The Score Takes Care of Itself

✅ Champions are champions before they are champions. Long before the trophy, the standard is already there. ✅ Mastery is a process, not a destination. The finish line is a mirage. The work isn’t. ✅ Before a big event, do a ritual that calms you down. You don’t make good decisions while super excited or anxious. Bill pictured the football field through a big pane of glass, like he was outside the game. ✅ In a slump, take it one minute at a time. Picture a thermometer from 0 to 100 and let it rise slowly, maybe 10 percent a minute. ✅ Bill cared about the tiniest details: what the team wore to practice, how they treated their helmets. Standards live in small things. ✅ Bill wrote instructions for each department: appearance, attitude, performance. Clarity beats guessing. ✅ Don’t wait to plan for the future. Make plans for failing, plans for succeeding, and plans after those plans. Under stress you fall back on plans, not personality. “I’ll turn it on when it counts” is fake confidence. When it counts is before all hell breaks loose. ✅ “If someone told me that leadership is as easy as 1,2,3, I would reply ‘Only if the 1,2, and 3 are as follows: 1. Listen 2. Learn 3. Lead’” ✅ Bill’s most pleasurable leadership moment: spot a person, then teach that person to reach their potential in ways that help the team. Great teaching takes passion, expertise, communication, persistence. ✅ Passion requires love for the topic. Bill would talk to someone and be thinking of football plays. It became hard to shut his mind off. ✅ As the leader, lead by example and get in the dirt. Words are a fraction. Time with the team is the proof. ✅ If you don’t love it, don’t do it. ✅ Care more about how you win or lose than whether you win or lose. Expect failure The first thing you must do to achieve success is expect failure. If you don’t, it will catch you off guard and you’ll quit like everyone else. Five rules for getting back up after being knocked down Expect defeat. If you’re surprised, you’re dreaming. Dreamers don’t last long. Force yourself not to look backward and dwell. Allow recovery time, but keep it “little.” Don’t let it drag. Tell yourself you will stand and fight again, and remember: when things are at their worst, you may be closer than you can imagine. Start planning the next serious encounter. Small steps and plans move you forward. Five don’ts Don’t ask “Why me?” Don’t expect sympathy. Don’t belly ache. Don’t keep accepting condolences. Don’t blame others. Standard of performance His core assertion: your job must be done at the highest possible level in all its aspects, mental or physical. “Good talent with bad attitude equals bad talent.” His standard: ferocious, intelligently applied work ethic aimed at continual improvement. Respect for every person and their work. Deep commitment to learning and teaching (increase your expertise). Be fair. Demonstrate character. Seek the direct connection between details and improvement. Show self-control under pressure. Prize loyalty. Use positive language and attitude. Take pride in effort separate from results. Go the extra distance. Deal appropriately with victory or defeat; don't get crazy with adulation or dysfunctional with humiliation. Open, substantive communication especially under stress. Seek poise in yourself and those you lead. Put team welfare ahead of your own. Maintain abnormally high concentration and sacrifice as the organization's trademark. A leader makes lemonade with lemons, but a great leader makes lemonade with nothing A scientist made glue that didn’t stick well. A great leader saw it and created sticky notes. Re-evaluations for leadership Success doesn’t care which road you take to its doorstep. Traditionalists mocked the new passing system, then tried to copy it once it beat them. Be bold. Remove fear of change. Respect the past without clinging to it. “That’s the way we’ve always done it!” becomes a losing mantra. Don’t let desperation drive innovation. Put this on your desk: “What assets do we have right now that we’re not taking advantage of?” While waiting to get what you want, maximize what you’ve got. Be obsessive about finding upside in downside. Don’t collect reasons it won’t work. Hunt solutions that make it succeed. Scripting Bill scripted the first 25 plays of every game. He adjusted based on the other team, but the script let him “see the future” and even sleep before the Super Bowl because the opening was handled. Adapt to the script, it’s not robotic. I don’t care how smart or quick witted you are, what your training or intellect is, under extreme stress, you’re not as good. Unless that is, you’ve planned and thought through the steps you will take in all situations. Your contingency plans. Scripting summary Flying by the seat of your pants ends with crashing by the seat of your pants. Plan for foul and fair weather. Scripting improves the odds of a safe landing. When you prepare for everything, you’re ready for anything. Create a crisis management team smart enough to anticipate crisis. Decisive isn’t enough; a decisive wrong call is still wrong. Everyone must recognize the organization is adaptive and dynamic. Situations change too fast to lock into one way. Train flexibility. Under massive pressures, be resolute in the vision and have contingency plans to reach it. Failure often comes from reacting wrong under pressure. Scripting helps you respond appropriately and professionally, like a leader. A short checklist while persevering A leader must never quit. A leader must know when to quit. Proving you were right (or someone else wrong) is a bad reason to persist. Good logic, sound principles, strong beliefs are the best reasons to push forward. Comfort zone Keeping the team in the comfort zone prevents growth. Occasionally it’s okay to snarl and show consequences. Keep them on their toes. 13 core habits of an effective leader Be yourself. Commit to excellence. Be positive (teach more "do this" than "don't do that"). Be prepared (for what will happen and what might). Be detail-oriented (small step by small step). Be organized (orchestrate like a symphony). Be accountable. Be nearsighted and farsighted. Be fair. Be firm on principles. Be flexible on tactics. Believe in yourself. Be a leader: inspire, teach, care, enforce the standard. 11 nuts-and-bolts teaching practices Straightforward language. Concise. Adjust for different experience. Notice readiness. Watch for connection. Encourage note-taking. Avoid the drone trap. Build ideas sequentially. Invite participation. Use visual aids. More sophistication means more control. Building & aligning a great staff Hire for: expert knowledge, high but not manic energy, eye for talent, authoritative communicator, unconditional loyalty. Keep staff aligned: set parameters (philosophy, style, tactics, standards). Address philosophical differences privately. Allow varied methods if philosophy matches. Make unannounced visits. Don't allow "separate kingdoms." Correct or remove anyone teaching against the standard. Watch for staff pushing personal politics or religion. Use face-to-face contact. Guarding against success disease Celebrate formally. Allow brief pats on the back, then party over. Be wary of applause. Refocus on why you won and what must improve. Address mistakes even in victory. Raise the standard. Avoid change for change's sake. Use the post-win window for hard personnel decisions. Remember: the top puts a bullseye on you. Mastery is a process, not a destination. Daily discipline in tough times Process over scoreboard. Inner toughness: expertise, composure, patience, common sense. Guard ethics. Stay connected. Chip away with details. Determined optimism. Educate staff about rough roads. No magic fixes. Courtesy and respect. Don't plead. Avoid nonstop threats. Keep superiors in the loop one-on-one. Healthy-heart principles Treat people as you want to be treated. Fit roles to strengths. Create environment for maximum potential. Acknowledge need for security and self-actualization. Manage independent minds thoughtfully. Explain "why" when group vs individual conflicts. Spell out duties and metrics. Keep expectations high and attainable. Set protocols that help others do their job too. Respectful day-to-day management Treat people like people. Encourage and critique honestly. Equal dignity. Honesty with diplomacy. Set the tone. Avoid pleading or fake slang. Make well-being a priority. No VIP treatment beyond clear short-term rewards. Speak positively of former members. Care about families. Use first names without favoritism. Don't let animosity linger. Avoiding burnout & regaining perspective Don't isolate. Delegate abundantly. Don't tie self-worth to wins and losses. Use a 24-hour rule to shake off setbacks. The leader's inner voice We can win if we work smart and hard enough. We can win if we put the team above self. We can win if we keep improving; there's always room. I know what it takes to win, and I'll show you