141 Famous Quotes On Leadership By Coaches (2023)

1. “The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” – Jim Rohn, entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker

2. “In 1998, K. C. Jones, then coach of the Boston Celtics, mentioned to a CBS Sports interviewer, “I give the players a lot of leeway on the court, so they can use their imagination and creativity.” “Doesn’t that cause problems?” the interviewer asked. “No,” responded Jones. “We’ve been in the championship four of the past five years, and won it twice.” Jones’ approach to coaching illustrates a central truth about creativity: it requires autonomy.”

3. “The more we give of ourselves to see others succeed, the greater our value to the group and the more respect they offer us. The more respect and recognition we receive, the higher our status in the group and the more incentive we have to continue to give to the group. At least that’s how it’s supposed to work. Whether we are a boss, coach or parent, serotonin is working to encourage us to serve those for whom we are directly responsible. And if we are the employee, player or the one being looked after, the serotonin encourages us to work hard to make them proud.”

4. “People thrive on positive reinforcement. They can take only a certain amount of criticism and you may lose them altogether if you criticize them in a personal way… you can make a point without being personal. Don’t insult or belittle your people. Instead of getting more out of them you will get less.” ― Bill Walsh

5. Self-esteem is a huge piece of my work. You have to believe it's possible and believe in yourself. Because after you've decided what you want, you have to believe it's possible, and possible for you, not just for other people. Then you need to seek out models, mentors, and coaches. - Jack Canfield.

6. And so God created dads so that there would forever be bedtime-story-readers and cover-tuckers, shoulder-carriers at parades and star-pointers on clear nights, bike-riding coaches and driving instructors, love-providers and proud protectors. And He saw that it was good. —Melvina Young

7. “Even though we can indeed raise our status with material goods, the feeling doesn’t last. There is no social relationship associated with that burst of serotonin. Again, the selfless chemicals are trying to help us strengthen our communities and social bonds. To find a lasting sense of pride, there must be a mentor/parent/boss/coach/leader relationship to back it up.”

8. In my estimation; which by the way comes from 32 years of training and over 20 years of hands-on coaching, 99% of the weight trainees of the world have 'real lives'. By 'real lives' I mean they have real life responsibilities / loves such as family, career, academic, spiritual, and social to name a few. The flip side of this is that most of the training information that these 99% use, comes from trainees who don't have real lives - their only responsibility (or choice thereof) is to train, eat, sleep, and more than likely take steroids. Even some of the rare well-intentioned writers gleam most of their training info from these trainees. These programs or even toned-down derivatives of these programs will not work (or work very well) for you. Be honest. If you have been trying to make a program work for you that is based on the information derived from the 1% - is it really getting you to where you want to be? I know it isn't. - John Christy

9. “It is like when a player has a slump, we do not trade them, we coach them. It is the same with our employees. The best leaders come to the aid of their people, whose performance is down. Not come down harder on them.” – Simon Sinek

10. “Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all-time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.” ― Vince Lombardi

11. “Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen.” ~ Pete Carroll

12. “I never cease to be amazed at the power of the coaching process to draw out the skills or talent that was previously hidden within an individual, and which invariably finds a way to solve a problem previously thought unsolvable.” ~ John Russell

13. “Excellence happens when you try, each day, to both do and be a little better than you were yesterday.” – Pat Riley Tweet: Excellence happens when you try, each day, to both do and be a little better than you were yesterday. - Pat Riley

14. “Coaches and the people they coach know that for the future to be different, we need to change the way we do things in the present…. More often, changes involve shifts in attitudes, thinking, perceptions, and behavior.” Gary Collins

15. “...and from here I realized, with the deepest sense of my being, that we can erect and dismantle the great walls of the world, but we will only truly survive as a species when we dedicate ourselves to removing the walls from within.” 

