I recently finished reading “Everyone’s a Coach” by Don Shula and Ken Blanchard and wanted to share some of the thoughts that got highlighted and marked up!

• “If what you’re after is being liked, that’s going to dictate how hard you’ll push; you won’t want to offend anybody or get them mad at you. As soon as that happens, there goes your effectiveness; and in the end, there goes their respect.” Don Shula
• When it comes to leading/working with a team, “Emotional attachment has nothing to do with a person’s performance.” In other words, just because you like them does not mean they are doing a good job.
• “One thing that distinguishes successful people from unsuccessful people is that they are willing to go the extra mile – to do what others are not willing to do.” Ken Blanchard
• “You can’t help a guy if he won’t show up.” Don Shula
• “Because I know that perfection only happens when the mechanics are automatic, I insist on overlearning.” Don Shula
• “You play at the level of your practice. The best way is to practice hard all the time.”
• “Setting goals is important, but I suspect that most organizations overemphasize this process and don’t pay enough attention to what needs to be done to accomplish goals. […] What’s more important than these goals is the follow-up – the attention to detail, demand for practice perfection, and all the things that separate the teams that win from the teams that don’t.” Don Shula
• “Goal setting only starts good behavior. It’s the follow up – the attention to detail and the monitoring and the coaching – that makes it happen.” Ken Blanchard

Part 2 coming later!