Jamy Bechler

Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.

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Mar 02 2022

Hole in the Sidewalk

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we really are, far more than our abilities.” (J.K. Rowling in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)

This week, I was reminded of a short little story by Portia Nelson entitled There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk: Autobiography in Five Chapters.

Click here to listen to the 2-minute version of this article on the “Success is a Choice” podcast network.

[Read more…]

Written by Jamy Bechler · Categorized: Leadership, Personal Growth, Podcast Episodes · Tagged: Books, Choices, decision making, decisions, favorite books, Habits, Hole in the Sidewalk, John C. Maxwell, John Wooden, Maya Angelou, Personal Responsibility, Portia Nelson, Responsibility, Success is a Choice, take responsibility

Mar 28 2020

100 Favorite Books

“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” (Mark Twain)

I love to read but it wasn’t always that way. We were made to read in 1st grade and I hated it. However, all that changed in 2nd grade.

[Read more…]

Written by Jamy Bechler · Categorized: Leadership, Personal Growth, Sports · Tagged: Amazon, Books, Jamy Bechler, Jon Gordon, kindle, Larry Winget, Leaders are Readers, Mark Twain, Micheal Burt, Patrick Lencioni, Readers are Leaders, reading, tablet, The Bus Trip, The Leadership Playbook, Todd Gongwer

Mar 15 2020

BORED Yet?

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” (Albert Einstein)

You’ve stocked up on more toilet paper than one person should own at one time.

You’re starting to wonder if your hands will ever smell like something other than hand sanitizer.

You’re binge-watching shows you would never be caught dead admitting to viewing.

You’re watching all of ESPN’s 30 for 30’s again.

Sound familiar?

BORED yet?

[Read more…]

Written by Jamy Bechler · Categorized: Leadership, Teams & Organizations · Tagged: Books, bored, Coaching, Communicating, Communication, connecting, Coronavirus, Culture, Dan Tudor, Evaluation, Growth, Leadership, recruiting, Skinny mirror, Student-Athletes, Students

Jan 05 2020

20 Books to Read in 2020

I once read 30 books in an entire summer, including 10 John Grisham novels. Reading is something that I enjoy doing. I am a paperback kind of guy as I will dog-ear pages, highlight passages, and make notes in the margins. My wife, on the other hand, only reads Kindle books or listens to audio books. 

Whatever your preference, it is important that you read. Readers are leaders. As Dr. Seuss said, “The more that you read, the more things that you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

What follows is my recommended list of books in various categories that were published during the last two years. I have previously made recommended book lists of “19 Books to Read in 2019”, “18 Books to Read in 2018”, “15 Best Books for Coaches”, “15 Best Books for Leaders”, and “7 Underrated Books for Leaders”.

[Read more…]

Written by Jamy Bechler · Categorized: Personal Growth · Tagged: Adam Levitan, alan Stein Jr., Audible, Books, books to read, Dr. Seuss, Heather Macy, jason romano, John Brubaker, John Maxwell, Jon Gordon, julian edelman, Kevin Eastman, Mark Fauser, Pat Williams, Success is a choice podcast, The Bus Trip, Tony Dungy, travis daugherty

Jan 29 2018

7 Underrated Books All Leaders Should Read

“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.

[Read more…]

Written by Jamy Bechler · Categorized: Leadership, Personal Growth · Tagged: Benjamin Foo, Books, Growth, Jeff Janssen, John Maxwell, Jon Acuff, Kevin Templeton, Leadership, Micheal Burt, Patrick Lencioni, Readers are Leaders, reading, Stephanie Zonars

Jan 28 2018

Episode 062: Todd Gongwer, Author of “LEAD…for God’s Sake”

Todd Gongwer is the best-selling author of “LEAD…for God’s Sake. The book has been called a “game changer” by national championship football coach Urban Meyer. It has been credited with having a huge impact on Coach Meyer’s decision to come out of the broadcast booth and take over the reigns of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Todd is first and foremost, a husband and father. His expertise in leadership and cultural dynamics comes from a broad range of experiences in the world of business and athletics, spanning over 25 years. He has held numerous executive positions in companies ranging from entrepreneurial start-up to public entity, while also serving as an assistant college basketball coach for over a decade.