16. “One of the most exciting things about coaching is the buzz you get when you push out of your comfort zone, come up with a plan and put it into action! Life takes on a whole new meaning as you re-create your life the way you want it.” - Emma-Louise Elsey

17. “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” – Vince Lombardi, head coach of the Green Bay Packers (1959-1967)

18. “People want to believe you are sincerely interested in them as a person, not just what they can do for you.” – John Wooden Tweet: People want to believe you are sincerely interested in them as a person, not just what they can do for you. - John Wooden

19. “Automobiles have always been part of my life, and I’m sure they always will be. What is it about them that moves me? The sound of a great engine, the unity and uniqueness of an automobile’s engineering and coachwork, the history of the company and the car, and, of course, the sheer beauty of the thing.” – Edward Herrmann

20. “Healthy organizations believe that performance management is almost exclusively about eliminating confusion. They realize that most of their employees want to succeed, and that the best way to allow them to do that is to give them clear direction, regular information about how they’re doing, and access to the coaching they need.”

21. “As a leader, how do you get the most out of people? Give your most to them. People notice giving and taking. Leaders give!” – Kevin Eastman Tweet: As a leader, how do you get the most out of people? Give your most to them. People notice giving and taking. Leaders give! - Kevin Eastman

22. “I think one of the neatest things about being a coach is the connection you get to make with your players. That’s a loss that hits me a lot harder and is gonna stay with me a lot longer than anything that happens while playing a game on a patch of grass.” – Ted Lasso

23. “Now for the interesting question: If you completely ignored your goals and focused only on your system, would you still succeed? For example, if you were a basketball coach and you ignored your goal to win a championship and focused only on what your team does at practice each day, would you still get results? I think you would.”

24. “People thrive on positive reinforcement. They can take only a certain amount of criticism and you may lose them altogether if you criticize them in a personal way… you can make a point without being personal. Don’t insult or belittle your people. Instead of getting more out of them you will get less.” ― Bill Walsh

25. “When you’re a coach or athlete and you win a championship, you realize that the championship was really a work-in-progress. What you went through during the pre-season, in the regular-season and then during the post-season enabled you to win a title. I treated the stages of my cancer treatment as the phases of a championship season, and it kept me on track to accomplishing my ultimate goal.” – Joe Marelle

26. “There are five fundamental qualities that make every team great: communication, trust, collective responsibility, caring and pride. I like to think of each as a separate finger on the fist. Any one individually is important. But all of them together are unbeatable.”

27. “When it comes to getting the best out of life – whether in your own life or from your team, there is no doubt that good coaching can play a pivotal role. Getting it right is about learning how to motivate yourself and others in a way that works. It means listening to yourself and others rather than just speaking at them. The good coach knows that they may not have all the answers.” ~ Steve Gold

28. “Without access to mentors and organization sponsors who can provide much-needed advice, coaching, and counsel, many of us are not prepared for the real game that is being played. It is as if we are trying to play soccer on a baseball diamond.”

29. “I believe that wherever there is mastery coaching is occurring, and whenever coaching is done, mastery will be the outcome.” – Andrea Lee Tweet: I believe that wherever there is mastery coaching is occurring, and whenever coaching is done, mastery will be the outcome. – Andrea Lee

30. “If I hadn’t had mentors, I wouldn’t be here today. I’m a product of great mentoring, great coaching. Coaches or mentors are very important. They could be anyone–your husband, other family members, or your boss.” - Indra Nooyl

31. “Teamwork is really a form of trust It’s what happens when you surrender the mistaken idea that you can go it alone and realize that you won’t achieve your individual goals without the support of your colleagues ” – Pat Summit, American basketball coach

32. “Starting a business is similar to an athletic endeavor, like serving a tennis ball. Telling you how to do it is useless. You actually get better through a combination of practice, coaching, and repetitions with money on the line.” ― Andrew Yang

33. “What you get out of your leadership is based on what you ask for—both from yourself and from others. Set your standards high. The more you want out of your leadership, the more you have to be willing to ask for (and work for!) along the way.” 

34. “As a human that has a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, and a mental health advocate and educator, one quote I say a LOT both to myself and when I am teaching is: ‘Feelings aren’t facts but feelings do have power.’ In other words, when I am feeling really down or when my depression kicks in, I have to remind myself that the feelings that I am feeling—no, I can’t build a house with them, they are ‘just feelings.’ BUT, if I don’t listen to them, if I don’t take care of myself, then I am giving that feeling a TON of power that it does not deserve.” – Archie Messersmith-Bunting, M.S., MHFA, mental wellness coach

35. “Our employees are our number one asset, period,” Kevin Stickles, Wegman’s vice president for human resources, said in The Atlantic. “The first question you ask is: ‘Is this the best thing for the employee?’ That’s a totally different model.” 

