"The importance of nothing"

Legendary Hall of Fame college football coach Nick Saban is a walking soundbite.  He always has something to say, and it's usually inspirational.  As I mentioned in a recent post ("Five Choices"), I recently had the opportunity to hear Coach Saban speak at the Becker's Hospital Review 15th Annual Meeting (I even got to shake hands and get my picture taken with him).  He had a lot to say about leadership, some of which I've heard him say before in the past.  Here are just a few of his most famous quotes, which I heard him repeat at the Becker's conference in some shape or form:

"It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

"Smart people learn from their mistakes; wise people learn from other people's mistakes."

"Mediocre people don't like high-achievers, and high-achievers don't like mediocre people."

"There are two pains in life.  There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment.  If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment."

"What happened yesterday is history.  What happens tomorrow is a mystery.  What we do today makes a difference."

"Process guarantees success.  A good process produces good results."

"Eliminate the clutter and all of the things that are going on outside and focus on the things that you can control with how you go about and take care of your business.  Take the other team out of the game and make it all about you and what you do."

Today I want to talk about another famous quote from one of his press conferences.  I don't remember exactly what season it was, but Alabama had an important game scheduled for later that week against their SEC rival, the Arkansas Razorbacks.  Coach Saban wanted to get across the point that his players should be working harder.  He stepped up to the microphone and said, "OK, y'all ready for a lecture?"  The topic?  "The importance of nothing."

He said, "You get up every day, you’re entitled to nothing.  Nobody owes you nothing. You could have talent, but if you don’t have discipline, if you don’t execute, you don’t focus, you get nothing. If you’re complacent, and not paying attention to detail, what does that get you? Nothing."

He looked around and then said, "Nothing is acceptable but your best.  Everything is determined by what you do and you trying to be your best, so that you can build on positive performance.  That's the only thing.  There should be nothing else but that, for everybody."

Legendary advice from a legendary coach.