DEAN SMITH ON PROCESS OVER RESULTS

Although I don't think many of our players listened to me on this one because it was so hard to do, I didn't want our players looking at the scoreboard and worrying about the score until there was five minutes left in the game.  At that point managing the clock became an important factor.  Otherwise I wanted them to concentrate on each possession and execute well.  That was hard to do if they were preoccupied with the score and the outcome of the game.  It's important to stay in the present.  As coach I seldom looked as the scoreboard until the second half.

From "The Carolina Way" by Dean Smith with Gerald Bell and John Kilgo

DEAN SMITH ON TEAMWORK AND UNSELFISHNESS

Good people are happy when something good happens to someone else.

To build teamwork, it certainly helps to start with goodpeople.  As head coach I was very partial to young men who genuinely wanted to play at North Carolina, who needed no sales job to persuade them.

We didn't necessarily recruit unselfishness per se.  It takes some people longer to understand and grasp the personal benefits associated with putting the team firt.   We usually thought we could change a self-center behavior pattern once we got the players to North Carolina.

One person' selfish attitude could poison the locker room and make it hard, if not impossible, to establish teamwork.  We didn't make many recruiting mistakes in this area, but when we did, we either saw change or helpted the player find another school.  this happened only twice in my times as North Carolina's head coach.  Had we acted otherwised, we would have violated the very philosophy we taught to our players.  We weren't going to allow someone's selfish interests to supersede what was good for the team.  That simply was not going to happen.

Building teamwork is harder than it ought to be, simply because of both our society's fascination with individual success and the emphasis it places on winning no matter how it is achieved.  For example, when a child comes home from a basketball game, the first thing he or she is likely to hear from parents is "Did you wing?, followed by "How many points did you score?"

Basketball is a beautiful game when the five players on the court play with one heartbeat.  Passing, screening, cutting and movement away from the ball: The game can be almost balletic in its grace and simplicty.  A team can accomplish great things when the individual members don't worry about who gets the credit.

From "The Carolina Way" by Dean Smith with Gerald D. Bell and John Kilgo

JIM ROHN ON USING EMOTIONS AS FUEL

Here is a wonderful post on the utilization of your emotions by the late, great Jim Rohn.  If you don't already, you should check in at www.jimrohn.com and sign up for his email newsletter.  Here is what Jim tells us about our emotions:

Emotions are the most powerful forces inside us. Under the power of emotions, human beings can perform the most heroic (as well as barbaric) acts. To a great degree, civilization itself can be defined as the intelligent channeling of human emotion. Emotions are fuel and the mind is the pilot, which together propel the ship of civilized progress.

Which emotions cause people to act? There are four basic ones; each, or a combination of several, can trigger the most incredible activity. The day that you allow these emotions to fuel your desire is the day you'll turn your life around.

1) DISGUST
One does not usually equate the word "disgust" with positive action. And yet, properly channeled, disgust can change a person's life. The person who feels disgusted has reached a point of no return. He or she is ready to throw down the gauntlet at life and say, "I've had it!" That's what I said after many humiliating experiences at age 25. I said, "I don't want to live like this anymore. I've had it with being broke. I've had it with being embarrassed, and I've had it with lying."

Yes, productive feelings of disgust come when a person says, "Enough is enough."

The "guy" has finally had it with mediocrity. He's had it with those awful sick feelings of fear, pain and humiliation. He then decides he is “not going to live like this anymore." Look out! This could be the day that turns a life around. Call it what you will, the "I've had it" day, the "never again" day, the "enough's enough" day. Whatever you call it, it's powerful! There is nothing so life-changing as gut-wrenching disgust!

2) DECISION
Most of us need to be pushed to the wall to make decisions. And once we reach this point, we have to deal with the conflicting emotions that come with making them. We have reached a fork in the road. Now this fork can be a two-pronged, three-pronged, or even a four-pronged fork. No wonder decision-making can create knots in stomachs, keep us awake in the middle of the night, or make us break out in a cold sweat.

