During one of the worst losing streaks of my career, our team president walked into my office.
— Clint Hurdle (@ClintHurdle13) March 24, 2026
Keli McGregor. One of the best men I've ever known.
He could have come to vent. To question my decisions. To ask hard questions.
Instead, he said: "Cut to the chase, Clint. What's… pic.twitter.com/c0gWNcRGTj
Good leaders don't add weight. They subtract.
Disappointment is inevitable
Consider a few quotes:
"If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging." - Will Rogers
Clint Hurdle reminds us not to take the "bad day at the office" home. Don't allow misery to recruit teammates at home or work.
Develop Your System
- Reality (where I am)
- Reset (plan)
- Rebuilding (action)
Reality - Overcoming disappointment
Write a narrative of persistence and recovery after loss. Expressions like "love your losses" and "lessons not losses" are a small part of redirection after setbacks. Arm yourself with a portfolio of recovery stories:
- Michael Jordan famously got cut from his high school team.
- "Overnight success" is a myth. Coach John Wooden won his first national championship at UCLA in his 16th season.
- Dean Smith at Carolina, found himself hung in effigy upon returning from a bad road loss. "I never felt like a loser."
Reset our mindset
Coaches and players need "ego strength" to recover from disappointment. Create a narrative of belief and patience within your life. Mindset matters to allow persistence to continue doing the work. That doesn't mean "false belief" of invincibility.
"What's the biggest difference between the athletes who WIN vs the ones that don't?"
— Trey Hannam (@TJHannam10) March 23, 2026
Answer: They have a WINNING story running in their head, all the time
- Too good not to share, sending to all my hitters (repeatedly) pic.twitter.com/OVNZiSZnFQ
If our plan isn't working, ask what would it take to shape the skills, knowledge, physicality and psychology to become our best.
I call that the "Asymptote of Excellence" (chart created by ChatGPT plus). The asymptote of excellence is our ceiling of achievement.
Rebuild
1. Devise our plan (THINK).
2. Write it our (writing makes it real).
3. Do the work (develop the habit).
4. Monitor its effects (reassess).
5. Adjust the plan.
Give ourselves a chance to reach our ceiling or break through it.
Lagniappe. Where are our weaknesses? Brief self-test.