Entries by
George, The Coach is Going to Play His Best Players
A friend told me a story that I’d like to share. George was a freshmen collegiate baseball player. He believed he was having a strong fall season. In his teams first doubleheader George did not play in game one, and the 1st baseman who he was behind went 0-4 with three strikeouts. In game two, he did not start either, […]
Wrestling with Judgment
This fall, Clemson football coach, Dabo Swinney, was facing an extremely tough decision. His senior starting quarterback, Kelly Bryant, was playing well and owned a career 16-2 record as a starter. Bryant was the back-up quarterback his freshmen and sophomore seasons to the magnificent DeShaun Watson. Complicating matters was the arrival of true freshmen Trevor […]
Win the Day
It was the fall of 2012. I was observing a training session of a major college baseball program. They started the day with a pre-practice meeting. The coach began by recapping the previous day’s practice. He went through the positives and negatives in detail. Please keep in mind there was no outside opponent, he was […]
Born to Run
Have you ever been in a rut? Life feels like the movie Groundhog Day – you just do the same thing over and over. It’s ok. I know, I’ve been there. Living a life without excitement is not the goal for anyone. However, many people chase new things simply because they are bored. Exercise routines, […]
Positive Life Forces: Two Case Studies on Leadership
The Joe Burrow Story On September 15, the LSU Tigers were in a tight battle against SEC West rival, Auburn. LSU found themselves trailing 19-21 late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback, Joe Burrow, orchestrated a beautiful drive which resulted in a game winning field goal as time expired; the final score, 22-21 LSU. Hundreds of […]
It Takes a Team
This summer, the Chicago Cubs were down to their last out and facing a three run deficit. The bases were loaded for David Bote, a player who spent over six years in the minor leagues. Bote was facing a 2-2 count when he delivered a game-winning walk-off grand slam that sent Wrigley Field and its […]
Seven Characteristics To Build Successful Young People
I’ve been extremely fortunate to connect with many leaders from various backgrounds over the past several years. A recurring theme I am hearing is that new hires, despite having the strong academic resumes, lack mental toughness. They’ve never experienced failure, or they’ve never really been pushed. At the first sign of adversity, they often shrink. […]
Water the Bamboo
The Story of the Giant Timber Bamboo Giant Bamboo farmers plant a bamboo seed and begin watering the plant. Everyday they tend to the bamboo. In the first year, the bamboo seed fails to grow. In the second year, still no growth. During the third year the farmer continues to water the plant still there […]
“They’ll Walk if You Let ‘Em”
As a baseball coach, I get to watch a lot of games at different levels. Hustling on the field is something I learned at a very young age. Recently, I’ve noticed a trend where players are not running on and off the field. At times, it is tough to tell if the inning is over […]