With our inaugural newsletter arriving just after Thanksgiving, I would like to share four thoughts with you on two of the most important words that leaders should consider incorporating in their vocabulary – Thank-You. These two words carry a lot of meaning both for the giver and the recipient. First, we all appreciate…
DetailsIn his superb book, Adversaries into Allies, Bob Burg writes, “In the process of becoming an Ultimate Influencer, controlling your emotions comes before every step, every time.” Having coached basketball for forty-four years, I can certainly relate to the above statement. It took a game in North Dakota for me to realize how your emotions…
DetailsThe big news from the athletic world this week came from the NFL. We had one player – Martin – accuse another player – Incognito – of bullying him. Because of the bullying, Martin left the Miami Dolphins team. Since the initial accusation, more information has surfaced, so we don’t know what really happened. Only…
DetailsThe fundamentals are the keys to athletics. Balance, footwork, passing, dribbling, and shooting are the fundamentals taught in the play of basketball. It makes no difference what offense you run – motion, dribble drive, read and react, or set plays. It makes no difference what defense you run – man-to-man, zone, or match-up. If your…
Details“Birds sing after a storm…” (Rose Kennedy) If anyone had storms in his or her life, it was Rose Kennedy. The above was the quote that she used to get through all the tragedies that happened to her children. This was a quote a priest used in his homily one Sunday at Mass. He had…
Details“Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.” Whenever leaders are asked to speak on behalf of the organization they lead, it is of paramount importance that they take quality time to prepare. Many leaders do not take the time to properly prepare and too often speak off-the-cuff. Every time a leader speaks, he or she has the…
DetailsLeaders may gain a valuable insight from athletic coaches. Most people have some background at some level in sport. Because they often have this past, they can be very vocal as they see your teams play. And their opinions often reference just how dumb a coach you are! If you coach, it is a given…
DetailsWes Welker had an interesting interview on ESPN. Welker, one of the NFL’s top wide receivers in recent years, has been in the spotlight a bit lately because of the terrific start by his new team, the Denver Broncos. During the interview I saw, he had three insights into leadership – one on his career…
DetailsA recent blog article in the Harvard Business Review got my attention. It was entitled, “Nice or Tough: Which Approach Engages Employees the Most?” More than 160,000 employees were surveyed to ascertain whether leaders who were “drivers” or “enhancers” were the most effective. Their conclusion was something most athletic coaches do on a regular basis.…
DetailsA story that circulated in Chicago during the Bulls Jordan era was very insightful for leaders. Tex Winter, a Bulls assistant coach, reminded Michael Jordan that there is no “I” in “TEAM.” Jordan’s retort was that there is an “I” in “WIN!” The irony of that exchange is that they both are right. The best…
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