don’t embed power; they remove the barriers to power. They don’t motivate; they create conditions that help employees motivate themselves. In much the same way, great mentors don’t merely recognize or appreciate; they nourish spirit by whatever means necessary. The by-products of great championing are enhanced employee self-esteem, confidence, pride, and commitment. Champion growers focus more on the outcome of their efforts and less on the process used.