Lessons from Legends: What the Great Ones Do Differently with Don Yaeger

Don Yaeger is an 11-time New York Times bestselling author, award-winning speaker, and longtime associate editor for Sports Illustrated. Over the past 30 years, he’s interviewed and profiled the greatest athletes, coaches, and leaders in the world — from Michael Jordan and John Wooden to Nick Saban and Pat Summitt. Today, Don is one of the most trusted voices on high performance, championship culture, and leadership, working with Fortune 500 companies and elite sports programs alike. He’s also the host of the popular Corporate Competitor podcast, where he explores the intersection of sports and leadership with world-class performers.

Reflection questions

1. Don shared the powerful story of Warrick Dunn's journey to forgiveness. Reflect on a time when you struggled to forgive someone who wronged you. What steps could you take to move toward forgiveness, and how might this transformation impact your leadership and personal growth?  
2. In our conversation, Don emphasized that great athletes "hate to lose more than they love to win" while taking complete ownership of their results. How do you currently respond to failure or setbacks? What specific changes could you make to embrace radical ownership while maintaining a healthy competitive drive? 
3. We discussed how the best leaders and athletes understand their success depends on who they surround themselves with. Evaluate your current "inner circle" - both professionally and personally. Who elevates you, and where might you need to make changes to better support your goals and values? 
4. Don highlighted the importance of celebrating "great teammate behaviors" rather than just individual achievements. What specific actions could you implement in your team or organization to recognize and reward those who make others better? 
5. The concept of "coaching beyond the scoreboard" was central to our discussion. What does this mean to you personally? Identify three ways you could focus more on process over outcome in your leadership approach this week.

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