36. “I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” – Henry David Thoreau

37. “There’s so much disruption, there’s so much technology and there’s so many new industries that leaders know very little with certainty,” Jim Citrin said. “The ability to learn and take in new information, and actually apply it in smart ways, is a core capability of great CEOs today.”

38. “A coach can play any number of roles-mentor, consultant, motivator, but one things she is not is a therapist. Coaching deals with the “how”: how you move from where you are and make change. It’s action oriented and concerned with the present and future not the past.” Shape Magazine

39. “Once used to bolster troubled staffers, coaching now is part of the standard leadership development training for elite executives and talented up-and-comers at IBM, Motorola, J.P. Morgan, Chase, and Hewlett Packard. These companies are discreetly giving their best prospects what star athletes have long had: a trusted adviser to help reach their goals.”

40. “I never cease to be amazed at the power of the coaching process to draw out the skills or talent that was previously hidden within an individual, and which invariably finds a way to solve a problem previously thought unsolvable.” 

41. “I’m not really a big X’s and O’s guy, but if you want to go there, I’m more of a space-the-floor type of coach: Five out, zero in, and that’s the way we play basketball, screen and roll here and there, pocket passes everywhere; it’s what it’s about.” — Kyrie Irving

42. “I love to challenge our coaches every day. I love for people to tell me what they think. And if they want to disagree, that’s even better… Iron sharpens iron. Out of the sharpening process come better ideas and more committed performance. I don’t want yes-men around me.”

43. “Leading is not the same as being the leader. Being the leader means you hold the highest rank, either by earning it, good fortune or navigating internal politics. Leading, however, means that others willingly follow you—not because they have to, not because they are paid to, but because they want to.” Simon Sinek highlights the differences between leading and being a “leader” by title.

44. “People have to be given the freedom to show the heart they possess. I think it’s a leader’s responsibility to provide that type of freedom. And I believe it can be done through relationships and family. Because if a team is a real family, its members want to show you their hearts.”

45. “Starting a business is similar to an athletic endeavor, like serving a tennis ball. Telling you how to do it is useless. You actually get better through a combination of practice, coaching, and repetitions with money on the line.” ― Andrew Yang

46. “I never cease to be amazed at the power of the coaching process to draw out the skills or talent that was previously hidden within an individual, and which invariably finds a way to solve a problem previously thought unsolvable.” –– John Russell

47. “We’re a part of this university in many respects. You can’t put a price tag on that. This has been the perfect place to coach and teach and learn… No matter how appealing another option was, to lead my Duke team with all my heart could only happen at this place.”

48. “More than thirty years ago I memorized a quote that has shaped the way I live: “My potential is God’s gift to me. What I do with my potential is my gift to Him.” I believe I am accountable to God, others, and myself for every gift, talent, resource, and opportunity I have in life. If I give less than my best, then I am shirking my responsibility. I believe UCLA coach John Wooden was speaking to this idea when he said, “Make every day your masterpiece.” If we give our very best all the time, we can make our lives into something special. And that will overflow into the lives of others.”

49. Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It's about impact, influence, and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire team-mates and customers. - Robin S. Sharma

50. “My dad has a certain spirit, a twinkle in his eye, someone who can set a certain standard for players but also convey it with humor. What I learned from him is that coaching is, more than anything, about connecting with people.” ― Jill Ellis

51. “Leaders have to give time for relationships. But more demands will be placed on their time as they become more successful. So if a person’s success is based on developing relationships, then they have to continually find new ways of getting it done.”

52. “A coach can play any number of roles-mentor, consultant, motivator, but one thing she is not is a therapist. Coaching deals with the “how”: how you move from where you are and make change. It’s action oriented and concerned with the present and future not the past.” ~ Shape Magazine

53. “Listening is such a simple act. It requires us to be present, and that takes practice, but we don’t have to do anything else. We don’t have to advise, or coach, or sound wise. We just have to be willing to sit there and listen.”~ Margaret J. Wheatley

54. “The [best] coaches… know that the job is to win… know that they must be decisive, that they must phase people through their organizations, and at the same time they are sensitive to the feelings, loyalties, and emotions that people have toward one another. If you don’t have these feelings, I do not know how you can lead anyone. I have spent many sleepless nights trying to figure out how I was going to phase out certain players for whom I had strong feelings, but that was my job. I wasn’t hired to do anything but win.”

