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 […]
Here’s a different point of view on something you’ve heard a lot: follow your passion. It comes from Oliver Segovia, a young author and entrepreneur, who argues that following your passion can leave you feeling empty (as well as poor). Segovia instead suggests finding big problems. “Happiness comes from the intersection of what you love, […]
A wise man once described the difference between superstition and ritual. Superstition is doing things to avoid something bad. Rituals mean doing certain things to make something good happen. Superstition involves belief in things beyond your understanding and control. Rituals are a way to organize the things that you can control. All this comes to […]
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 […]
Now comes another story about Tim Tebow and faith. No, not Tebow’s religious faith. This time, it’s the belief that Tebow’s teammates have in him. In beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-23 in overtime on Wild-Card Sunday, the Denver Broncos looked like a team with great belief in each other and in their quarterback, Tebow. “He […]
Not long ago, J.J. Watt was delivering pizzas for a living. Yesterday he delivered one of the biggest plays of Wild Card Saturday. Watt intercepted an Andy Dalton pass and returned it for a touchdown, leading the Houston Texans past the Cincinnati Bengals in the first game of the NFL playolffs. Watt’s, play according to […]
You can say with confidence that at least one of this weekend’s NFL playoff games will be decided by a field goal attempt that either is made or missed. For instance, the Denver Broncos, who play the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, would not even be in the playoffs were it not for Matt Prater. He kicked […]
Victor Cruz of the New York Giants is headed for the playoffs, and he’ll get more attention from the Atlanta Falcons than he did in the 2010 draft. That’s because Cruz has emerged as one of the top wide receivers in the NFL after being passed over by every team in the league. That’s right. […]
With all the talk of NFL teams resting their stars to keep them from injury entering the playoffs, critics have raised the issue of integrity. What happened in the NFL the last two weeks is nothing compared to a controversy during the 1981 baseball season. Two big-league managers — Tony LaRussa and Whitey Herzog — […]