EP 31: 12 Lessons on Coaching and Leadership from 10 Elite Coaches

In this solo episode, I share 12 lessons from 10 elite coaches featured in Strength In Numbers. Each lesson comes from a real passage in the book—insights that have stuck with me and shaped how I think about coaching, leadership, and life.

I unpack ideas like why feedback is a gift, how clarity drives performance, what it really means to teach athletes to fail, and why balance isn’t always the goal early in your career. We also dive into overcoming burnout, recruiting the right families, building your personal Mount Rushmore, creating a pirate map for life, and the balance between character and talent when evaluating players.

This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.

Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.

👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here].

Chapters

00:00 The Gift of Feedback

04:03 Clarity Equals High Performance

05:22 Teaching Your Athletes to Fail

08:00 Why You Don't Need Balance Starting Your Career

09:24 Passion vs. Burnout

11:00 Overcoming Burnout and Struggles

12:45 Evaluating + Recruiting the Parents

15:33 Building Your Personal Mount Rushmore

17:22 Never Assume Resilience in Others

19:39 Creating a Pirate Map for Life

21:58 Building the Right Staff

24:24 Character vs. Talent in Recruiting