Following the successful launch of the Need to LEAD program, a systematic approach to shaping team culture, Todd wrote LEAD…for God’s Sake, A parable for finding the heart of leadership. As the popularity of the book grew, stories of its powerful impact surfaced in such noted publications as ESPN Magazine, Yahoo Sports, ESPN.com and Forbes.com. Testimonies from high profile coaches, business leaders, and educators from around the country continued to stream in, affording Todd the opportunity to work directly with some of the most successful leaders, teams and organizations in America.

Today, when Todd isn’t coaching his own children, he travels throughout the country speaking, teaching, and coaching on the topics of leadership, purpose and cultural dynamics. He lives in Indiana with his wife Traci and their three children; Kaden, Kira, and their newest arrival from Haiti, Wadson.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • Writing a best-selling novel
  • Working with Urban Meyer and other famous coaches
  • Leadership and culture in organizations

[Read more…]

Written by Jamy Bechler · Categorized: Podcast Episodes · Tagged: Books, Champions of Character, Culture, Daniel Goldman, Darrin Gray, jason romano, John C. Maxwell, John Maxwell, Lead for God's Sake, Leadership, NAIA, Ohio State University, Patrick Lencioni, Peter Drucker, Todd Blackledge, Urban Meyer, Viktor Frankl, Warren Bennis

Jan 19 2018

Episode 057: Motivational Speaker Tony Gaskins, Jr.

Tony Gaskins Jr. is a motivational speaker, author, and life coach who has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show.  Tony built his brand from scratch to where he now has more than 1 million followers on social media. At 22, he became an author. At 23, he became a husband and father. At 25, he started his first company, Soul Writers LLC. At 25, he also got himself on globally televised shows to tell a portion of his story. Tony decided to turn his pain into purpose and live a life of service. Raised in the church and being the son of a pastor, there was something about service that stuck with Tony.

 

Tony made his fair share of mistakes like most young men from areas like where he grew up. Many of his childhood friends are serving life sentences in prison. Although Tony was introduced to the street life between the ages of 18–23, he finally found his way. At 23, he allowed love to change his life. His wife was unwilling to be with a man who wouldn’t live up to his full potential. That tough love pushed Tony to be more and to do more.

By combining all of his passions Tony became an author, life coach, and speaker.  In 2015 Tony began working with an NBA team as the team life coach.   Tony also became the life coach for several college teams. His message comes from his mess. He believes that we all are coaches because we’ve all learned lessons that can help someone else. Operating in his gifts also took him around the world as a highly sought- after speaker. Tony has spoken in two other continents and over 10 different countries and counting. Tony was able to accomplish these feats by the tender age of 31.

He doesn’t believe in boxes. “Don’t put me in a box until I’m going in the ground,” he says. He covers a wide range of topics in the areas of life, love, and business. He’s written several books on those subjects with his latest work being The Dream Chaser published by Wiley and available everywhere books are sold.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • His appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show
  • How his background helped shape who he is now
  • Writing books to help people
  • Working with and connecting with NBA players 

[Read more…]

Written by Jamy Bechler · Categorized: Podcast Episodes · Tagged: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Books, College Football, Damian Lillard, Dave Ramsey, Financial Peace, jason romano, Keith Lipscomb, Leadership, marriage, Motivational Speaker, NBA, NCAA, Oprah Winfrey, Relationships, Stephen Covey, Tony Gaskins, Zig Ziglar

Jan 19 2018

Episode 056: Jeff Brown, Host of Read to Lead Podcast

Jeff Brown is the host of the highly-acclaimed “Read to Lead” podcast. Before beginning Read to Lead, he spent 26-years in radio. Jeff even co-hosted an award-winning and nationally syndicated morning show from 2002 to 2008.

