A Coach's Diary

Intent-Based Leadership One of the most important lessons from David Marquet’s Turn the Ship Around! is that great teams don’t need more people giving orders — they need more people taking ownership. Marquet took command of the USS Santa Fe , a struggling nuclear submarine, and recognized that the traditional leader-follower model was limiting his team. Instead of being the person with all the answers, he worked to create a culture where people were expected to think, communicate, and take responsibility. That meant changing the language. Instead of asking for permission by saying, “Can I…?” , sailors were encouraged to say, “I intend to…” The difference seems small, but the message is powerful: I have thought this through, I understand my responsibility, and I am prepared to act. This is what intent-based leadership is all about. In a healthy culture, people shouldn't have to wait for the person at the top to make every decision. Leaders create clarity around the mission, value...

Dr. Brett Steenbarger, a psychologist who has worked extensively with professional traders, teaches an important lesson about performance: your emotions don't have to control your decisions. Trading provides a great example because every decision has uncertainty. You can make a smart decision and still lose money. You can make a poor decision and still get a good result. The same is true in sports, leadership, and life. That means we can't judge ourselves only by the outcome. Instead, we have to learn to evaluate the quality of our process and our response. Emotional resilience isn't about becoming emotionless. It's about noticing your emotions without allowing them to take over. Fear, frustration, excitement, and disappointment are all information. The key is learning to recognize them, regulate them, and return to your process. One bad decision doesn't need to become five bad decisions. One mistake doesn't need to ruin the rest of your performance. The best pe...

When I moved into my first leadership role, the most eye-opening thing that I learned was how few people were willing to do what I was willing to do as an individual performer. I thought everyone tried to go above and beyond as fast as they could like I tried to, but I was wrong. In his book, Move Your Bus , Ron Clark uses a simple metaphor to describe the different ways people show up on a team: Runners, Joggers, Walkers, Riders, and Drivers. Runners are your all-stars who consistently go above and beyond without waiting to be told what needs to be done — they see it, act, and go above and beyond. Joggers are dependable. The do their jobs well without pushing themselves too hard. Walkers get pulled along and need more direction, encouragement, or accountability to increase their impact. Riders hold the team back because they pick up their feet and slow down the whole process. And then there are Drivers — the MVPs responsible for steering the bus. They create the vision, set the d...

Ryan Holiday’s The Obstacle Is the Way is built around a simple Stoic idea: the thing standing in your way can become the thing that moves you forward. We all face obstacles — a difficult conversation, a mistake, a setback, a season that doesn’t go the way we expected. Our first instinct is often to ask, “Why is this happening to me?” Holiday challenges us to ask a different question: “What can I do with this?” He organizes the Stoic approach around three disciplines:  Perception Action Will. Perception is how we see the obstacle. We may not control what happens, but we can control how we interpret it. Action is what we do next. Instead of getting stuck complaining about the problem, we look for the next step we can take. Will is how we respond when the obstacle doesn’t disappear. We accept what we cannot control and continue moving forward. The obstacle doesn’t have to be removed before progress can happen. Sometimes the obstacle is the opportunity to grow. So, when something har...

What if being a great teammate isn't just about what you contribute to the team, but also about the energy and well-being you bring to the people around you? Psychologist Martin Seligman developed the PERMA model , identifying five elements that contribute to well-being: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. The “+” is often used to recognize additional factors that support well-being, such as physical health and vitality. Think about what happens when a team has these elements. People experience positive emotions. They become fully engaged in what they're doing. They build meaningful relationships. They understand that their work matters. And they experience the satisfaction that comes from accomplishing difficult things together. That is more than happiness. That's a healthy team culture. And here's the important part: You don't have to be the leader to influence the well-being of your team. You can bring positive energy...

One of the most important lessons Nick Saban has taught through his career is the power of The Process . The idea is simple: Stop focusing on the outcome and focus on what you need to do today to give yourself the best chance to succeed. Saban often emphasized that teams can become distracted when they focus too much on championships, records, rankings, or the opponent. Instead, great teams focus on the next task, the next practice, the next meeting, and the next play. That matters because great teamwork isn't built on one big moment. It's built through thousands of small moments when everyone does their job. The best teammates don't constantly ask, “How are we doing?” They ask, “What does the team need from me right now?” You don't control the final score. You control your preparation, your effort, your attitude, your communication, and your willingness to do your job for the people around you. The Process is about trusting that if everyone consistently takes care of ...

When you’re tired, uncomfortable, or facing a challenge, what do you tell yourself? Dr. Nicole Detling, a sport and performance psychologist, teaches athletes to use imagery and intentional self-talk to shift their mindset when they need to perform at a higher level. One simple idea is “Next Gear.” Think about your car. You don’t stay in the same gear when you need more power — you shift. The same is true for us. There will be moments in practice, competition, work, and life when your current gear isn’t enough. Your legs are tired. Your confidence is low. The pressure is high. That’s when you need to recognize: It’s time for the next gear. Your next gear might be more effort, more focus, more communication, more patience, and more courage. The key is recognizing that you often have another gear available — you just have to choose to shift. So this Monday, ask yourself: What does my next gear look like today? When things get difficult, don’t immediately ask, “Can I do this?” Ask: “Wha...

How Much Is Left in the Tank? Have you ever felt like you had nothing left — only to discover you could keep going? In Endure , journalist and endurance athlete Alex Hutchinson explores a fascinating question: What actually causes us to stop? For years, we’ve thought of fatigue as a simple physical limit. Your muscles get tired, your body runs out of energy, and you have to stop. But Hutchinson’s research suggests it’s more complicated. The brain plays a major role in deciding when an effort has become too difficult to continue. That doesn’t mean fatigue is imaginary. It means our perception of effort matters. Think about the fourth quarter of a close game. Your legs are heavy. Your breathing is hard. Your mind starts telling you, I’m done. But sometimes, when the stakes rise, you find another gear. That’s the lesson: Feeling exhausted and being incapable are not always the same thing. The next time your mind tells you that you can’t go any further, don’t automatically believe it. P...

