NICK SABAN ON THE ILLUSION OF CHOICE

EVENT + RESPONSE = OUTCOME (PART I)

In his book "Above the Line,"   Urban Meyer talks about a relationship he developed with Tim Kight, the founder of Focus 3 which is a leadership development firm.  What he learned, and applied with his football team became known as "the R Factor."  In fact, Chapter 2 of Meyer's book is completely dedicated to "The R Factor."

Here are a few take aways from that chapter:

This equation teaches something very important about the way life works.  We don't control the events in life, and we don't directly control the outcomes.  But we always have control over how we choose to respond.  How we respond means everything.

We call it the R Factor.

Every day you make R Factor decisions.

It is the factor that determines the quality of your life.

Coach Meyer says that they teach their team 6 R Factor disciplines:

R:1 Press Pause
We teach our players, in response to any situation they face, to press pause and ask: What does this situation require of me?

There are two important benefits of pressing pause:

A) It helps you avoid doing something foolish or harmful.
B) It focuses you on acting with purpose to accomplish your goals..

R:2 Get Your Mind Right
Elite performers win in their minds first.  The mind is a battleground where the greatest struggles take place. The thoughts that win the battle for your mind will direct your life.  Mental state affects physical performance. 

Getting your mind right means managing two things:

A) What you focus on
B) How you talk to yourself

Urban Meyer to his players: "The voice in your mind is a powerful force.  Take ownership of that force."

R:3 Step Up
It is your responsibility to understand the situation, be clear about what is required of you, then respond Above the Line.  This is what it means to step up.

Simply stated, Big E's and Big O's require Big R's.

Under pressure, we do not rise to the occasion. We rise or fall to the level of our training.  When contact is made, it is too late to train and build skill.

Every team faces some kind of adversity.  Mediocre teams are destroyed by it.  Good teams survive it.  Great teams get better because of it.

R:4 Adjust and Adapt
The ability to be flexible and responsive in today's competitive environment is a mandatory skill.  The best athletes and teams are exceptional at adjusting and adapting to challenging circumstances.

Here is another reality -- life will get increasingly difficult for you if you don't.

Every day you are creating or reinforcing habits in your life.  The question is, are they habits that help or habits that hold you back?

R:5 Make a Difference
Your R is an E for others.  Your attitude and behavior have a profound impact on your teammates and your coaches.  The quality of your relationships is determined by how you choose to manage the R.  You don't get the team you want -- you get the team you build.

Making a difference means taking complete ownership of the experience you give your teammates and the contributions you make to the culture of the team.

R:6 Build Skill
Talent is a gift.  Greatness is a choice.

Talent can take you to a level of ability that produces good results.  But talent by itself will not take you to the elite level.  Exceptional performance is the result of an uncommon level of focus and discipline in the pursuit of greatness.  Build skill every day and consistently get better.  Be coachable.  Train and practice Above the Line.  Be intentional and on purpose.  Complacency is the enemy of exceptional.  Grow beyond your talent.

Embrace discomfort.  Discomfort marks the place where the old ways meets the new way.  Discomfort indicates that change is about to happen.  Push through the pain.  If it doesn't challenge you, it will not change you.

Champions are made by how they manage their R.

URBAN MEYER ON CULTURE (PART II)

This is the second of three parts about the philosophy of culture as it is taught by Ohio State's Urban Meyer.  The following comes from his book "Above The Line" which I feel strongly needs to be on every coaches library shelf:

Building a culture is a three-part process.

Believe It

First you have  to think deeply about the guiding principles and core values that you want at the heart of your organization.  What behaviors are essential to execute your strategy, and waht beliefs are essential to drive those behaviors?  Identify the behaviors that are necessary to execute your strategy.  Identify the beliefs that are necessary to drive and sustain those behaviors.

Second, examine yourself.  Be honest and courageous.  Do you believe in those core values and does your behavior reflect that belief?

If you don't believe it, no one else will believe it.

Sell It

Once your culture is clearly defined, communicate it to your players and staff with clarity and consistency, explaining why it is essential to the success of the program.  This is not a deviate.  This is you as the leader standing before your team and building the foundation necessary for success.  Your culture message but be exceptionally clear: no confusion, no uncertainty, no excuses.

Demand It

When you determine what the culture is and communicate it with exceptional clarity, it is imperative that you hold people accountable to it.  Let people know that adherence to the culture isn't merely an expectation, it is a requirement.  The culture is the only acceptable standard of performance.  One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is failing to hold people accountable for behavior that is inconsistent with the culture.  Remember this: if you permit, you promote it.

The leadership challenge is to build a culture that generates and sustains winning behavior.

INTENT VS. IMPACT

I believe it is a great measure of someone's character as to what they do -- beyond just what they say.  Results come from actions and not intentions.  Those results can be measured. Intentions not so much.

"A garden requires patient labor and attention.  

Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. 

 They thrive because someone expended effort on them."

-Liberty Hyde Bailey

Here is a passage regarding intent vs. impact from "Above the Line" by Urban Meyer:

We have a saying that is fundamental to what we do:

I see better than I hear.

Or as Andrew Luck told me, "Your actions are so loud I can't hear what you're saying."

Sometimes we express it another way: Don't give me theory.  Give me testimony.

We are not measured by our intentions, but by our actions.