"The Main Thing"

David Cottrell's Monday Morning Leadership left me with two critical core concepts:

1. "The Main Thing is the Main Thing"
2. "People don't quit jobs, they quit people." 

If an organization, class, or team doesn't know what the Main Thing is, then they cannot possibly execute the strategy or game plan. For everyone to KNOW, to be "on the same page" demands leadership with attention to detail, clarity, and purpose to make everyone better. 

When leadership fails because of arrogance (connection), indifference (character), inability or inexperience (competence) then people have little to choice except to walk or await new leadership as old leaders are replaced. 

In business, markers for a failing organization include inconsistent or shifting product or service lines, excessive debt, and frequent replacement of the chief financial officer. Those dimensions reflect a lack of market leadership, cash flow issues, and poor financial management. In athletic programs, the easy metrics to follow are athlete participation and declining attendance as players and fans vote with their feet. 

We coaches help players achieve their Main Thing, success. Do you want to excel? There's no slogan that can make us care. In Above the Line, Urban Meyer writes, "if your habits don't reflect your dreams and goals, you can either change your habits or change your dreams and goals." Success demands that we shift the work ethic curve of the entire program. 

Shifting the curve. 

Whatever our 'Main Thing', we need to hammer it home. We have to engage and inspire consistently. Establish your priorities...family, school, basketball. Emphasize how we can "get great shots" and allow "no easy shots". Translating our program into daily improvement for sustainable competitive advantage. Our ability to connect with people links the "Main Thing" to the buy-in.