Making life-changing decisions can be likened to internal civil war. Conflicting armies of emotions, each with its own arsenal of reasons, battle each other for supremacy of our minds. And our resulting decisions, whether bold or timid, well-thought-out or impulsive, can either set the course of action or blind it. I don't have much advice to give you about decision-making except this:

Whatever you do, don't camp at the fork in the road. Decide. It's far better to make a wrong decision than to not make one at all. Each of us must confront our emotional turmoil and sort out our feelings.

3) DESIRE
How does one gain desire? I don't think I can answer this directly because there are many ways. But I do know two things about desire:

a. It comes from the inside, not the outside.

b. It can be triggered by outside forces.

Almost anything can trigger desire. It's a matter of timing as much as preparation. It might be a song that tugs at the heart. It might be a memorable sermon. It might be a movie, a conversation with a friend, a confrontation with the enemy, or a bitter experience. Even a book or an article such as this one can trigger the inner mechanism that will make some people say, "I want it now!"

Therefore, while searching for your "hot button" of pure, raw desire, welcome into your life each positive experience. Don't erect a wall to protect you from experiencing life. The same wall that keeps out your disappointment also keeps out the sunlight of enriching experiences. So let life touch you. The next touch could be the one that turns your life around.

4) RESOLVE
Resolve says, "I will." These two words are among the most potent in the English language. I WILL. Benjamin Disraeli, the great British statesman, once said, "Nothing can resist a human will that will stake even its existence on the extent of its purpose." In other words, when someone resolves to "do or die," nothing can stop him.

The mountain climber says, "I will climb the mountain. They've told me it's too high, it's too far, it's too steep, it's too rocky, it's too difficult. But it's my mountain. I will climb it. You'll soon see me waving from the top or you'll never see me, because unless I reach the peak, I'm not coming back." Who can argue with such resolve?

When confronted with such iron-willed determination, I can see Time, Fate and Circumstance calling a hasty conference and deciding, "We might as well let him have his dream. He's said he's going to get there or die trying."

The best definition for "resolve" I've ever heard came from a schoolgirl in Foster City, California. As is my custom, I was lecturing about success to a group of bright kids at a junior high school. I asked, "Who can tell me what ‘resolve’ means?" Several hands went up, and I did get some pretty good definitions. But the last was the best. A shy girl from the back of the room got up and said with quiet intensity, "I think resolve means promising yourself you will never give up." That's it! That's the best definition I've ever heard: PROMISE YOURSELF YOU'LL NEVER GIVE UP.

Think about it! How long should a baby try to learn how to walk? How long would you give the average baby before you say, "That's it, you've had your chance"? You say that's crazy? Of course it is. Any mother would say, "My baby is going to keep trying until he learns how to walk!" No wonder everyone walks.

There is a vital lesson in this. Ask yourself, "How long am I going to work to make my dreams come true?" I suggest you answer, "As long as it takes." That's what these four emotions are all about.

TALENT ISN'T ENOUGH ANYMORE

Thought I'd follow up the previous post about the New England Patriots' culture of working hard with this passage from my favorite Jon Gordon book "Training Camp," again talking about how talent is not enough:

You see, everyone says they want to be great, but very few are willing to pay the price. When a player asks me how to get to the next level, I ask them how much they want it. Because if you want it you’ll be willing to pay the price and invest the time, energy, sweat, and dedication that greatness requires. People think it’s all about talent. But talent isn’t enough anymore. It’s about infusing talent with heart, soul, spirit, and passion. It’s about doing the things that make the best better than everyone else. And these things have nothing to do with talent,” he said, raising his voice as he smacked his hands together.

“You remind me a lot of the way I used to think. I thought that being great meant that I needed to get stronger, quicker, and faster. And while those things were certainly part of becoming a great football player, I have learned that this is not where greatness begins. You see, striving for greatness doesn’t start on the field. It starts right here, in your head. You win here first,” he said, pointing to his forehead, “Then you win on the field.”

