John Wooden was one of the most successful college basketball coaches in the history of the game. Although he coached in a different era, his approach to coaching provided a foundation his players used for successful lives after graduating from UCLA. Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success” has become famous for its simple yet profound concepts. A […]
It’s Not What You Know…
It’s how much you care. OK, some people thought it was “who you know” that matters, right? Well, maybe that’s true for advancing your own career but in leadership positions people need to know and feel you care about them. How I Failed Miserably As a young, up and coming athletics administrator I had ambitions […]
Summer’s Here: Hurry up and relax
Summer is officially almost here. Very soon are the 7-10 days of the year that athletics administrators can exhale, unwind and (dare I say) relax. But, next year is right around the corner and fall sports will be in full swing. It’s time to review your “I wish I would have…” list. You know, it’s […]
Compromised Virtue: Where do we go from here?
Athletics’ virtue has been obliterated by one scandal after another played out publicly in various media. If one thing can come from all of the recent media coverage of alleged coach “abuse” of student-athletes, it should be that we all need to pay more attention to what it happening within athletics programs… even if there […]
Rutgers’ Example A Case for Assessment
The unfortunate part of the Rutgers men’s basketball situation is not the embarrassment it brings to the University, the coach or the athletics director. The most tragic element is that student-athletes were put into such a situation in the first place. USA Today writer Christine Brennan wrote an opinion essentially calling for the Athletics Director’s […]
The Best Parental Advice I’ve Ever Heard
John Wooden is a personal hero of mine for many reasons. But the one thing that sticks out in my mind is advice that his father gave him upon graduating from grade school. As the story goes, his father provided three keys to being successful in life: Don’t Whine Don’t Complain Don’t Make Excuses Pure genius. […]
Gut Check: Decision-making and Managing Up
There seems to be two types of people: those who crave information and those who rely on intuition and ‘feel’ for situations. Which one are you? And, which one is your boss? When it comes to making decisions neither approach is exclusively effective. Sure, there are plenty of examples of data crunching that reliably predicted […]
Effective Leadership: Rules vs Structure
I hate rules. Not because I am a rebel, an egomaniac or disrespect authority. I hate rules because they stifle creativity, innovative thinking and decision-making. (My apologies to all compliance coordinators out there. It’s nothing personal). With proper vision, communication and accountability providing organizational structure, rules can be minimal. The problem is that most people […]