Hurdle-Isms

To not accept mediocrity. OK was not good enough.

I believe it was Muhammad Ali who said, “If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough.”

One day Bernie told the story of a great judo teacher and champion who was in his last days of life and who shared with those he was mentoring that he wanted to be buried in his white belt. His younger disciples were appalled. The most accomplished judo master of all time most certainly should be buried in his black belt, they all agreed. He shook his head. “No, I entered this world a ‘white belt,’ and I want to enter my next world as a ‘white belt.’ I will always strive to be a lifelong learner.” Note: white kittel...

We need to drop this “old‐school” versus “new‐school” conflict that often occurs – whether it's in sports, politics, or religion. It seems like everyone has to take a side. You're right, and they're wrong. Stop it! Let's all just be “in school” together. Let's ask, what can we learn from each other? What can we teach each other?

I've learned the hard way that asking for help is a superpower and that I'll never have all the right answers.

I would always use a “traffic light” exercise at the break for my team and for myself. It goes like this: a traffic light has three lights: Red: Stop. Yellow: Proceed with caution. Green: Go. I assigned these traffic lights to questions that I asked myself and that the players could ask themselves to improve during the break: Red: What do I/we need to stop doing? Yellow: What do I/we need to reevaluate with clarity? Green: What do I/we need to continue to do?

Be extraordinary at the ordinary.

Lower the bar and you lose the winners; raise the bar and you lose the losers. If you're lowering the bar, you might as well start waving a white flag, too.

It's not about proving others wrong; it's about proving yourself right.