LOU HOLTZ: SETTING A HIGHER STANDARD

Lou Holtz knows one thing -- how to win. He showed at at North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina. At all these program he took over an enormous challenge and has them in a bowl game by the second year. Each school had different challenges but for Coach Holtz it was simple to utilize his same formula. That is one on how changing your attitude can improve your team and your game. Here is a list of three key ingredients that Coach Holtz shared in the magazine "Get Motivated."

A Winning Attitude

I think attitude is the most important thin in this world. Attitude is something you control. You were given a lot of wonderful powers. You have the power to think, to love, to create, to imagine, to plan. The greatest power you have id the power to choose. Wherever you are today, you’re there because you chose to be there.

A Positive Self-Image

We need to have a faith and a belief in what we are doing. You cannot be a parent, a manager, a leader, a teacher or a coach and be effective if you don’t have a good self-image. Do what’s right and avoid what’s wrong. It’s that simple. Sometimes we blame everybody and everything around us to the point where it gets ridiculous. We have to remember that we are in charge of our own lives by the choices we make.

Set a Higher Standard

Whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability. The higher you set the standard for yourself, the higher the self-image. The worst disservice we can do as a coach, as a parent, as a leader, is to say to those around us, “I don’t think you are capable of doing very much-so, I’m going to lower the standard. There are only two types of leaders: those who believe in themselves and lift others up and those with a poor self-image who pull everybody down.