Here’s a fascinating look at the brain of Albert Einstein. Written expertly by Amy Nutt of the Star-Ledger in New Jersey, it details research almost from the moment of Einstein’s death. With all due respect to the scientists and to the news reporter, Einstein himself said, “I am no genius. I merely stay with problems […]
If you’re a boss or a coach, you want a great team. You want to build a champion! Here are some tips from Rajat Taneja of Electronic Arts. I’m struck in particular by No. 3, “Hire for uncommon strengths.” Too many people hire with the idea of avoiding weaknesses. Championship team-building involves hiring with strengths […]
Take a moment to look around your life. At your job, who is the most committed person, who is the least and where do you fall on this line? Same question for your family, your team, your school, you name it. How committed are you? One day a chicken ran around the barnyard, telling all […]
No matter how long you’ve been coaching, you’re at a certain stage in your development. You’re either novice, intermediate or veteran. You’re variously fascinated with technique, or tactics, or motivation, or team-building, or practice planning, or something else. For the last several months, I’ve been drawn to the spiritual side of coaching. It began when […]
Over the weekend, my family went for dessert at Holsten’s, the ice cream parlor where they filmed the final episode of “The Sopranos.” It was my first trip there since the series ended, and, upon walking in, I asked the waitress, “Where was Tony?” There were no more words needed. She knew that I was […]
Two teams work in the same office. You are allowed to spend as much time as you want observing them. Then you must choose: Which one will be more successful? That question more and more is drawing the attention of businesses. In this Harvard Business Review article, researcher Sandy Pentland concludes that patterns of communication […]
My friend Gary Pritchard, whose coaching specialty is helping build unity on teams, sent this quote from Charles Dickens today. “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” Those words capture so much of what coaching should be about. The job of a leader is more than just giving orders […]
Last night I had the chance to watch a very good coach at work. She had designed a strong practice, and tried to set the tone by writing a quote on top of her whiteboard. It said, “The power of focus is what separates those who are good from those who are great.” When practice […]
Former LSU baseball coach Skip Bertman once did a video called “Winning the Big One.” In it, Bertman spoke of the daily, constant, relentless effort to improve. I’m not sure if Yankees Manager Joe Girardi has seen the video, but his drive to improve has brought a motivational gem to the clubhouse. As related in […]
In these days of Jeremy Lin, it’s not a good idea for anyone to be selfish, or to be seen as so. Carmelo Anthony, who will be on the court with Lin and the New York Knicks when he returns from a groin injury, is answering questions over whether he will share the ball. And […]