The Team Leadership Report

A son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, the son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" Curious, he yells: "Who are you?" He receives the answer: "Who are you?" Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!" He receives the answer: "Coward!" He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?" The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention." And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!" The voice answers: "I admire you!" Again the man screams: "You are a champion!" The voice answers: "You are a champion!" The boy is surprised, but does not understand. Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflectio

This simple and often repeated story illustrates the difference between positive thinking and negative thinking. Many years ago two salesmen were sent by a British shoe manufacturer to Africa to investigate and report back on market potential. The first salesman reported back, "There is no potential here - nobody wears shoes." The second salesman reported back, "There is massive potential here - nobody wears shoes." Any problem or opportunity all comes down to how you choose to look at it! __________________________________________________________________________ Coach Yourself: A Motivational Guide For Coaches And Leaders About This Book Coach Yourself is a unique book, compiled exclusively for coaches to provide you with physical, mental and spiritual motivation throughout the season. In his follow-up to A Season In Words, veteran coach Dan Spainhour arms you with quotes and motivational ideas to help you achieve peace of mind th

There never was a champion who to himself was a good loser. Never sacrifice a principle for a temporary gain. Keep Learning.  Don’t think you know all the answers. Pay special attention to weaknesses and correct them. It takes patience to endure the monotony of repetition. Prefer team victory to personal victory. When you make a mistake be the first to admit. The beginning and the end are always the most important. Every participant should know the rules: the letter and the spirit. Always treat your opponent with respect. Do your best to make yourself and every other team member, squad member the best possible athlete. Talk your sport up and show your enthusiasm… it’s contagious. Don’t ever be caught doing nothing. Courtesy is a habit with the real Sportsman. One good idea put into action is worth a volume stored away in daydreams. Egotism is an anesthetic provided by nature to relieve the pain of being a fool. Your opponent may not be speedy, but he went by you w

People who make a difference in life have . . . . Initiative - being a self-starter with contagious energy Vision - seeing beyond the obvious, claiming new objectives Unselfishness - releasing the controls and the glory Teamwork - involving, encouraging, and supporting others Faithfulness - hanging in there in season and out Enthusiasm - providing affirmation, excitement to the task Discipline - modelling great character regardless of the odds Confidence - representing security, faith, and determination —Charles R. Swindoll ________________________________________________________ Those Who Can...Coach!: Celebrating Coaches Who Make a Difference

If you imagine less, less will be what you undoubtedly deserve. Do what you love, and don’t stop until you get what you love.  Erik Spoelstra believes that growth mindset is the key driver of the success his Miami Heat team has had. The coach had all his players read Mindset by Carol Dweck, last summer. Here's a video their coach, Erik Spoelstra on the mindset of a champion -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Leaders are measured not just on what they achieve personally but also on what the people they mentored do as leaders in their own right. Sports provides many examples of leaders who have had their protegees become successful leaders. One of the best is Duke’s head Coach Mike Krzyzewski. Among Coach K’s individual achievements (4 NCAA championships, 2008 Olympic gold medal), one additional factor that he is often overlooked for is the success of his former players and assistant coaches in the profession. Coach K’s coaching tree has had numerous former players go on to become head coaches at NCAA Division I schools, including Steve Wojciechowski, (Marquette) Chris Collins (Northwestern) Tommy Amaker (Harvard), Johnny Dawkins (Stanford), Mike Brey (Notre Dame) and Jeff Capel (former Oklahoma coach). Each achievement by these “Coach K disciples” strengthens Krzyzewski’s legacy, but each setback could also tarnish his shining reputation. Another coach whose legacy has benefited from a

Management and leadership advice comes in a host of forms. Conferences, seminars, articles written by CEOs and other corporate executives all detail the path to achieving cohesion in the workplace, or how to be a stronger leader. But the leaders of the boardroom aren’t the only people who know a thing or two about managing difficult personalities, or how to exercise authority. Retired NBA coach and player Phil Jackson released Eleven Rings in May 2013. The book is a memoir about his values, leadership style, and other factors that contributed to his unprecedented eleven NBA championship rings as a coach. Jackson enumerates the 11 principles that assisted his career, and why they are important for everyday life — not just court-side coaching. Lead from the inside-out. When you lead from the outside-in, Jackson says, you may have short-term success, but it can’t last. No one wants to be repeatedly “brow-beaten,” and your opponents will eventually discover your game plan. “As ti