55. “My best investment, as cliched as this sounds, is the money I’ve spent developing myself, via books, workshops and coaching. Leadership begins within, and to have a better career, start by building a better you.” ― Robin S. Sharma

56. “I think the most important thing about coaching is that you have to have a sense of confidence about what you’re doing. You have to be a salesman, and you have to get your players, particularly your leaders, to believe in what you’re trying to accomplish on the basketball floor.” ― Phil Jackson

57. “UCLA basketball coach John Wooden told players who scored to give a smile, wink, or nod to the player who gave them a good pass. “What if he’s not looking?” asked a team member. Wooden replied, “I guarantee he’ll look.” Everyone values encouragement and looks for it.”

58. “I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” – Henry David Thoreau

59. “It is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it… anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.” - Tina Fey

60. “But this year, as I stand here to speak to you, I am no longer the Under Secretary,” he continued. “I flew here coach class and when I arrived at the airport yesterday there was no one there to meet me. I took a taxi to the hotel, and when I got there, I checked myself in and went by myself to my room. This morning, I came down to the lobby and caught another taxi to come here. I came in the front door and found my way backstage. Once there, I asked one of the techs if there was any coffee. He pointed to a coffee machine on a table against the wall. So I walked over and poured myself a cup of coffee into this here Styrofoam cup,” he said as he raised the cup to show the audience.

61. “AS IF THE abstracting qualities of numbers and scale aren’t enough to deal with when trying to run an organization, these days we have the added complication of the virtual world. The Internet is nothing short of awe inspiring. It gives the power to operate at scale or spread ideas to anyone, be it a small business or a social movement. It gives us the ability to find and connect with people more easily. And it is incredible at speeding the pace of commercial transactions. All of these things are good. But, just as money was developed to help expedite and simplify transactions by allowing payment to be rendered without barter, we often use the Internet as a means to expedite and simplify communication and the relationships we build. And just as money can’t buy love, the Internet can’t buy deep, trusting relationships. What makes a statement like that somewhat tricky or controversial is that the relationships we form online feel real. We can, indeed, get bursts of serotonin when people “like” our pictures, pages or posts or when we watch ourselves go up in a ranking (you know how much serotonin loves a ranking). The feelings of admiration we get from virtual “likes” or the number of followers we have is not like the feelings of admiration we get from our children, or that a coach gets from their players. It is simply a public display of “like” with no sacrifice required—a new kind of status symbol, if you will. Put simply, though the love may feel real, the relationship is still virtual. Relationships can certainly start online, but they only become real when we meet face-to-face.”

62. “If there is anything I would like to be remembered for it is that I helped people understand that leadership is helping other people grow and succeed. To repeat myself, leadership is not just about you. It’s about them.” – Jack Welch

63. “Your heart has to be in whatever you lead. It became apparent that this decision was somewhat easier to make because you have to follow your heart and lead with it and Duke has always taken up my whole heart… The allure of coaching in college has no price. It’s one of those priceless things. I’ve never made a decision based on what will get me the most money. It was what was going to give me the most happiness and I’ve been really happy and fulfilled at Duke.”

64. It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership. – Nelson Mandela

65. “If someone’s performance is struggling or if they are acting in a way that is negatively impacting team dynamics, the primary question a leader needs to ask is, “Are they coachable?” Our goal, as leaders, is to ensure that our people have the skills—technical skills, human skills or leadership skills—so that they are equipped to work to their natural best and be a valuable asset to the team.”