What makes a team successful? Is it talent? Leadership? Chemistry? Richard Hackman’s research suggests that great teams are less about finding a magic formula and more about creating the right conditions for people to succeed together. Hackman identified five conditions that increase the likelihood of team effectiveness: A Real Team — Team members know who is on the team, understand their roles, and depend on one another. A Compelling Direction — Everyone understands where the team is going and why the goal matters. An Enabling Structure — Roles, responsibilities, expectations, and team norms make it easier—not harder—for people to work together. A Supportive Environment — The team has the resources, information, support, and systems necessary to succeed. Expert Coaching — Teams need coaching that helps them solve problems, improve their teamwork, and take advantage of opportunities. The important lesson for coaches and leaders is this: Your job isn't simply to motivate your p...

Do you ever perform worse when the moment matters most? Dr. Sian Beilock’s research helps explain why. We often assume choking happens because an athlete suddenly “loses confidence.” But Beilock’s research suggests something more specific can happen: we can interfere with skills we have already learned automatically. Think about a skilled golfer standing over a short putt. In practice, the stroke happens naturally. Under pressure, however, the athlete may start thinking: Keep your head down. Keep your elbow straight. Don’t miss. This is called explicit monitoring — consciously focusing on the individual steps of a skill that normally runs automatically. Research by Beilock and colleagues found that pressure can disrupt well-learned motor skills when performers begin consciously monitoring their execution. The leadership lesson is powerful: More thinking isn't always better thinking. Coaches should help athletes build skills through repetition, then teach them to trust their prepa...

Susan Wheelan’s Integrated Model of Group Development (IMGD) explains how teams mature over time. The key idea is simple: great teams aren’t created overnight — they develop through predictable stages. Stage 1: Dependency & Inclusion. Team members are figuring out where they fit, what is expected, and who is leading. People often look to the leader for direction and may hesitate to disagree. Stage 2: Counterdependency & Fight. As people become more comfortable, differences emerge. Team members challenge ideas, roles, processes, and sometimes the leader. Conflict isn't necessarily a sign of a bad team — it can be a necessary step toward becoming a better one if managed effectively. Stage 3: Trust & Structure. The team learns how to disagree productively. Trust increases, communication becomes more open, and members clarify roles, responsibilities, goals, and expectations. Stage 4: Work & Productivity. The team is operating at a high level. Members have greater a...

David Goggins is known for pushing himself far beyond what he thought was possible. One idea he often talks about is the 40% Rule : when your mind tells you that you’re done, you may actually have much more left to give. Think about the last time you were running, practicing a sport, studying, or doing something difficult. Your brain might have said, “I can’t do this anymore.” But sometimes, your body still has more to give. The challenge is learning how to recognize the difference between being truly unable to continue and simply feeling uncomfortable. Goggins describes the Governor as the part of your mind that tries to protect you. When something becomes difficult, the Governor sends you signals to slow down, stop, or stay comfortable. It’s not necessarily trying to hurt you — it’s trying to keep you safe. The goal isn't to ignore pain or put yourself in danger. The goal is to learn that discomfort doesn't always mean you should quit . The next time your mind says, “I can...

Most teams spend a lot of time asking, “How can we make this plan succeed?” Dr. Gary Klein suggests asking a different question: “Imagine this plan has failed. What went wrong?” This is the premortem strategy . Before launching a project, making a major decision, or beginning an important initiative, the team imagines that it is several months or years in the future and the project has been a complete failure. Then, instead of defending the plan, everyone identifies the reasons they believe it failed. This approach is powerful because teams often become overly optimistic once they commit to an idea. People may hesitate to point out weaknesses because they don't want to be negative, challenge the leader, or slow things down. A premortem gives people permission to identify potential problems before they become real problems. For leaders, the goal isn't to create fear or convince everyone that the plan will fail. It's to uncover blind spots, risks, assumptions, and unintended...

Dr. Jim Loehr, a performance psychologist who worked with elite athletes, noticed something important: the best performers don’t just manage their time — they manage their energy. His “Corporate Athlete” concept applies the principles of athletic training to leadership and everyday life. Think about an athlete. They don’t sprint for three hours straight — they work hard, recover, and then go again. Loehr argues that high performers need the same rhythm: stress and recovery, effort and renewal. Constantly pushing without recovering eventually drains your physical, emotional, and mental energy. Loehr describes energy in four dimensions: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Physical energy comes from things like sleep, nutrition, exercise, and hydration. Emotional energy comes from resilience and how we respond to pressure. Mental energy comes from focus. Spiritual energy comes from purpose—knowing what matters and where you want to invest yourself. The lesson is simple: You can...

Malcolm Gladwell popularized the idea that it takes roughly 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to reach an extraordinary level of performance. The bigger lesson, however, isn’t simply “work harder.” It’s that mastery requires intentional practice, opportunity, and the right environment. Think about two athletes with equal talent. One has access to great coaching, quality facilities, supportive teammates, and countless opportunities to compete. The other has talent but limited resources and fewer opportunities. Their outcomes may be very different — not necessarily because one worked harder, but because context matters. Gladwell’s work reminds us that success is rarely just about individual ability. Our development is shaped by the people around us, the opportunities we receive, the environment we're placed in, and the habits we build. But there’s an important distinction: 10,000 hours is not a magic number. Simply repeating something for thousands of hours doesn’t guarantee exc...