In this week’s Thanksgiving episode of The Coach Matthew Mitchell Show, Coach Mitchell unpacks one of the most misunderstood aspects of leadership and performance: hard work in your effort.

Drawing from his early coaching days at the University of Florida—where legendary leaders like Jeremy Foley, Steve Spurrier, Billy Donovan, and Carol Ross shaped his foundation—Coach Mitchell reveals a powerful lesson that transformed the way he approaches effort: busy doesn’t always mean productive.

Through personal stories, team insights from the Houston Cougars’ current season, and practical teaching points, Coach breaks down the four keys to giving full effort:

1. Effort isn’t about motion — it’s about purpose
2. Quality over appearance
3. Full effort shows up when it gets hard
4. Consistency is the multiplier

Whether you're leading a team, running a business, coaching athletes, or striving for personal growth, this episode will challenge you to evaluate the difference between activity and achievement—and inspire you to align your effort with what matters most.

If you’re ready to elevate your performance, sharpen your focus, and implement the Winning Tools System of honesty, hard work, and discipline in your organization, visit coachmatthewmichael.com for resources and support.

Grab your notebook—this episode is packed with transformative teaching.

In this week’s episode of The Coach Matthew Mitchell Show, Coach Mitchell continues the 12-week Winning Tools series by diving into the leadership skill of Hard Work in My Words. After returning to the court as the head coach of the Houston Cougars, Coach Mitchell shares real-time examples of how the words you choose as a leader can either drain energy or create momentum.

You’ll learn why perseverance language is a hallmark of hardworking leaders, how your words shape your team’s culture, and why speaking belief—even in tough moments—is essential for sustained success. Coach Mitchell breaks down the difference between “comfort words” and “persevering words,” offers practical examples straight from recent Cougars practices, and teaches three ways leaders can use their words to transfer energy forward.

This episode closes with a powerful weekly challenge designed to help you identify limiting phrases, replace them with perseverance statements, and speak strength into your leadership.

If you're striving to lead with clarity, conviction, and consistency, this lesson will sharpen your ability to use your words as a Winning Tool.

In this week’s episode of The Coach Matthew Mitchell Show, Coach Mitchell kicks off the second Winning Tool—Hard Work—by teaching you how to activate it in the most important place: your thoughts.

Hard work doesn’t start in your hands. It starts in your head.

Coach shares stories from his early days at Morehead State, lessons learned at Kentucky, his journey of building the Winning Tools leadership company, and how those same tools are shaping the culture in his first season at the University of Houston.

You’ll learn three practical ways to practice Hard Work in Your Thoughts:

1. Choose challenge over comfort
2. Talk to yourself—not listen to yourself
3. Focus on progress, not perfection

This episode will equip you with the mental perseverance needed to lead with strength, consistency, and confidence—no matter where you are in your leadership journey.

Listen in, take notes, and get ready to build hardworking thoughts that produce hardworking leadership.

In this episode of The Coach Matthew Mitchell Show, Coach Mitchell wraps up the Honesty series by unpacking what it means to lead with honesty in your actions — because real leadership isn’t about what you intend to do, it’s about what you actually do.

Through a personal story from his days coaching at the University of Kentucky, Coach Mitchell shares how a simple issue with punctuality became a powerful lesson in integrity and consistency. You’ll learn three practical ways to live out honesty through your actions:

1. Organization & Planning – Because honest action starts in your calendar.
2. Respect Through Punctuality – Showing up on time shows others they matter.
3. Follow Through & Communication – Keeping your word builds trust faster than any speech ever could.

Coach Mitchell reminds us: “Your team hears what you say, but they believe what you do.”

If you want to build a life and leadership defined by trust, this episode will help you close the gap between good intentions and honest action.

In this week’s episode of The Coach Matthew Mitchell Show, Coach Mitchell breaks down one of the most powerful lessons in leadership and life — Honesty in My Effort. Sharing the story of coaching All-American Ryan Howard at Kentucky, he reveals how true success begins when we stop comparing ourselves to others and start competing with our own potential.

Through three practical principles — no comparisons, effort in our responses, and effort in adversity — Coach Mitchell challenges listeners to take full ownership of the one thing they can truly control: their effort. Whether you’re leading a team, building a business, or pushing toward personal growth, this episode will help you eliminate excuses, stay composed under pressure, and give your very best every single day.

In this week’s episode of The Coach Matthew Mitchell Show, Coach Mitchell dives into the power of honesty in your words — and how great leaders find the courage to speak truth with clarity, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Drawing from two decades of leadership and coaching experience — from his first head coaching job to now leading the University of Houston Women’s Basketball program — Coach Mitchell shares a powerful story about choosing honesty over comfort, and how that single decision can unlock the greatness in others.

You’ll learn four key ways to speak with honest leadership:

1. No Sugar Coating
2. Courage in Conversations
3. Responsible Commitments
4. Avoiding Lazy Language

If you’re ready to communicate with clarity, build stronger trust, and elevate your leadership impact, this episode will challenge and inspire you to speak truth that transforms.

"Great leaders don’t just talk — they speak with honesty.”

Tune in, take notes, and start leading with your words today.

In this powerful kickoff to the new Winning Tools series, Coach Matthew Mitchell dives deep into the first foundational principle of leadership — Honesty — and what it means to be honest in your thoughts. Drawing from his own journey as a head coach and professional speaker, Coach Mitchell shares how battling self-doubt, comparison, and the “inner critic” can either derail you or define you.

You’ll learn four practical ways to lead yourself with honest thinking — from believing in yourself to prioritizing facts over feelings, accepting life’s volatility, and seeking help with humility. Whether you’re a coach, a leader, or simply someone striving to finish the year strong, this episode will help you see that leadership always begins with what you allow yourself to believe.

“Leadership starts with what you allow yourself to believe. Honesty in your thoughts is not just about seeing the truth — it’s about choosing it.”

Subscribe and join Coach Mitchell every Wednesday for new lessons on the Winning Tools — Honesty, Hard Work, and Discipline — to help you build the life and leadership you were made for.

In this week’s episode of The Coach Matthew Mitchell Show, Coach Mitchell shares a timely leadership lesson born straight from the court — the power of urgency. As the University of Houston women’s basketball team prepares for the upcoming season, Coach Mitchell reflects on the fine line between panic and purpose-driven urgency.

He breaks down how fear can cloud our leadership through disorganization, defeat, and delay — and how determination can flip the script to focus, clarity, and decisive action. Whether you’re leading a team, running a business, or preparing for a major life goal, this episode will help you recognize when panic is taking over and show you how to transform that emotion into a productive, winning urgency.

Coach Mitchell also shares how The Winning Tools — Honesty, Hard Work, and Discipline — continue to guide his leadership today, both on and off the court.

Tune in for practical, high-impact leadership wisdom that will help you lead with clarity, confidence, and calm urgency.