Mike Lane

Nick Saban walked up to the interview podium after practice one day. “Okay, y’all ready for a lecture?” he asked. What followed was a powerful lesson on entitlement and doing your best. Saban on the Importance of Nothing: “Let’s talk about the importance of nothing. You get up every day, you’re entitled to nothing. Nobody owes you nothing. “You have talent, but if you don’t have discipline, you don’t execute, you don’t focus, what do you get? Nothing. “If you’re complacent and not paying attention to detail, what does that get you? Nothing. “So, nothing is acceptable but your best. “Everything is determined by what you do and trying to be your best. There should be nothing else but that, for everybody. “That’s what we need to stay focused on. We need to not accept anything but our best in terms of what we’re doing in preparation.” – It’s a simple, but profound message. Some key takeaways: 1. Entitlement is a disease. It stunts growth and erodes culture. 2. Success has a one-day life cycle. Yesterday doesn’t dictate today. 3. Nobody is owed anything. When your feet hit the floor in the morning, it’s on you. 4. Talent matters, but it’s far from all that matters. 5. The actions you take drive success. Talent only amplifies those actions. 6. Even the best can’t afford complacency. There are competitors trying to defeat you every day. 7. If you’re entitled, the biggest competitor is yourself. 8. If you’re owed nothing, that means nobody else is either. Therein is your opportunity. 9. You can have the best strategy, the best business model, the best talent and … none of it matters if you don’t execute. 10. There are no guarantees. Relish the unknown. ||| Hope this is helpful. Follow me @TMitrosilis for more writing. I also write a weekly newsletter on the process of improvement → theprocess.news/subscribe