Kenny “The Jet” Smith said something during one of the telecasts of this year’s NCAA tournament that I never heard before, “Bring a game; not a name.” I believe this statement can have a great deal of insight for leaders, whether you have or do not have a “name,” in terms of preparation. Just as…
John Maxwell, one of our country’s experts on leadership, may have written one of the most insightful comments on leaders when he wrote, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” The best leaders I ever worked with cared. I believe when those whom you are leading know you…
Larry Eisenberg wrote, “For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the universe.” Norman Vincent Peale wrote, “The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.” I think these two comments may deserve consideration by leaders. Leaders are constantly striving for success in whatever…
Stuart Wilde in his book, Weight Loss for the Mind, had an insightful thought on adversity when he wrote, “When faced with adversity buy the solution versus the emotion.” As I look back I don’t believe I did the above. Initially, I bought the emotion. Mark Twain once wrote that when bad things happen, “Count…
What a year for the Chicago Cubs! What a great World Series! Down 3-1, the Cubs won one at home then went on the road to win the final two games. Manager Joe Maddon had a mantra during the year that leaders might want to consider, “Don’t let the pressure exceed the pleasure.” The batters…
Herm Edwards, a former NFL player and coach and current ESPN football analyst, was recently talking on the Mike and Mike show about players who were interested versus players who were committed. He emphasized how important it is for coaches to have committed players on their teams. We have heard the bacon and eggs story…
Hubie Brown Set Small Goals Before Achieving Big Goals When Hubie Brown took the Atlanta Hawks head coaching position in the NBA, he knew he was in trouble. He had just coached the Kentucky Colonels to the ABA championship. The ABA was viewed as inferior to the NBA. The best players in basketball were in…
I recently gave a keynote presentation at the University of Notre Dame’s “Play Like A Champion Today” annual conference. This program is exactly what athletics needs today as its mission is to utilize athletics to foster character. The Play Like A Champion Today program states the following on its website: “In 2006 F. Clark Power,…
As I reflect back on the San Antonio’s Tim Duncan’s career, I see six lessons that he has taught leaders. I don’t believe he ever put these lessons into words. Instead he lived St. Francis of Assisi’s profound saying, “Preach the gospel; if necessary, use words.” His teaching legacy was his example. RESULTS: Leaders often are judged by…
“Tradition Never Graduates.” I recently saw this platitude for the first time and thought about two traditions that I watched develop. Underscoring both of these traditions was leadership characterized by men of principle and incredible work ethics. Tom Dedin began the athletic program at Providence Catholic High School. Tom was as hard a worker as…
