Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.
“Do or do not…there is no try” said the Jedi Master, Yoda, to the young Luke Skywalker. I was a youngster when The Empire Strikes Back was in theaters. I loved that line then and I love it today. It can be used in a variety of settings. However, as I have been thinking about leadership the last few weeks, it has become apparent that some of us get stagnant and don’t really commit to growth as leaders. We say we’ll try, but we don’t really.
“No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you’ve come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself.” (Madonna)
Unless you landed on earth in an UFO and hail from an alien planet, you have some issues that need solving. Let’s face it . . . we all have problems. We all are faced with hundreds of choices per day.
Whether you are part of a team, business or family, you can improve your locker room, board room or living room. 
(Originally written on July 1, 2016)July is here. That means one month left until the start of official practices for many athletes. How will you spend this month? Will you be prepared when October and November asks you to pay up for what you did in June and July?
Bobby Knight used to say “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail”.
“The education of a man is never complete until he dies.” (Robert E. Lee)
I’m an avid reader of motivational, success and leadership books. I have written about some of the best leadership books and coaching books that I have read.
Each summer, I try to knock out a few new ones. This upcoming summer, I plan on reading the following 16 books to further develop my thinking.
It seems that every high school and college student-athlete is using some form of social media almost constantly. With the advent of smart phones, it is easier now than ever before to communicate and share opinions and thoughts. With this greater opportunity comes a greater responsibility to be wise.
I heard an interview with MVP Steph Curry the other night after Game 6 of the NBA Finals, in which he made a comment that got me thinking about my pre-maritial counseling.
Wait, what?!?
You mean it’s not natural to associate Steph Curry getting ejected and throwing mouth-pieces with pre-maritial counseling?
(Originally posted on May 9, 2016)
Five years ago I was inspired by Mike Neighbors, an assistant coach at Xavier University, to begin a newsletter on leadership entitled THE ENCOURAGING LEADER. Neighbors was doing a newsletter for basketball coaches and I really enjoyed it.
(originally posted on March 1, 2016)
March is finally here. If you are a basketball fan like I am, you are excited because it is MARCH MADNESS. We’ll soon be filling out our brackets. There will be 68 top-notch teams in the NCAA basketball tournament. I heard an announcer on ESPN say that this year’s tournament might be the most even tournament in NCAA history. Half of the field has a shot at winning the whole thing.
Talent alone will not set these teams apart. There are so many teams that have fairly equal talent. Just like our team that has started their quest for an 8th high school state championship. We are talented but so are other teams.
What is going to take us from talented to good? What is going to give us an advantage over other talented teams? What differentiates us from the competition? Successful people do things differently. Here are a couple of ways that we can gain a winning edge: