What It Takes To Be The Best Teammate Any Has Ever Had

Pat Williams was the keynote speaker at the UCF "Countdown To Kickoff" luncheon yesterday in the UCF Arena. I always enjoy hearing him speak. Had the opportunity to speak with him for just a few minutes before the event.

When he speaks he reminds me of Coach Wooden. You can feel the sincerity of his message. I remember when we had dinner with Coach Wooden in 2002. When he spoke, it was just like reading his books. His message, his interaction with us was so consistent with what he taught in his books and lectures. In his message yesterday you could hear his study of Coach Wooden coming through as he described what it takes to be the greatest teammate.

Jameer Nelson said his only goal was to be the best teammate anyone has ever had.
What does it take to be the best teammate any has ever had?

EMPOWER--uplift, Encourage..Spoken and Unspoken words. Rich DeVoss said his role at Amway is to be the head cheerleader

OUTWORK--maximum effort every day. Higher up the chain of significance, the harder you must work. Jordan, Walter Payton and Jerry Rice were never outworked.

CONSISTENT WITH ATTITUDE --Especially in practice. Team should never have to worry about are you in a good mood, etc. Don't be a "chirper" or a "duck quacking".

BE A CHARACTER PERSON--demonstrate class. On display 24/7. Coaches shouldn't have to worry about character of the team. Be a character person daily.

RESPONSIBLE--No Whining, No Complaining, No Excuses.

BE A LEADER ON/OFF COURT, IN THE LOCKER ROOM & IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE--Don't wait to be appointed. You don't have to be invited to be a leader. Be prepared for the opportunity to lead when it comes.

BE TEACHABLE--Be a sponge. Soak up all the experiences. Then, become a teacher to other players. Have a teachable spirit.

HIT THE BOOKS--Sports end quickly. Your sport is a tool, it's a platform. Others can't learn for you.

BE FULLY PREPARED--Rest, Nutrition, Game Plan

TOTAL COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER--Pride in excellence.

DON'T QUIT--Persevere through the tough times. Determination and Dedication.

ENTHUSIASM & PASSION--Flows to everyone

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TEAM--Privilege of being on a team

Later doesn't always come...

Advice Shaq's mother gave him:
"There's no opportunity like now."

Shaq told his mom one time, "I can't do that right now. Maybe later." Then his mother said to him--"Later doesn't always come to everybody."

Work hard now. Don't wait. If you're lazy, or you sit back and don't want to excel, you'll get nothing. If you work hard enough, you'll be given what you deserve.

HARD Goals

I recently listened to Pat Williams on his radio show interview Mark Murphy about his new book "HARD Goals". Murphy uses the acrostic HARD as the theme of his book.

H--eart Felt
You must be emotionally connected to your goals.
Whose goal is it? A clear sign that people will abandon a goal is fi they attribute the goals to someone else.

A--nimated
Visual sense.
The more clearly you can see a goal, the more likely you are to achieve it.
Jack Nicklaus said he saw every shot before he hit it.
Vision trumps the other senses.
Put a picture up of your goals.
See it in the mind's eye.
White wine tinted with red food coloring will often trick the mind into thinking it's drinking red wine.
Know what the goal looks like.
What will the goal look like at the end?

R--equired
Must start.
Imminent death of a goal is the phrase, "I'll start tomorrow"
Major predictor of not accomplishing a goal.
Cut the goal in half, then in half again, then the next 30 days, then 1 thing I can do today.....
One thing today to keep you on track to your goals.

D--ifficult
The more difficult the, more likely to achieve.
Most of us drive to work on autopilot. Our brain isn't lit up. If you drive through a blizzard or a storm the brain lights up. It's a different goal.
Performance is subpar when people can coast.
Working to our upper state of performance. Just outside the element where we are comfortable.

Most of us approach goals wrong. There is an 85% failure rate for New Year's Goals. Most of us treat it as a grocery list. Short shrift. The "process" of setting the goal is critical. Ask questions...Give the goal the attention it deserves.

CEO's are usually pretty good at setting goals for themselves..But often don't apply the same goal setting process to their employees.

Need more than SMART goals. Steve Jobs is not an "achieveable & realistic" thinker. He's a different kind of thinker.

The Competency of Teaching Ability

Chuck Daly said he was a salesman--and also a teacher. It's true. If you can't teach, you can't lead. A salesman persuades people to a certain course of action, a teacher persuades people to become a certain kind of person. Great teachers inspire and motivate people to become learners with a hunger and thirst for knowledge. Great teachers inspire people to seek wisdom, to grow in character, to find solutions, to pursue knowledge and to stretch their understanding.


What makes a Teacher/Coach special is the ability to transfer knowledge to you. They teach what they know.


The deepest learning doesn't take place in the classroom, but in the laboratory of life.

Taken from, "The Paradox of Power" by Pat Williams

Make It A Great Day vs Have A Great Day

Make It A Great Day vs Have A Great Day

Making each day your masterpiece is one of Coach Wooden’s 7 principles that shaped his life. I’ve read the 7 point creed given to him by his father, hundreds of times. However, not until reading Pat Williams new book, “ Coach Wooden—The 7 Principles That Shaped His Life and Will Change Yours”, did I think about the terms “Make vs Have” a great day.
The quality of my day depends on me. It’s something I initiate. “Have a great day” is a passive statement. But “Make it a great day” means that I am in charge of making my day great.

A few ways Pat Williams suggests how we can take control of our day and turn our day into a masterpiece:

1. Set clear goals, then take measurable steps toward achievement.
2. Put an end to procrastination.
3. Beware of distractions and time wasters.
4. Make a time log
5. Focus on excellence

Build For Lasting Quality

Make excellence your goal. Strive to be the best. These are both different ways of saying the same thing: Build for lasting quality. Successful people are quality (process) oriented people. Pat Williams said that all the successful people he has met seem to possess four attitudes that are focused on lasting quality. The four attitudes are:
1. Strive for perfection
2. Pay attention to details
3. Constantly try to improve
4. Give it all you've got.

Four simple tasks. But the greats always keep it simple.

Pat Williams Defining Self-Control

Self-control is simply a matter of self-management. It comes down to knowing what is important in life and what goals you want to achieve, then disciplining yourself and regulating your daily behavior so you can attain those goals. It means setting aside some momentary pleasure to obtain a more lasting sense of satisfaction.

5 Rules For Patient, Wise Decision-Making

Orlando Magic Executive Vice-President:

FIVE RULES FOR PATIENT, WISE DECISION-MAKING:

1. Get advice
2. Get alone
3. Get away
4. When uncertainty persists, say no
5. Once you have come to a decision, act firmly and decisively