A Coach's Diary

In the book Soup by Jon Gordon, Nancy was hired on as the new CEO of the Soup Inc.  She had to turn around a failing company that was filled with negativity and declining performances. It really is a great read about how the power of relationships and building the right culture can change even the most toxic and negative teams and working environments. Gordon wrote that the leader of the team creates and drives the culture, but every great team has many 'pot stirrers' who do the work of stirring the pot with a shared vision and purpose.  The leaders must set and share the vision, but it is the positive energy of your people that will make this vision a reality.  When you create the 'pot stirrers,' make sure that you are communicating with them, encouraging them, inspiring them, and developing them.  You can't just give them the vision; you have to make sure to help them ( Soup, page 110) Two of the things that Nancy and her team implemented were  ...

"A lot of teams focus on strategy and ignore culture, yet culture trumps strategy every time." - Jon Gordon Culture is a big buzz word in sports and business, and rightfully so.  Teams and organizations whose players and employees are actively engaged tend to be more successful . We praise sports programs like the Duke basketball, Clemson and Alabama Football, and Belichick and his Patriots for their ability to sustain winnings on such high levels, and there are books and articles and studies based on their leadership and their programs' cultures. According to Jon Gordon in his book, Soup , culture is a direct reflection of the leader and of the people and their values, character, and habits. Culture and character drives behavior, and behavior drives habits.  Your culture and the character of your team influences what they do, how they do it, and when they do it.   Having a strong culture is reflected in teams in so many ways.  Having a strong cult...