University of Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart is in the process of building a potential dynasty here in my home state. However, each year one or two of our top athletes always chooses to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes. If you want to know why these talented individuals head north, look no further than the team’s legendary head coach Urban Meyer.
Recently, Coach Meyer was interviewed for The School Of Greatness by Lewis Howes which you can see in the video above. Much of the conversation centered around Coach Meyer’s wonderful book Above The Line: Lessons In Leadership And Life From A Championship Program. I cannot recommend it enough. If you don’t have a copy, pick one up today HERE. You will not be disappointed.
In addition to building an enduring program, Coach Meyer also has an enduring faith rooted in Jesus Christ which shows through his love of God, family, and his players. I would be honored to have a son play for this incredible coach.
The following are 40 Quotes On Faith And Leadership From Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer captured from the interview above:
Faith
- “Non-negotiable is I start my day with a Bible study that Tim Kite puts on that I have to do that.”
- “We’ll go through the book of Galatians and I have to get that 30-to-40 minutes of that in my time. I have to or I’m sick about it.”
- “I’ve tried to be good about that but not like I am now. Non-negotiable.”
- “6:00… Have to do it.” – When asked if there is a time for this.
- “I’ll miss once in awhile but I make it up throughout the day… I don’t miss.”
- “I’ll feel empty without it.”
- “There’s times you got to get your mind right.”
- “As long as you live the disciplined life you can still have a lot of fun in your life.”
- “I don’t know if I’ve ever met a person without great dreams… God’s created us to have great dreams… Some are little more serious about achieving them.”
- “My dream right now is I want to be the best possible grandfather and really support my family. But my professional dream is I want to see this room of 120 people have 100% effective rate of having a job offer when they’re done.”
- “God has a plan for us.”
- “There is a God and we’re created by a great God.”
- “Family is everything and that is at all costs. You protect your family at all costs.”
- “Greatness is maximizing the gifts that were given to you… Greatness is maximum capacity.”
Leadership
- “You’ve been given the responsibility to coach 120 guys, over the next 40 years are going to dependent on what happens the next two or three.”
- “We’ve always had the number of captains based upon the number of leaders we have.”
- “My definition of leadership used to be set a standard and demand everyone live up to the standard. And you start thinking how shallow. That has nothing to do with leadership.”
- “The job of a leader is absolutely first and foremost to earn trust. You can only push and lead a person as far as they can trust you.”
- “We earned their trust because they knew we cared deeply about them.”
- “The first part is to earn trust and then with extreme clarity, set expectations and inspire and equip people to fulfill those expectations. But before you can do anything, you have to earn trust. That’s where I think a lot of leaders fail.”
- “Sometimes it takes years to earn trust.”
- “They’re talking about locker rooms. They’re talking about jersey numbers. They’re talking about music. I don’t care about any of that. I care about what are you going to do for my kid.” – when his daughter was being recruited to play volleyball.
- “We’re looking at what they want to do after football. This football thing is going to come to an end… It’s going to end for everyone.” – Meyer on his recruiting philosophy.
- “When you’re at a Bowling Green, a Utah, a smaller school, the premium is place on evaluation (of recruits) as much as anything. Evaluation and projection.”
- “Do your habits reflect your dreams and goals? If it’s not change. That’s too easy. I changed that quote for my son. If your habits don’t reflect your dreams and goals, change your habits or change your dreams and goals. Don’t lie to yourself.”
- “Any group of people, and you take away their hope and you take away their opportunity, it’s combustable. It’ll blow up.”
- “It’s our job to make sure there’s hope and opportunity for everyone who comes through this university.”
- “A fierce competitor refuses to lose. When they keep score we’re going to try to win.”
- “I don’t buy that losing builds character. I don’t. Losing teaches gets you that you get that feeling we all have you don’t want to lose”
- “Just because you lose you shouldn’t be tagged as a loser. If you accept losing, then you’re a loser.”
- “You’re going to get knocked down but a competitor gets back up and figures out a way to win it next time.”
- “The euphoria of winning isn’t saying, ‘I won.’ The euphoria of winning is to hug your teammate and say, ‘We have found a way to accomplish something.'”
- “We’re not a big goal team.”
- “It’s a 9 Strong. I want to maximize every unit on our team… What’s our goal every year? That’s to be 9 Strong… It’s small unit cohesion. Every unit performs at their maximum capacity.”
- “If you’re performing at maximum capacity, you’re probably not going to lose.”
- “It’s not about you. That’s why I love team sports.”
- “Get up. Football and sports teach you you’re going to get hit. Get up. Team sports, rarely have to get up by yourself. There’s always a hand to help you get back up… Tell me a better place that teaches that than football.”
- “It’s hard not to fall back into that win at all cost mentality.”
- “Team is stronger than me. If you get the right group of people, tell me what you can’t accomplish. If you get the right group of people in the right setting, you can move mountains.”
- “E + R = O. Events + Response = Outcome.”
What is one lesson you learned from Coach Meyer which will make you a better leader?
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