As a leader, be self-critical and honest about your mistakes or ineffective actions, acknowledging them and taking steps to correct them, as this is the hardest but most crucial area of leadership.
Guide your life and leadership decisions primarily by core principles rather than being solely driven by ambition, as principles provide a more stable and ethical foundation for long-term success.
Strive to be a leader who consistently identifies and does ’the right thing,’ recognizing this fundamental distinction from merely being a manager who efficiently ‘does things right.’
In demanding fields like the NFL, proactively find dedicated time and avenues for continuous self-education and growth, because if you don’t, the rapid pace will cause you to become outdated and irrelevant.
Establish a clear philosophy and system for your team or organization to provide a coherent direction, preventing individual members from acting as independent contractors without a shared purpose or belief.
To achieve sustained success, prioritize understanding what it takes to win each specific challenge and adapt your approach accordingly, rather than rigidly adhering to a preferred style, by having a versatile system in place.
When acquiring talent, prioritize individuals who fit well within your established system and philosophy, as a good system fit can enable skill development and performance, whereas a poor fit can hinder even talented individuals.
When scouting or hiring, define clear standards, requirements, and system needs upfront, then use these criteria to eliminate candidates who don’t fit, rather than just searching for good candidates.
Prioritize and diligently work on character evaluation, as it’s often more challenging than skill assessment, aiming to understand an individual’s character thoroughly before committing to them.
Conduct regular, accurate self-reflection (e.g., weekly) to understand the precise reasons for success or failure, then reinforce successful actions and actively identify and address causes of failure.
When reviewing performance, systematically evaluate outcomes across all contributing factors (e.g., players, coaching, and scheme), rather than attributing blame to a single area, to gain a comprehensive understanding.
Maintain a forward-looking focus on the process and controllable actions required for future success, rather than dwelling on past outcomes, as this is the only way to effectively prepare for the next challenge.
As a leader, build trust by being consistent within yourself and with the people you’re leading, ensuring you don’t have double standards and apply expectations fairly to everyone.
As a leader, clearly and concisely communicate your plan to your team, ensuring they understand the meaning behind it to effectively execute and align with your vision.
As a leader, you must have a clear plan, as the management of attention is a fundamental element of effective leadership.
To avoid groupthink, cultivate curiosity about external developments and be willing to modify and adapt your approach to solve problems in new ways, even when successful, to stay on the cutting edge.
Actively embrace and force yourself to change and adapt within your core philosophy, rather than making dramatic, inconsistent shifts, to avoid becoming irrelevant in a dynamic environment.
Build a team or organization that is versatile and can ‘play right or left-handed,’ meaning they can adapt their style of play or operation to effectively counter different opponents or challenges.
Instead of completely changing core strategies weekly, focus on modifying and emphasizing specific elements of your existing scheme in practice to prepare for unique weekly challenges, keeping players fresh and focused.
Foster a culture where collective success is valued above individual indispensability, emphasizing that every role is important and individuals should focus on executing their defined job for the team’s benefit.
With increased access to information, develop the critical skill of filtering and discerning what is truly urgent and important within that information to focus time and resources effectively.
View unexpected outcomes (e.g., a player not meeting expectations) as opportunities for self-analysis to evaluate and refine your own systems and processes, fostering self-awareness and growth.
When providing feedback or guidance, frame it as coaching aimed at helping improvement, clearly distinguishing it from personal criticism, whether with players or children, to ensure the message is received constructively.
For those in talent acquisition, deeply understand the coaching philosophy, teaching methods, and systems in place to more effectively identify and recruit individuals who will thrive within that environment.
In specialized fields, actively force yourself to learn the entire system or ‘game,’ not just your specific role, by studying it comprehensively to avoid missing crucial elements and gain a complete understanding.
To learn a complex field, actively seek out and attend specialized clinics or workshops, even if it means travel and cost, to learn from experts and build foundational knowledge.
Learn from the diligent process and consistent work ethic of writers who focus daily on crafting their work, understanding that sustained effort in a process leads to results rather than solely focusing on outcomes.