What happens in Vegas shouldn’t always stay in Vegas, especially when it comes to sharing insights from legandary, College Football Hall of Fame Coach, Lou Holtz.
Let me start by saying that Coach Holtz has always had the respect of my family, like most Notre Dame Football coaches except maybe Charlie Weis, and all the rest who couldn’t deliver a national title, j/k. South Bend, IN is like the holy land to the Tiernan clan (my maiden name) so I was thrilled that NGC was giving me the chance to attend the Winning Is Everything conference to connect with clients along with hearing Lou Holtz speak.
Lou kicked off the conference with his “Game Plan for Success” presentation and his humor and humility won me over instantly. Not that I had to be won over, I was so giddy that I was simply in the same room as him!
Using examples from his failures and successes in his coaching career he delivered won of the most down to earth, motivating presentations I’ve ever heard. Based on the ten principals laid out in his book, Winning Every Day , he shared the “blueprint for his success” that led him to victory.
He began his presentation by stating, “They can give you the title, but they can’t make you a leader”. Those are pretty powerful words that all of us should keep in mind along with a few more of Coach Holtz’s leadership insights:
- The Power of Attitude: Your attitude is the most important choice you make everyday! You can have talent and skills and be motivated to succeed but how well you do something is determined by your attitude. And, as a leader your attitude has a powerful impact on others.
- Have a Sense of Purpose: Identify your purpose and focus on it! Its important to understand what you are trying to do and to stay focused on your primary goal(s). For instance, if you are an emerging leader in your firm or organization, seeking that big promotion, give your employer what they want, a first-rate performance.
- Chase Your Dreams: You need to be a dreamer to be a great leader! Dreams fuel vision, innovation, and enthusiasm. As Coach Holtz says, “All great accomplishments start with a dream”.
- Lift People Up: You need to build meaningful relationships through nurturing a strong character - one that people will want to follow. This comes from doing right by people (trustworthy), doing everything to the best of your ability (commitment to excellence), and making sure people know you care (treating others how you would like to be treated).
It was an honor Coach! Thank you for your kindness and passing along to this "Irish lass", and die hard Notre Dame fan, some powerful words to live by...
“Do right. Do your best. Treat others as you want to be treated.” - Coach Lou Holtz
