Recently, at a major CEO conference Lou Holtz, one of the most successful college football coaches in history, shared his insights about success, failure and leadership. His thoughts are worth hearing, and here are a few powerful moments that stood out for me:
On Vision: "This is what I believe: You have to have a vision where you want to go. Without a vision you have nothing. You have to have a plan of how you're going to get there. And you have to lead by example. What holds a country together, what holds a family together, what holds a business together are core values. And core values are something you would not compromise."
On Mistakes: "The biggest mistake I see: You have so much success, the expectations get so great that winning is a relief. Losing is a disaster. And so, because of that, they fail to raise the standards. I went to Notre Dame. I took a program on the bottom, we took it to the very top. For nine straight years we went to a Jan. 1 bowl, the Sugar, the Cotton, the Orange, or the Fiesta. We took it on top and we maintained it.
There's a rule of life that says you're either growing or you're dying. Doesn't have a thing to do with age. But you get on top, you say, "This is pretty good. Let's not risk it. Let's not jeopardize it, let's not change anything. Let's maintain." We finished second in the country. You know what they called me? An idiot. You know what they call a guy who finishes last at medical school? Doctor.
That doesn't seem real fair. But you're on top and you say let's not risk anything. Any time you're not trying to get somewhere, you're not trying to improve, you never have a reason to celebrate, you never come up with any new ideas."
On Priorities: "You need four things in your life or you have a tremendous void. Everybody needs something to do. Everybody needs someone to love. Everybody needs someone to believe in. But everybody needs something to hope for. And the more successful you are, you try to protect what you have instead of looking at how can we keep getting better? How can we grow?"
On Sacrifice: "When you set goals and dreams, you've got to answer some questions honestly. What sacrifices am I willing to make to do that? What skills and talents do I have to acquire in order to do that? Who do I have to work with in order to get that done? And whoever you have to work with, they have to understand how they're going to benefit when you reach your goal."
"Identify the problems you have to overcome to get there. Leadership is being able to solve problems, but also anticipate problems. Eliminate mistakes before they happen. Your job is to make people the very best they can be. And that is when you get them out of their comfort zone. Because most people don't know how good they can be."
Do any of these points resonate with challenges you're facing today?
Phil Cooke, Ph.D. is a media producer and strategist. His new book for church and nonprofit leaders is Unique: Telling Your Story in the Age of Branding and Social Media. Find out more at philcooke.com.
Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.
Dr. Mark Rutland's
National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)
The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!
FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.
Do you feel stuck? Do you feel like you’re not growing? Do you need help from an expert in leadership? There is no other leadership training like the NICL. Gain the leadership skills and confidence you need to lead your church, business or ministry. Get ready to accomplish all of your God-given dreams. CLICK HERE for NICL training dates and details.The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.
