Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.
Today’s guest on the “Leaders Growing Leaders” series is Mark DeMichael, the VP of Student Life and Athletics at Indiana Wesleyan University.
During the “Leaders Growing Leaders” series on the Success is a Choice Podcast Network, Jamy Bechler talks with leaders on how they are growing and developing other leaders.
The series tries to examine how various leaders are making the people around them better and building a stronger, healthier culture.
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Bret Burchard is the co-founder of the mindset development company ChampionShift and co-author of “Catching Confetti: Developing the Mindset of a Champion.” He helps athletes and coaches tap into mental states to improve their confidence and resilience. He coached in the NBA for 10 seasons, all with the Phoenix Suns, most recently as the head coach of their minor league affiliate.
Click here for Bret’s Wikipedia page.
Greg Tonagel is the head men’s basketball coach at Indiana Wesleyan University. Tonagel and the Wildcats have won three NAIA Division II National Championships in a five year spans with titles in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Since Tonagel took over the program in 2005, he has become the winningest coach in program history both in total wins and winning percentage. Prior to coming to IWU, Tonagel served as Director of Basketball Operations at Valparaiso University, where he also played for legendary Homer Drew and appeared in four NCAA Tournaments as the starting point guard. He also led his LaPorte High School team to the last single class state finals in 1997. Much of the unprecedented success of the Wildcats can be attributed to the culture Tonagel built at IWU. The IWU culture is built around two Biblically transforming principles; I am Third and Fearless. This has helped the influence of IWU basketball to extend far beyond the court. Tonagel and his staff have been committed to using basketball as a platform for discipleship.
“Don’t tell them what you’re going to do – that’s vision. Do what you’re going to do – that’s culture. Culture eats vision for lunch”. (John C. Maxwell)
When I first heard this, I wrote it down and thought that it sounded good. However, the more I thought about that statement the more I started to see the truth of it.
We need both a strong culture and a positive vision to reach our fullest potential. If I have to choose, however, I will take a strong culture any day of the week over a clear vision. Even the clearest vision may not be realized if the culture is poor and weighing you down.