66. “You recover better when you tell your family, a friend, or a support group what you are feeling. If you’d like them just to listen and not problem solve while you talk, let them know. If you want some suggestions and coaching on what to do, let them know that.” Al Siebert

67. “Focus!” my coach would bellow across the pool deck, his voice booming along the surface of the water. Our group was hanging off the side of the wall, huffing and puffing into the gutter, counting down those precious seconds until we would be sent off into another 200 fast of…

68. “The manager needs to have a coaching mindset, looking for opportunities to help others learn…. The coach and coachee relationship must be one that rests on a foundation of trust that can allow the coaching dialogue to take place.” James M. Hunt

69. “Coaching is about helping clients unlock the treasure-chest of their lives – worth bearing in mind then that diamonds are made from coal under pressure and it’s the grit in the oyster which creates the pearls.” ~ Sarah Durrant

70. “What’s really driving the boom in coaching, is this: as we move from 30 miles an hour to 70 to 120 to 180……as we go from driving straight down the road to making right turns and left turns to abandoning cars and getting motorcycles…the whole game changes, and a lot of people are trying to keep up, learn how not to fall.”

71. “Great leadership does not mean running away from reality. Sometimes the hard truths might just demoralize the company, but at other times sharing difficulties can inspire people to take action that will make the situation better.” - John Kotter ​

72. “The boss drives his workers; the leader coaches them. The boss depends on authority; the leader on goodwill. The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm. The boss says “I”; the leader, “we.” The boss fixes the blame for the breakdown; the leader fixes the breakdown. The boss knows how it is done; the leader shows how. The boss says, “Go”; the leader says, “Let’s go!”

73. Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It's about impact, influence and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire team-mates and customers. - Robin S. Sharma

74. “I think one of the neatest things about being a coach is the connection you get to make with your players. That’s a loss that hits me a lot harder and is gonna stay with me a lot longer than anything that happens while playing a game on a patch of grass.” -Ted Lasso

75. “The coach doesn't have to play the sport as well as you do. They have to watch you and get you to be your best.” – Eric Schmidt Tweet: The coach doesn't have to play the sport as well as you do. They have to watch you and get you to be your best. - Eric Schmidt

76. “You get the best effort from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within.” – Bob Nelson Tweet: You get the best effort from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within. - Bob Nelson

77. “The things I was allowed to experience, the people I was able to call friends, teammates, mentors, coaches and opponents, the travel, all of it, are far more than anything I ever thought possible in my lifetime.” ~ Curt Schilling

78. “Most people respond well to honest feedback, particularly when it comes from a coach and not an accuser, who offers it within the context of results, and accompanies it with an invitation to provide similarly candid feedback.”

79. The most powerful and effective managers, coaches, parents, and motivators are those who can represent the circumstances of life to themselves and to others in a way that signals success to the nervous system in spite of seemingly hopeless external stimuli.

80. “The leaders who offer blood, toil, tears and sweat always get more out of their followers than those who offer safety and a good time. When it comes to the pinch, human beings are heroic.” – George Orwell, author [Read Related Article: 5 Tips for Guiding Your Team Through a Rough Patch]

81. “Exceptional teams are built on a foundation of deep trust. In order to train and compete at an elite level, you must push each other very hard… But you can push only to the level of trust you have built with each other and with your coaches.”

82. “That’s the art of coaching right now. They have to feel loved. They have to feel positive but at the same time have that edge to them, the uncomfortable feeling they’re going to fight and work really, really hard.” – Ryan Day

83. “When things aren’t going right, the most important thing you can do is slow down, go deep, and figure out why. It is very easy in the world we live in to get so caught up in the tyranny of the urgent that we don’t make time to think.”

84. “Once a man has made a commitment to a way of life, he puts the greatest strength in the world behind him. It’s something we call heart power. Once a man has made this commitment, nothing will stop him short of success.” - Vince Lombardi

85. “In our program, the truth is the basis of all that we do. There is nothing more important than the truth because there’s nothing more powerful than the truth. Consequently, on our team, we always tell one another the truth. We must be honest with one another. There is no other way.”

