"The Art of Winning" is destined to become a coaching classic.
Bill Belichick is a polarizing person. Many people admire his success and reject his personality and methods. From a coaching perspective, "ignore the noise."
Cognitive dissonance means being conflicted about two ideas at the same time. Win at all costs means "winning even if by cheating." Most of us would find bribing officials or intentionally injuring other competitors unacceptable.
Bill Belichick's "Art of Winning" prescribes a lot of ideas that lead to winning. I haven't read enough to know whether and to what degree he discusses "over the line" behavior.
Here are a few quotes from his well-written book, lightly annotated.
Believe in the saying, "make the big time wherever you are." That's part of being a professional whether coaching Biddy Ball or the big time.
Have a vision for our teams and share that with them and the surrounding community (starting with family).
Celebrity may be a product of success. Celebrity in itself doesn't equate to success.
We become the product of our habits. The sum of our habits becomes our process. Good process won't guarantee championships. Poor habits guarantee a lack of success.
Belichick knew that Super Bowls aren't the same as other games because of the magnitude of the stakes and the distractions. He describes operating the "Belichick Travel Agency" for 48 hours after earning a Super Bowl berth. He knew that winning meant "business trips" not vacations.
Winning isn't a sin. Sacrificing young kids on the altar of victory can be.
Lagniappe. Leadership requires more than surrounding ourselves with "Yes" guys.
Lagniappe.
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"Whether you are starting or sitting on the bench, your team is YOUR team.
— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) April 4, 2025
It's 'we' and 'ours' not 'they', 'them', or 'their'.
Win or lose, playing or sitting, you are responsible for being a good teammate, positive leader, energy giver, and verbal encourager"… pic.twitter.com/fIsrdZCDx8