The Read to Lead Podcast began in 2013. Since then I’ve been fortunate to interview a number of New York Times bestselling authors including John Maxwell, Seth Godin, Dan Miller, Daniel Pink, Simon Sinek, Chris Brogan (not once but twice), Gary Vaynerchuk and Liz Wiseman among others.

The Read to Lead Podcast has been a top #10 Business and top #3 Career podcast in iTunes, is an iTunes Essentials podcast (Book Lovers), and has twice been nominated Best Business Podcast. Read to Lead has been featured in Entrepreneur, Inc., SethGodin.com, ChrisBrogan.com, Goins Writer, Social Media Explorer, Nashville Business Journal, the Tennessean, and more.

Jeff also helps mentor and teach people how to host their own shows. Since January 2014, Jeff has leveraged his radio background to coach numerous podcasters, helping dozens create, launch, grow and monetize their shows. People like Brendan Hufford, Liz Covart, Harry Duran, Darrell Darnell, Ben Castleberry and Nicole Welch have all been clients. He has even had the opportunity to consult with the US government and several multi-million dollar companies the last few years.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • His early career as a radio DJ
  • How he got started in podcasting
  • Who is on Jeff’s bucket list of guests
  • Some of his memorable guests like Alan Alda, John Maxwell, and Seth Godin
  • Advice for people who might want to start their own podcast

[Read more…]

Written by Jamy Bechler · Categorized: Podcast Episodes · Tagged: Aaron Walker, Alan Alda, Books, dan miller, gary vaynerchuk, gary vee, Grant Baldwin, Grant Cardone, Itunes, Jeff Brown, John C. Maxwell, John Maxwell, Jon Acuff, Jonathan Milligan, Leadership, Lolly Daskal, Michael Hyatt, Nashville, Podcasting, ray edwards, Read to Lead, reading, Seth Godin, Simon Sinek

Jan 12 2018

Episode 053: Cory Dobbs, The Academy of Sports Leadership

Dr. Cory Dobbs is the Founder & President of The Academy for Sport Leadership. A former basketball coach, Cory’s coaching background includes experience at the NCAA DII, NJCAA, and high school levels of competition. Cory has worked with collegiate athletic programs and high schools teaching leadership and team building as a part of the sports experience and education process. Cory is an accomplished researcher of human experience–a relentless investigator of team building and leadership behavior.  A skilled researcher, Cory actively engages the process of naturalistic inquiry seeking in-depth understanding of social phenomena such as leadership and team building in their natural setting.  A “teamologist,” Dr. Dobbs is an author, speaker, teacher, trainer and a consultant. Cory has been a recognized educator teaching at institutions such as Northern Arizona University, Ohio University, and Grand Canyon University.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • Ways coaches can better develop their team leadership
  • How parents can help their child be a better leader
  • Why we need a leader in every locker room
  • What his thoughts on captains are

[Read more…]

Written by Jamy Bechler · Categorized: Podcast Episodes · Tagged: Academy for Sports Leadership, Alan Stein, Books, Brian Robertson, Cal Newport, captains, Cory Dobbs, Itunes, Leaders, Leadership, Malcolm Gladwell, Michael Lewis, podcasts

Jan 04 2018

18 for ’18: 18 Books To Read In 2018

“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)
“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” (Margaret Fuller)

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.

[Read more…]

Written by Jamy Bechler · Categorized: Leadership, Personal Growth · Tagged: Adam Grant, Amy morin, Arianna Huffington, Books, books to read, Coach Burt, Coach wooden, condoleezza Rice, Culture of Good, Extreme Ownership, Frances Hesselbein, gary vaynerchuk, intentional living, Jocko Wilink, John C. Maxwell, John Wooden, Jon Gordon, kareem abdul-jabbar, Kelly Roach, Lolly Daskal, Mel Robbins, Micheal Burt, Pat Summitt, Positive leadership, ryan mccarty, Sheryl Sandberg, Success is a choice podcast, The Huffington Post, The Leadership Gap, The Leadership Playbook, Tim Ferris, Viktor Frankl

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