THE CULTURE OF WORKING HARD

I loved this passage about the philosophy of the New England Patriots.  They work hard to draft and sign players with a great work ethic.  Of course talent is important -- but without the ability to work, talent will not prosper as it should.  Sometimes as coaches on the collegiate level -- and I'm sure on the pro level, we may allow talent to blind us to other important aspects of success such as being a good teammate and being driven to work and improve.  As Coach Meyer always says, "if your best player is your hardest worker, you have a chance to be good.  If not, you're going to have problems."  If you want to have a culture of hard workers, you better make sure your base players are hard workers.  On the collegiate level, it better be part of your recruiting evaluation.  It doesn't mean you pass on a talented player with questionable work habits -- but if you being he/she in, she better be surrounded by hard workers in hope that she will buy in to the culture.

The Patriots’ success derives from something more fundamental than “hard work.” “Hard work” is a symptom. No coach can dictate a player’s work habits, except perhaps during practices. Players must be motivated to work hard 365 days a year, not merely when a coach is observing them. “Hard work” is not a coaching strategy or a training camp strategy but a consequence of hiring players who love playing football and building a competitive, performance-focused organizational culture that inspires players to passionately pursue individual and collective excellence, every day of the year.

From "Management Secrets of the New England Patriots" by James Lavin

ARE YOU A DRIVER OR A PASSENGER

On any of life’s journeys, we have to make a choice before we begin the trip. Our options are these: we can be a passenger, or we can be the driver. It’s our choice.

People who choose to be passengers are subject to going where other drivers are going. Passengers have no control over the speed with which they move ahead, nor do they have any say about whether or not rules are observed.

Then again, being a passenger is appealing. Passengers merely sit in the car, relaxed and oblivious to their final destination. They may put on headphones and listen to music, or they may nap. They may talk in the cell phone or do crossword puzzles. However, they rarely pay attention to whether progress is being made. Their journey may be pleasant enough, but those choosing to be passengers are just going along for the ride.

Those who choose to be drivers accept responsibility for moving forward toward their goals. They pay attention and focus on getting to their final destination. They make decisions about how quickly they move ahead. They avoid obstacles, like bumps or dips in the road. They may choose to take a detour. They decide when to stop and refuel. During the journey they make the choices to control their safety and success.

The distance between a passenger and a driver in a car is less than three feet, but the difference is huge. The driver has the choice to head toward success. The passenger just goes where he is driven.

From "Monday Morning Choices" by David Cottrell

UNDERRATED ROLE: COACH'S SPOUSE

This comes from an article on ESPN.com written by Ivan Maisel.  So much is written and spoken about the sacrifices made by coaches and athletes but not nearly enough about the spouse of a coach and the role they play in the success of programs.

On the day before Bedlam, Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy received a text from Kurt Budke's wife, Shelley.

"Mike, I got your number through Kurt's Contacts," Gundy said, reading from his phone. "I know everybody is excited about Bedlam. I don't want to put any pressure on you, because I know you have enough. I just want you to know how excited Kurt would be for this game. He was so bummed out that they moved Bedlam to this weekend.' -- He would have to play in Indiana tomorrow," Gundy explained.

"'I have to say this for him. Good luck. You've done a great job. Believe in yourself, believe in God, and believe in the team.'

"How about that?" Gundy said. "That's the kind of person she is. When Kristen and I went to see her the next morning, she said, 'I'm so sorry about the game.' I thought, that's a typical coach's wife. She had enough to her, she had to text because she knew Kurt wanted it."

CREATING A CULTURE OF GREATNESS

The following comes from Jon Gordon's blog.  Click to read the entire post: http://bit.ly/tGp8tg

During the last two weeks I've spoken to the University of Texas football team, Northwestern Mutual and a conference of school principals. Very different audiences indeed, yet, the message I shared was the same:

"To build a winning a team and a successful organization you must create a culture of greatness."

It’s the most important thing a leader can do because culture drives behavior, behavior drives habits and habits create results. In the words of leaders at Apple, “Culture beats strategy all day long."

When you create a culture of greatness you create a collective mindset in your organization that expects great things to happen—even during challenging times. You expect your people to be their best, you make it a priority to coach them to be their best and most of all you create a work environment that allows them to be their best.