The following from George Walter Fiske (1872-1945) a prolific author on theology, is good advice for anyone but especially coaches: I am: the power of self knowledge. I think: the power to investigate. I know: the power to master facts. I feel: the power to appreciate, to value and to love. I wonder: the power of reverence, curiosity and worship. I see: the power of insight, imagination, vision. I believe: the power of adventurous faith. I can: the power to act and skill to accomplish. I ought: the power of conscience, the moral imperative. I will: the power of will, loyalty to duty, consecration. I serve: the power to be useful, devotion to a cause. —Adapted from George Walter Fiske The Coaching & Leadership Journal  Written specifically for busy leaders, the Coaching and Leadership Journal gives you the latest strategies in a concise, quick-read format . Published Monthly $149 

Do more than say you are a coach....prove it. Do more than assume leadership....accept the responsibilities. Do more than profess dedication to the team....show it. Do more than hoard game knowledge....share it Do more than demand teamwork....encourage it. Do more than know player potential....develop it. Do more than urge physical conditioning....require it. Do more than formulate team rules....enforce them. Do more than talk to players....communicate with them. Do more than advocate consistency and fairness....practice them. Do more than react to game pressure....stay cool and deal with it. Do more than meet the game challenge....enjoy it. Do more than dream of victory....work for it. Do more than count wins and losses....analyze them. Do more than commend officials and foes....mean it. Do more than profess your convictions....demonstrate them. Do more.... __________________________________________________________________________ LEAD . . . fo

Goals should be realistic, attainable, and shared among all members of the team. You develop a team to achieve what one person cannot accomplish alone. All of us alone are weaker, by far, than if all of us are together. Confidence shared is better than confidence only in yourself. In leadership, there are no words more important than trust. In any organization, trust must be developed among every member of the team if success is going to be achieved. A leader may be the most knowledgeable person in the world, but if the players on his team cannot translate that knowledge into action, it means nothing. Erect no artificial walls that might limit potential, stifle creativity, or shackle innovation. Leaders should be reliable without being predictable. They should be consistent without being anticipated. A leader has to be positive about all things that happen to his team. Look at nothing in the past as failure. Courage and confidence are what decision making is all about. L

The following is from the late Don Meyer Rules from Jerry Krause  Find yourself--Coaching is a lifetime process. Find your unique gift or talent and develop it Give your gift away Be what you is because if you be what you ain’t you ain’t what you is. Players can spot a phony or con man a mile away. Try to adapt the good ideas of coaches you  study rather than adopting the whole ball of wax. Get all the good ideas but you can not use all the good ideas. Your personality, your personnel, your league, your school, your geographic region, resources available and many other things will impact just what you can use in your program. Promise less and deliver more.  Never promise wins and always provide attitude and effort. Don’t say anything bad about your predecessor even it is true. It is preferable to have players quite rather than have to dismiss them from the team. When players just won't buy in or refuse to get on the same page, tell th

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends, and spirit - and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends, and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.—Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola  So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.—Morrie Sc

In the best selling book The Four Agreements Don Miguel Ruiz gives four principles to practice. Adopting and committing to these agreements is simple. Actually living and keeping these Four Agreements can  be one of the hardest things  you will ever do. It can also be one of the most life changing things you will ever do. 1. Be Impeccable with your Word:  Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love. 2. Don’t Take Anything Personally.  Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering. 3. Don’t Make Assumptions.  Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama

Championships are won by uncommon people because they are willing to do the things a common person won’t do. A common person is basically lazy and frightful. Uncommon people are not afraid and the greater the challenge; the greater their determination becomes. Championships are won while the stands are still empty. The ones who want to achieve and win championships motivate themselves.—Mike Ditka After all the cheers have died down and the stadium is empty... after you are back in the quiet of your room... and after all the pomp and fanfare have faded, the enduring thing that is left is the dedication to doing with our lives the very best we can to make the world a better place in which to live.—Vince Lombardi Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: a desire, a dream, a vision.—Muhammad Ali Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and yo

Your program's culture must be full of routines. You are your own habits! At the beginning of the year your team is more ready if you work on "The Whole." At the end of the year your team improves more if you work on "The Past; The Details." Teach and preach but don't overdo either. You don't put guys on the bench. You put guys in the game who deserve to play. You can't train a horse with shouts and expect it to obey a whisper. The coach who thinks his coaching is more important than talent is an idiot. You cannot win without good talent but you can lose with talent. That is where coaching can make the difference. A great coach has the knack for making players think they are better than they really are. ________________________________________________________________________ The Coaching & Leadership Journal  Written specifically for busy leaders, the Coaching and Leadership Journal gives you the latest strategies in a concis