86. People say it was the greatest individual rivalry they've ever seen. I agree with that. Let me assure you that if either Wilt's or Russ' coach had ever told one of them he couldn't guard the other guy, he would have lost that player forever. - Author: Bill Russell

87. “If I stop pushing you, if I stop demanding of you, if I stop getting on you, then I probably don’t think you have much to offer.” – Jon Gruden Tweet: If I stop pushing you, if I stop demanding of you, if I stop getting on you, then I probably don’t think you have much to offer. - Jon Gruden

88. “You recover better when you tell your family, a friend, or a support group what you are feeling. If you’d like them just to listen and not problem solve while you talk, let them know. If you want some suggestions and coaching on what to do, let them know that.” – Al Siebert

89. “Personal coaches are a hot commodity among executives these days. Never mind the mansion, the Mercedes, the membership in the exclusive country club. In corporate America today, the sign that you have truly arrived – or at least that you are being groomed for arrival – is an executive coach. Your own personal coach, that is. Even if the coach’s assignment is to render you less obnoxious, his or her presence at your elbow signals that you are regarded by the company as entirely too valuable to fire or shoot.”

90. “The actual awareness that the person opposite you is an entire world and isn’t lacking anything, and that you yourself are an entire world, allows you to coach him and to think about him in a positive way, from a place of reality and abundance.” ~ Benny Gal

91. “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. “The ultimate leader is one who is willing to develop people to the point that they eventually surpass him or her in knowledge and ability.” – Fred A. Manske Jr.20 July 2020

92. “He is a guy who is only going to accept winning. I like his attitude and his style of coaching and he loves to coach. He’s dedicated and determined. A coach can’t make a bad team into a good team, but he can make a good team into a better team.”

93. “A coach can play any number of roles-mentor, consultant, motivator, but one things she is not is a therapist. Coaching deals with the “how”: how you move from where you are and make change. It’s action oriented and concerned with the present and future not the past.” Shape Magazine

94. “For there to be a deep connection, you have to spend time with your players. They have to feel your commitment to them, experience your concern on a daily basis. That’s when we initiated the social outings and barbeques. We instructed our unit coaches to start every meeting by talking for five or ten minutes about things other than football. We encouraged them to ask their players about their lives away from football, and learn about their families and girlfriends and schoolwork.”

95. “If there is anything I would like to be remembered for it is that I helped people understand that leadership is helping other people grow and succeed. To repeat myself, leadership is not just about you. It’s about them.” - Jack Welch

96. “Coaches and the people they coach know that for the future to be different, we need to change the way we do things in the present…. More often, changes involve shifts in attitudes, thinking, perceptions, and behavior.” ~ Gary Collins

97. ​"We have the innate ability to inhibit or ‘veto’ automated neural responses. We can control our thoughts, emotions and behaviour, and losing control is no excuse for deviant behaviour. So no, we are not controlled by a 'lizard in our head', unless of course, we choose to be." - Manie Bosman

98. “The most important thing in coaching is communication. It’s not what you say as much as what they absorb.” – Red Auerbach Tweet: The most important thing in coaching is communication. It’s not what you say as much as what they absorb. - Red Auerbach

99. “There are only three things you should ever do about a mistake: admit it; learn from it; don’t repeat it.” – Bear Bryant Tweet: There are only three things you should ever do about a mistake: admit it; learn from it; don’t repeat it. - Bear Bryant

100. “The fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.” - Carl Sagan

101. “The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions. Not me. I don’t want to be a manager or a dictator. I want to be a leader—and leadership is ongoing, adjustable, flexible, and dynamic. As such, leaders have to maintain a certain amount of discretion.”

102. “Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all-time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.” ― Vince Lombardi

103. “The coach is someone who gets you to do what you don’t want to do so that you can be who you want to be.” – Tom Landry Tweet: The coach is someone who gets you to do what you don’t want to do so that you can be who you want to be. - Tom Landry

104. “I think the most important thing of all for any team is a winning attitude. The coaches must have it. The players must have it. The student body must have it. If you have dedicated players who believe in themselves, you don’t need a lot of talent.” – Bear Bryant

105. “The best coach knows you better than you know yourself. Then enables you to discover your true self and potential while guiding your steps till you reach your goals, one by one.” Through a process of gathering advice, Cristina Imre explains you will be able to track your leadership effectiveness over time.

106. “My best investment, as cliched as this sounds, is the money I’ve spent developing myself, via books, workshops and coaching. Leadership begins within, and to have a better career, start by building a better you.” ― Robin S. Sharma

107. “I never cease to be amazed at the power of the coaching process to draw out the skills or talent that was previously hidden within an individual, and which invariably finds a way to solve a problem previously thought unsolvable.”

