I just had the unique opportunity to watch the legendary Lou Holtz deliver an inspiring speech about “comebacks” to a crowd of 2,000 Realtors. Let me start by saying what an incredible presenter Lou is. Imagine this 80 something, 150 pound, 5 foot nothing man that has a speech impediment and you would think there is no way this guy could motivate anyone. I can tell you Lou was one of the best presenters I have seen in a long time. He didn’t use any notes, told great stories, incorporated some excellent humor and we all walked out inspired.
Some of the best take-aways were:
- Have a passion to win and be willing to make sacrifices along the way.
- Focus on the fundamentals of your business. If it’s fourth and inches, run the play you know will get you the first down so long as everyone on your team focuses on the basics of their position.
- Are you committed to excellence?
- Do you truly care about your customer?
- Always do right even if it means walking away from a commission.
- No excuses – live with your choices.
I now know why Lou Holtz is the only college football coach to lead six different programs to bowl games and guide four different programs to the final top 20 rankings.
As Lou would say “Play like a champion”!
