A Coach's Diary

Nick Saban is one of the best coaches of all time, no matter the sport. He led LSU and Alabama to a combined 7 national championships. He says there are three steps to creating a championship mindset: 1 - Vision: What are we trying to accomplish? 2 - Plan: What are the systems and processes that are required to accomplish it? 3 - Discipline: You have to have the discipline to execute it every day by doing what you know you are supposed to do, even when you don’t feel like it. Then, you have to define the values, principles, and standards that will lead to success and hold people accountable to them. Values are what you believe and what you think is important (discipline, toughness, accountability, respect). Principles are how you live those values —the guidelines that drive daily decisions and behavior. Standards are the non-negotiable expectations for how things are done every day, regardless of circumstances. Coach Saban says the key factors to getting everyone together and on...

Amy Edmondson is a Harvard Business School professor, researcher, and author best known for her work on psychological safety , team learning, and organizational culture. She has spent decades studying why some teams learn, adapt, and perform better than others — especially in high-stakes environments like healthcare, aviation, and business. Edmondson argues that psychological safety is the foundation of a healthy culture, and culture is not about being nice or comfortable — it’s about creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up. Edmondson says psychological safety is: “A shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.” In weak cultures, people stay quiet to protect themselves. In strong cultures, people speak up to protect the team and the mission. Psychological safety does not mean lowering expectations. Edmondson is clear: the best cultures pair clear standards and accountability with respect, curiosity, and learning ....

George Mumford is a mindfulness and performance expert who has worked with NBA champions like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, Olympians, and executives. When asked how to make massive changes in yourself and in your life, he said you have to have a sense of urgency to change to connect with the masterpiece that is already inside of you. Mumford believes we all have greatness within us, and our job is to remove all the things that are blocking it so that it can grow, shine, and express itself. Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuși once said, “We are not creating ourselves. We are chipping away at the excess to reveal who we already are.” Michelangelo was a famous painter and sculptor who painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling and sculpted a famous statue of David. He once said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free,” and, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” You have to believe that you have greatness i...

This week, I listened to a really good podcast by author and motivational speaker Tony Robbins. On the Jay Shetty podcast, he talked about leadership, happiness, and purpose. Robbins said the most important skill a leader can have is decision making. He said, “Choices are how we create our lives. It’s not your conditions — it’s your decisions that determine the quality of your life.” You can turn tough conditions into good ones with the right mindset, being around the right people, and making better decisions. You can create the life you want by being a good decision maker. He said there are three simple steps to becoming a good decision maker: Decide — Make a decision. Commit — Commit to your decision. Resolve — Stick with your decision. He said the best leaders are able to make a decision, even if they don’t have all the information. If the decision is the right one — great. If it’s not, recognize it and be willing to pivot as soon as possible He created a 6 step decision making p...

Pat Summitt was one of the greatest coaches in sports history, best known for building the University of Tennessee women’s basketball program into a national powerhouse. She was a standards based leader, meaning she clearly defined what “good” looked like and consistently expected, modelled, and reinforced it — every day, in every situation. Coach Summitt had 12, non-negotiable standards she called the “Definite Dozen.” Responsibility – Be accountable for your actions and choices. Hard Work – Nothing substitutes for effort. Discipline – Do what you’re supposed to do, even when it’s hard. Loyalty – Be committed to the team and to one another. Mental Toughness – Stay strong, focused, and resilient under pressure. Team Attitude – Put the team above yourself. Self-Discipline – Control your habits, emotions, and preparation. Desire – Bring passion, hunger, and competitive fire. Conditioning – Be physically and mentally prepared to perform. Fundamentals – Master the basics; never s...

Leaders don’t define culture with words. They define it with behavior. Edgar Schein was one of the first psychologists to study culture and define organizational culture. In his book “Organizational Culture and Leadership,” he wrote, “The most powerful mechanisms that founders, leaders, and managers have available for embedding and reinforcing culture are what they pay attention to, measure, and control.” Schein says three things impact culture: Artifacts are what we see, hear, and feel. They are the visible signs of culture. They include how the space looks and feels, how people dress and communicate, how meetings run, and what’s written in handbooks, emails, or on walls. Artifacts tell you what the culture looks like, but not always why it exists. Values are what we say we want and believe. They explain why people believe they act the way they do and include: Stated priorities (“We value teamwork.”), beliefs about what’s important (“Results matter most.”), and the reasons people ...

Want to perform better and more confidently? Train your mind and create better thoughts and habits. Sports psychologist Terry Orlick once said, “Excellence is not a singular act but a way of thinking, feeling, and acting.” He also wrote, “Human excellence in virtually all domains is guided by mental factors.” Train your mind so that it thinks and acts like a high performer as often as possible. Through his years of research, Orlick has found 7 critical elements that lead to personal excellence: Commitment. To excel at anything you must have or develop an extremely high level of dedication, self-discipline, passion, joy or love for what you are doing. You must truly commit yourself to be the best you can be and continuously strive to make personal improvements and meaningful contributions. Belief. Excellence is guided by belief in your potential, your goal, the meaningfulness of your goal, and trust in your capacity to reach that goal. To excel, you must believe that you are investing...