108. “I think the most important thing about coaching is that you have to have a sense of confidence about what you’re doing. You have to be a salesman, and you have to get your players, particularly your leaders, to believe in what you’re trying to accomplish on the basketball floor.” ― Phil Jackson

109. “I never cease to be amazed at the power of the coaching process to draw out the skills or talent that was previously hidden within an individual, and which invariably finds a way to solve a problem previously thought unsolvable.” – John Russell

110. I think one of the neatest things about being a coach is the connection you get to make with your players. That's a loss that hits me a lot harder and is gonna stay with me a lot longer than anything that happens while playing a game on a patch of grass.

111. “To reach that end goal you and I must be willing to be straightforward with one another. We must be willing and prepared to stare at ourselves in the mirror and speak the truth.” —Mark Devro, self-help coach, in Forever in Bloom

112. “During the season, your team should be led with exuberance and excitement. You should live the journey. You should live it right. You should live it together. You should live it shared. You should try to make one another better. You should get on one another if somebody’s not doing their part. You should hug one another when they are. You should be disappointed in a loss and exhilarated in a win. It’s all about the journey.”

113. “Coaches understand that pressure is part of the rush of coaching. The challenge of trying to outplay your opponent is part of the fun, the adrenaline, the preparation, seeing your team evolve. It’s why coaches become coaches.” ― Jill Ellis

114. “I’ve tried to handle winning well, so that maybe we’ll win again, but I’ve also tried to handle failure well. If those serve as good examples for teachers and kids, then I hope that would be a contribution I have made to sport. Not just basketball, but to sport.”

115. “If players are going to make the big push to join the elites, they need to believe it will be worth it. It’s important to remind them of the quality of the leadership at Ohio State — let them know they are being taught by masters of their craft who have made a significant difference in other players’ lives.”

116. “Confidence is a very fragile thing, and it certainly is something that has to start with your mental approach and your ability to respond and stay focused and not allow negative thoughts to enter into your own mind. When you’re successful, it’s easier to expect success. All of a sudden it’s not there, it becomes more of a challenge.”

117. “The manager needs to have a coaching mindset, looking for opportunities to help others learn…. The coach and coachee relationship must be one that rests on a foundation of trust that can allow the coaching dialogue to take place.” James M. Hunt

118. “One of the most exciting things about coaching is the buzz you get when you push out of your comfort zone, come up with a plan and put it into action! Life takes on a whole new meaning as you re-create your life the way you want it.” ~ Emma-Louise Elsey

119. “The business demand for coaching is nearly doubling each year. Out of the $80 billion being currently spent on corporate education, FLI Research estimates that $2 billion is spent on executive coaching at senior executive levels in Fortune 500 companies.”

120. “So while the complexities change, the work of coaching stays the same keep your clients at the center of the work, push them to use their strengths more and to temper their weaknesses, and illuminate blind spots because these are what really get in the way.” ~ Stacy Feiner

121. “When work is at the center and home and family is on the fringe, your entire life can fall apart at the drop of a downsizing. Structure your life in such a way that home is at the center and work is on the fringe to protect you and your family.” 

122. “While I made my living as a coach, I have lived my life to be a mentor, and to be mentored! Constantly. Everything in the world has been passed down. Every piece of knowledge is something that has been shared by someone else. If you understand it as I do, mentoring becomes your true legacy. It is the greatest inheritance you can give to others. It is why you get up every day—to teach and be taught.”

123. “Everyone needs a coach. It doesn't matter whether you're a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player.” – Bill Gates Tweet: Everyone needs a coach. It doesn't matter whether you're a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player. - Bill Gates

124. “Best trait: the ability to accept coaching as just coaching; taking nothing personally. It’s about making you better!” – Mark Seidenburg Tweet: Best trait: the ability to accept coaching as just coaching; taking nothing personally. It’s about making you better! - Mark Seidenburg

125. “Coaches and the people they coach know that for the future to be different, we need to change the way we do things in the present…. More often, changes involve shifts in attitudes, thinking, perceptions, and behavior.” Gary Collins

126. “Clare offered a half-hearted suggestion. “Well, there are coaches I know who do one-on-one counseling.” Bobby shook his head. “No, that doesn't usually work. It takes months and only isolates people. It seems like most of them just use it to prepare for their next job.”

