Author: Don Yaeger

The Downside To Being A Leadership Junkie

Written on May 19, 2015.

I’m a leadership junkie. I love listening to speakers and other professionals who are constantly producing ideas on teamwork, values and the essence of leadership. I try to collect and implement the best ideas I can find and, while this may be a good habit, it can also be bad…very bad. Regularly I find myself scribbling down the next great idea, rushing it back to my office, and telling my team: “Let’s try this...

Integrity Is Worth More Than Championships

Written on May 13, 2015.

Anyone who knows me is aware that I really like Tom Brady, the New England Patriots and everything that they have been able to accomplish together. Their highly effective culture has successfully blended teamwork with camaraderie, and consistently produces Super Bowl championships and Pro Bowl-caliber players. In many ways, they are a model worth studying…and I have. When I last met Brady, it was at an event organized...

The Value Of Being A Great Teammate

Written on May 6, 2015.

I’m a father of a 6-year-old tee-ball and flag football player and, to be honest, he has not been the star of any team he’s been on so far. Regardless, I want him to know he can bring other “talent” to the team. Before we head to the field for his practices, we talk about the importance of being a good teammate…and that being a good teammate is a talent. Whenever we have this father-son discussion I think of David...

Bidding To Beat Cancer: A Coach Uses His Platform

Written on April 30, 2015.

Every leader has a platform, and the greatest leaders know how to use it. Greg Kampe, head college basketball coach of Oakland University, is as good an example of this principle as anyone I’ve ever met. Among active coaches in Division I college basketball, Kampe is the third-longest tenured head coach at any university—falling behind only Jim Boeheim of Syracuse and Mike Krzyzewski of Duke. Whether in sports or...

Dynamic Leadership: Steve Kerr’s Secret For Coaching Success

Written on April 24, 2015.

It’s the NBA playoffs and the best team in the league—reflected by their performance this season—is the Golden State Warriors. Just last night, the Warriors came back from a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 123-119 in overtime, which further proves their resiliency. While the Warriors had plenty of talent a year ago, it was a leadership change that ultimately took them from good to...

Three Lessons For Greatness In Mentorship

Written on April 17, 2015.

The readers of my weekly blog and I have enjoyed a fruitful relationship over the past few years, but if you’re brand new to my posts because of Forbes.com, then you might be asking yourself: Do we really need more sports analogies in business? Don’t we have enough? But before you close this page down, just hear me out: I agree with you.

March Madness and the Value of Continuity

Written on March 20, 2015.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The contest we are currently running (check it out here) inspired me to write this blog. These are my favorite four days of the sporting calendar. As the NCAA Basketball Tournament tipped off yesterday, the little guys got the chance to pull back their slingshots while the big guys had to remain focused and keep momentum. What makes March Madness so exciting is that we can all bear witness to...

Positive Self-talk: A Cornerstone for Great Winners

Written on March 13, 2015.

Even the Greatest winners… fail from time to time. But the way they choose to respond to their shortcomings–how they talk to themselves after a loss–reveals much about their personal character. When it comes to engaging our teammates or colleagues after a loss, most of us are supportive and encouraging. Maybe they took a bad shot or didn’t land the client they were working towards; whatever the case, we are...

Learning through Winning: Three Successful Lessons from the Kentucky Wildcats

Written on March 4, 2015.

The undefeated Kentucky Wildcats are inching closer to a perfect regular season and it’s exciting to watch. Last night’s game against Georgia, which Kentucky rallied to win 72-64, was among the best I’ve seen this season. But each Kentucky win prompts the same question from sports media pundits: Would the Wildcats be better off now losing a game in order to lessen the pressure of maintaining an undefeated season before...