The value of rigorous yet mindful practice
Read moreThe tale of actor Yul Brynner, which I began telling last time, really does warrant some further development. Much of what I know about Mr Brynner was communicated to me some years ago by another former New York client, a man whose boss had been a personal friend—and a huge fan—of the actor. Brynner’s uncommon life journey by itself is
The essential difference between practice and performance
Read moreOn a recent business trip to New York, I took some time to check in with a former client who has become a friend. For purposes of confidentiality, I will refer to him as “Michael”. These days, Michael is an accomplished entrepreneur who has started several businesses, and advised numerous others, during the past 10 years. Before venturing out on
Why mastering the tiny details matters
Read moreJudging by the messages I have received during the past few weeks, a fair number of readers are noticing that I have taken a bit of a break from writing this blog. Some even commented that they appreciated my writing and hoped that I would get back to doing it again soon. Of course, that is always nice to hear.
Socks, shoes, and identity stories
Read moreThe previous post ended with a somewhat obvious observation concerning a legendary anecdote about UCLA’s first day of basketball practice under the renowned coach John Wooden. Each year, on that first day, Wooden talked only about footwear, and not at all about basketball. As I said last time, though, the coach’s demonstration of how players should pull on their socks and
A tale of socks and shoes
Read moreWhen I wrote last time about sports coaches who focus relentlessly on the fundamentals of their craft, it reminded me of an amusing and revealing anecdote about legendary basketball coach John Wooden. In the United States, Wooden is one of the most revered sports personalities of all time, as well as one of his game’s most decorated coaches. His teams
Moving forward by going back to basics
Read moreWhen I graduated from college at age 22, I took a job teaching in a private secondary school. Among my functions there was coaching in the basketball program. During my third year at the school, I was named head basketball coach. In the subsequent three years, I was fortunate to have a number of opportunities to attend the practice sessions