We know that massive effort in any field can lead to greatness. What we don’t know is why some people are willing to work hard and others are not.
The other day I watched a school baseball team practice. With bat in hand, the coach worked with the outfielders, hitting fly balls for them to catch. This was a ritual that goes back well over a century. But something was missing: the effort to get better on every play. Every ball that came off […]
You’ve heard a lot of people tell you that if you work hard, you will be successful. And that is true. Kind of. Maybe you’ve asked yourself, “What if I do all this work and I still don’t win?” Fair question. There are real situations where two people work very hard toward a goal, compete […]
Do you want to be a great coach? Athlete? Entrepreneur? No matter what you’d love to do, you must rely either on nature (innate talent) or nurture (skill acquired through practice and feedback). The question is, which one? For baseball Hall of Famer Ty Cobb, there was no doubt. His opinion — and Cobb had […]
Sacha Baron Cohen did more than pull the prank of the night at last night’s Oscars. By dumping the supposed ashes of North Korea’s Kim Jong Il all over Ryan Seacrest, Cohen gave us all a peek into where greatness comes from — outside the comfort zone. “The skills and actions you need to be […]
Martina Navratilova, perhaps the best female tennis player who ever lived, once said, “I just try to concentrate on concentrating.” Her phrase comes to mind as I digest a recent post on Larry O’Connor’s blog, Run4yr life. Larry is a marathoner preparing for Boston in April. From the sound of this post, he has reached […]
In his first year as coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Coach Jim Harbaugh led the team to its first playoff berth since 2002. On Saturday the 49ers host the New Orleans Saints, another franchise that has prospered after decades of futility. How? How do turnaround artists show people how to win? Harbaugh said something […]
I just saw an article that began with the words “Here is a simple recipe for pea soup.” Normally, that would not have meant much to me, but since I am a coach who is trying to teach others how to coach, the word “simple”really stood out. Just the other day, I saw a coach […]
We are all salespeople. For example, coaches are trying to sell a system, or new habits, or principles to their team. They’re trying to motivate, teach, reinforce, you name it. Whatever you’re selling, take a look at this article and see if any of these traps are holding you back. Remember, communication is a skill […]
In the word of sports parenting, here’s how you keep up with the Jones: Personal coach. Psychologist. Nutritionist. Lawyer. Lawyer? Yes, according to this article in The Record of Bergen County, NJ, one father is suing because his daughter did not make the All-County team. He claims this is hurting her college chances. You can […]