The Chiefs football season kicks off tonight and if you know me, you know I love sports. Not just for the games themselves, but for the lessons they teach about life, leadership, and staying the course.
Sports are a gold mine of analogies we can carry into business, relationships, and how we lead ourselves.
Here are three I keep coming back to:
1. Bill Walsh’s First Down Philosophy
Bill Walsh, legendary coach of the San Francisco 49ers, had a rule: stop obsessing over the final score. Instead, focus on one thing, getting 25 first downs. If the team hit that target, the score would take care of itself.
They won four Super Bowls that way.
What’s your “first down” in life or business? The one thing that, if you did it consistently, would make success almost inevitable?
2. Jimmy V’s Net-Cutting Ritual
Before his NC State team ever won a championship, Coach Jimmy Valvano had them rehearse cutting down the nets, the tradition reserved for tournament champions.
He wanted them to feel the moment before they earned it. To get comfortable with the weight of the trophy before it was in their hands.
What’s your version of cutting down the nets? How can you practice success before it happens so it feels natural when it does?
3.Andy Reid’s “No Judgment”
In ESPN’s The Kingdom documentary, Andy Reid shared a guiding principle: “No judgment.” For years he has kept a simple index card in his office with those two words written on it.
The idea is straightforward but powerful. Treat every person as an individual and meet them where they are. Focus on the positive and look for strengths first, knowing that everyone has faced their own challenges. Keep an open door and believe in second chances.
Reid views his role as a coach the same way he views a teacher’s role. A teacher does not judge a student by their mistakes. A teacher guides them toward improvement. That belief has shaped how he builds teams and even who he hires.
Where can you lead with “no judgment”? Where could removing fear unlock more freedom and better results in your world?
live freed,
Jordan
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