A culture of greatness creates an expectation that everyone in the organization be committed to excellence. It requires leaders and managers to put the right people in the right positions where they are humble and hungry and willing to work harder than everyone else. A culture of greatness dictates that each person use their gifts and strengths to serve the purpose and mission of the organization. And it means that you don’t just bring in the best people, but you also bring out the best in your people.

If you are thinking that this sounds like common sense, it is. But unfortunately far too many organizations expect their people to be their best but they don't invest their time and energy to help them be their best nor do they create an environment that is conducive to success. They want great results but they are not willing to do what it takes to create a culture of greatness.

A culture of greatness requires that you find the right people that fit your culture. Then you coach them, develop them, mentor them, train them and empower them to do what they do best. As part of this process you develop positive leaders who share positive energy throughout the organization because positive energy flows from the top down. You also don’t allow negativity to sabotage the moral, performance and success or your organization. You deal with negativity at the cultural level so your people can spend their time focusing on their work instead of fighting energy vampires. And you find countless ways to enhance communication, build trust and relationships that are the foundation upon which winning teams are built.

If creating a culture of greatness sounds like a lot of work, it is, but not as much work as dealing with the crises, problems and challenges associated with negative, dysfunctional and sub-par cultures. While most organizations waste a lot of time putting out fires you can spend your time building a great organization that rises above the competition.

HELPING YOUR PLAYERS/CHILDREN ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS (MAYBE YOUR OWN)

1. Envision your dreams. Having a vivid, specific picture of your dream is vital in beginning a plan to get there. Tell your teen to make his dream as specific a goal as possible. The more specific and detailed it is, the more real it becomes. Write it down in the present tense. For example, “I graduate college with honors in four years.” Setting a timeline to accomplish a goal is also important and gives your teen an even more specific target.

2. Look at it every day. When you’re driving a car, it’s necessary to constantly make small adjustments to stay on the road. It’s the same when achieving your goals. It’s not about making giant leaps, but making small, positive choices every day that will keep you on the path to achieving your dreams. Have your teen post his written dream in a place where he can easily see it every day.

3. Start with a game plan. Every goal has to start somewhere. Help your teen realize that everyone starts in a different place and that, as far away as a goal may seem, where he starts from doesn’t really matter. Staying on course by making positive, daily decisions is what’s important. And having a plan will help him do that. A plan maps out the small steps needed to stay on course. It also lets him set smaller, more attainable goals along the way to reaching his bigger goal. Help your teen write out a game plan for reaching his goal, breaking it down into smaller milestones along the way.

4. Never quit. If achieving your dream was easy, your dream wouldn’t be worth achieving. Make sure your teen understands that there will be setbacks along the journey to success. But, just like the principle in physics, an object in motion tends to stay in motion. Momentum is the key. When you stop, it’s really hard to get going again. But when you maintain momentum, it’s much easier to take the next step. Teach your teen to never quit on his dreams.

The following comes from an article at www.successmagazine.com written by David Lee.  Click here to read the entire article: http://bit.ly/rZz5YH

JOHN MAXWELL ON UNDERSTANDING THE LEVEL OF YOUR PLAYERS

One of the most common mistakes a coach can make is to misjudge the level of one of his players. If the leader doesn’t work with each player according to where he is in his development, the player won’t produce, succeed, and develop. According to management consultant Ken Blanchard, all team members fit into one of four categories with regard to the type of leadership they need:

1. Players who need direction: [Players who need direction don’t really know what to do or how to do it. At this stage in their development, you need to instruct them every step of the way. Anything these rookie players produce will be essentially what you do through them because they aren’t capable of working independently.]

2. Players who need coaching: [At some point, a rookie starts being able to do more of the job on his own. He becomes more independent but still relies on you for direction and feedback. The two of you will be working in partnership.]

3. Players who need support: [At this level, the player is able to work without your direction. But he will still require your support and encouragement.]

4. Players to whom you delegate: [At this stage the player can be given a task, and you can be confident that it will be done. This player not only needs you to lead. Provide vision on the front end and accountability on the back end, and the person will multiply your efforts toward success.]

From "Developing the Leaders Around You" by John C. Maxwell