Tag: Chasing Greatness Blog

Wounded Warriors Unlock Lesson of Greatness

Written on October 28, 2013.

Spend at least one conversation with a former member of the United States Armed Forces and you might find yourself in a true discussion of Greatness. Earlier this month I had the honor of working with the Wounded Warriors Project based in Jacksonville, Florida. It’s an organization that provides unique and direct programs to meet the needs of service members injured specifically in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts....

Rebuilding Greatness through Culture of Character

Written on October 14, 2013.

Pay attention to the way head football coach Bill O’Brien and the Penn State program have conducted themselves in the aftermath of one of college football’s biggest scandals, and you’ll see an effective step in the move from good to Great. When rocked by a crisis, the tendency for most people—and companies—is to create distance. In many cases, more energy is spent defending, debating and deflecting a scandal, than...

Recognizing Your Hall of Famers

Written on October 2, 2013.

Should you ever have an opportunity to attend a Hall of Fame ceremony—of any kind—make sure you go! Trust me, it just might change your perspective on thanking others. Last month’s Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony honored some of the Greatest minds ever to be associated with the sport. It was a 2013 enshrinement class decorated with Olympic medals, NBA Championships, NCAA Titles, and more than 3,000...

Realizing a Great Ending

Written on September 27, 2013.

Very rarely does a person get the opportunity to write the final chapter to his or her own fairytale, but New York Yankees Hall of Fame shoo-in Mariano Rivera (recently featured in Sports Illustrated) is in the process of doing just that. He’s without question Major League Baseball’s most prolific closer, and this month his career comes to a close—but on his own terms. More than 1,100 games played, more than 1,100...

Attention to Greatness

Written on September 2, 2013.

Try to dissect why a great team wins a championship and you’ll quickly see it’s all about the moving parts. Can the offense use speed and timing to score frequently? Can the defense make the necessary adjustments to get the job done? Can every player on the team remember their own responsibilities and execute those tasks when needed? It’s fascinating to see how independent assignments can influence the collective...

A Great Taste

Written on July 8, 2013.

When it comes to competition—whether sports or business—the tendency is to completely dominate. In the computer industry, Microsoft wants to do more than just take a bite out of Apple. In the basketball world, the San Antonio Spurs want to send the Miami Heat into a deep chill. In the hockey realm, the Boston Bruins want to do more than just win the Stanley Cup—they want to obliterate the Chicago Blackhawks. The mindset...

Greatness Made Special

Written on June 5, 2013.

Many of my best days these days, at least professionally, involve getting the chance to talk about the 16 consistent Characteristics of Greatness I’ve witnessed in great winners. This past month alone, my speaking engagements included travel to Los Angeles, Louisville, Costa Rica, and Puerto Vallarta. However, there’s one date on the calendar that ranked higher than all else. A tiny adjustment to my schedule allowed...

Great Resilience

Written on June 1, 2013.

Each week, it seems the sports world captures our attention and sends us on an emotional rollercoaster worth the price of admission. But this week’s thrill ride inspired me to focus on perspective. Under what lens would you view emotional moments of failure, tragedy or triumph?

Super Bowl Siblings

Written on January 29, 2013.

The storyline has gotten a lot of attention these last couple of weeks, but as most anyone who follows sports know, this weekend’s Super Bowl will be the first ever pitting two brothers against each other as the head coach of the competing teams. Jim Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers are slight favorites over older brother John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens.