Areas of Focus
Creating a Powerful visionAll success starts with a creating a powerful vision that engages and inspires a team to strive for the ultimate Goal. Vision is what keeps your eyes up and moving forward when things are the toughest. Vision is what tells you why you are there, why you are sacrificing and what you are striving for. Without a clear vision individuals and teams are left to wonder. They are subject to being pulled off course or giving in when it is tough. Nothing big comes easy and vision is what carries the individual and team forward. Discover what it takes to build and sustain that powerful vision.
Leveraging Conflict in AthleticsConflict in any relationship is a given. The emotion and high level goals of athletics magnify conflict. While conflict is unavoidable, there are skills and tools to avoid and transform conflict so individuals and teams can fully excel. Conflict Management is a relatively young field of study and focus. That is interesting since conflict can help a relationship or team grow forward, or it can completely destroy it. As I studied Conflict Management I quickly realized that the skills and tools I was learning were essential to all successful relationships, and are critical to achievement.
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Building a winning CultureSuccess is not an accident. Culture cannot be overlooked in the attainment of success. In fact, attention to and creation of the right culture is foundational to success. Many ultra talented teams and individuals have fallen far short of expectations because attention to culture was ignored. If you build the most beautiful house on a poor foundation, it will fall apart. Learn how to build the right culture and the house will stand forever.
Building the power of BeliefIt may sound obvious that you have to believe in yourself, in your team and in the goal. Like many things, it is often easier said than done. The single most important factor in all of my success has been belief. Relentless belief against all odds. Belief in athletes that couldn't yet believe in themselves. Belief in goals that looked to everyone else to be unattainable. Long term belief that outlived the challenges and set-backs. Belief is essential to all success. Without it, nothing is accomplished. Learn how to believe and keep the faith when most would give it up.
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Building a Pack Running MentalityIn Cross Country and team distance running the pack can be the most powerful force for victory. In Cross Country the low score wins...meaning, getting your five runners across the line as close to the front as possible. This is more complicated than it appears. Teamwork is essential, but even more than that, a pack running mentality of total commitment to each other and a responsibility and accountability to each other is the next level of teamwork. It is also the next level of success, enjoyment and growth. A pack running mentality is how my team won nationals. It is transferable beyond the sport of Cross Country to all teams and organizations.
Success through Leveraging CreativityOne of the keys to my success has been creativity and flexibility. My head coaching assignments were among the most challenging in the nation. Historically low performing programs with miniscule resources, no vision, no expectations of success and a mountain of challenges. Part of my ability to succeed where others did not was a result of constantly examining things to find a new way or a better way. If my budgets were low, how could I work around that? If I faced huge disadvantages in recruiting, how could I find advantages that others had not considered? If my funding was low, how could I create a win-win with those above to show them that it was in their best interest to support? The road to success has pot-holes, turns, hills, weather, and a zillion other obstacles. One key way to overcome is learning how to use creativity to solve problems and make changes that will open the doors to all your goals.
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