Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.
“Not all readers are leaders but all leaders are readers.” (Harry S. Truman)We must continually learn and one of the best ways is to read books. I have previously posted some books for coaches and books for leaders. Many of these books are by very popular authors and are on most bookshelves across the nation.
However, I have put together a list of 7 books that you might not have heard of but can help you maximize your potential influence and increase your leadership skills.
“I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
It has often been said that sports build character. Sports allow people to learn many lessons. The games themselves, though, don’t necessarily build character. Instead, they reveal character. Just like a test that you might take in school doesn’t build your knowledge base, but it reveals what you already know. The homework that you’ve done or not done is revealed when you take a test. In the same way, what you’ve done in practice and your workouts is revealed during the games. Your habits can make or break you.
The world is always changing. We are always learning more and more. Technology is ever-changing. Athletes are getting bigger, faster, stronger. John Maxwell says that change is inevitable but growth is optional.
My wife and I have lived in 8 places during our marriage. We have seen different cultures, perspectives and belief systems. Ironically, we have found that one thing has remained the same through the years…the world is in a constant state of change.
Your ability to adapt to situations can lead to a higher level of success. As a coach, I was faced with hundreds of decisions each game. Some of them I was prepared for but many of them I was not. I had to be ready to change course if need be. That is life.
The day was December 12, 2014. I will never forget it. It was my birthday.
My boyfriend said that he had something good planned for me but wouldn’t tell me where we were going. I had nervous anticipation. I was soon to be caught completely off guard.
“It’s what you read when you don’t have to that will determine who you are when you can’t help it.” (Oscar Wilde)It’s often said that all great leaders are readers. John C. Maxwell talks about leadership being about influence, nothing more and nothing less. If this is the case, then in order to be more influential it makes sense that you would want to gain knowledge and a greater understanding of the world that you know and that you don’t know.
Everyone has a chance to be a hero to someone. You don’t even have to be dead to be a hero. With Memorial Day approaching, it got me to thinking about those in my life that I have looked up to as heroes. Unfortunately, holidays like Memorial Day and funerals seem to be the only times that we really stop and think about the impact that someone had on our lives. These are the times that we remember, or better yet, celebrate their life and their lasting legacy on those that they touched.
“The greatest tragedy in life is wasted talent” (Robert DeNiro’s character in “A Bronx Tale”)He was a collegiate national champion, an All-American football player and the number-6 pick in the NFL.
He dragged his girlfriend down a flight of stairs before smashing her head into a mailbox, he repeatedly displayed a series of destructive behaviors and even killed a man.
He eventually committed suicide in January of 2016 in his prison cell.
He was Lawrence Phillips, one of the greatest collegiate running backs of all-time and one of the greatest tragedies of life.
It is too bad that he wasn’t the last troubled superstar we heard about.
“The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun.” (John D. Rockefeller)My brother and I can chat for 30 minutes on the phone and when I hang up, I can’t answer any questions from my wife about my brother’s family or what’s really going on in his life. But, boy can I tell you his opinion on Michigan football or the Detroit Tigers. [Read more…]
“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately your own responsibility.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
The decisions we make today goes a long way toward determining our future. Our choices lead to actions and actions lead to consequences. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad.
“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm” (Winston Churchill)If you are a college student then you’ve come across some tough final exams, papers, and other big assignments that will consume your life. You may think that the world is going to end if you don’t make a certain grade or accomplish a certain goal. Don’t stress! You’re not the only one in that position.