127. “Coaches understand that pressure is part of the rush of coaching. The challenge of trying to outplay your opponent is part of the fun, the adrenaline, the preparation, seeing your team evolve. It’s why coaches become coaches.” ― Jill Ellis

128. “My dad has a certain spirit, a twinkle in his eye, someone who can set a certain standard for players but also convey it with humor. What I learned from him is that coaching is, more than anything, about connecting with people.” ― Jill Ellis

129. “Take your basketball posts to the next level with our collection of hard-hitting and motivational captions. Perfect for players, coaches, and fans alike, these captions will help you express your passion for the game. Whether you’re sharing your training routine, posting game highlights, or sharing a motivational quote, our captions will help you show off your dedication and hard work. From inspirational quotes to relatable one-liners, our captions will give your posts the edge they need to stand out.

130. “I wish all professionals knew that vulnerability in the workplace could be a powerful tool, not just a sign of weakness. It’s important to create a culture where people feel safe and comfortable being vulnerable. It leads to more open communication, trust and connection between colleagues,” says Emma Williams, a certified strengths and career coach and the Chief Research Officer at HIGH5. “We have been conditioned to believe showing vulnerability, especially at work, is a sign of weakness. However, what we now know is that expressing vulnerability, especially when you are leading others, is a significant sign of strength and courage,” adds Barbie Winterbottom, HR consultant and CEO of The Business of HR.

131. “The manager needs to have a coaching mindset, looking for opportunities to help others learn…. The coach and coachee relationship must be one that rests on a foundation of trust that can allow the coaching dialogue to take place.” ~ James M. Hunt

132. “Two cars parked side by side. One is a supercar, the other is an old family sedan. Both have the same potential until someone gets in to the supercar and drives it flat out. The coach can have the best strategy but unless its driven its potential means nothing.”

133. “Visualize a wagon wheel as a complete team. A leader might be the hub of the wheel at the center. Now suppose the spokes are the connecting relationships the leader is building with people on the outer rim of the wheel. If the hub is removed, then the entire wheel collapses. In a situation like that, if a team loses the leader, the entire team collapses.”

134. “they are offering an opportunity for lifetime employment for those who want it, then the leaders of the company have to work hard to bring in the right people. “Firing is an easy option,” Kim says. “Tough love, coaching, even a program to help people find a job somewhere else if they decide our company is not for them are all much more effective, but require much more time and attention from the company.”

135. “It all comes down to passion.” Or, “You have to really want it.” As a result, many of us get depressed when we lose focus or motivation because we think that successful people have some bottomless reserve of passion. But this coach was saying that really successful people feel the same lack of motivation as everyone else. The difference is that they still find a way to show up despite the feelings of boredom.”

136. “When you are passionate, you always have your destination in sight and you are not distracted by obstacles. Because you love what you are pursuing, things like rejection and setbacks will not hinder you in your pursuit. You believe that nothing can stop you!”

137. ​“Success is determined not by whether or not you face obstacles, but by your reaction to them. And if you look at these obstacles as a containing fence, they become your excuse for failure. If you look at them as a hurdle, each one strengthens you for the next.” - Ben Carson

138. “Sometimes the door closes on a relationship, not because we failed but because something bigger than us says this no longer fits our life. So, lock the door, shed a tear, turn around and look for the new door that’s opened. It’s a sign that you’re no longer that person you were, it’s time to change into who you are. It’s going to be okay. ” —Lee Goff, marketing agency coach

139. “Another great coach, Bill Walsh (who oversaw three Super Bowl Championship teams at the San Francisco 49ers), emphasized the importance of personal and positive encouragement. Walsh would shake hands and say a positive personal word of encouragement to every player just before each game. He also asked his assistant coaches to acknowledge each player, shake his hand, and offer supportive thoughts.”

140. “I think the most important thing about coaching is that you have to have a sense of confidence about what you’re doing. You have to be a salesman and you have to get your players, particularly your leaders, to believe in what you’re trying to accomplish on the basketball floor.”

141. “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” ― John Wooden