Chasing Greatness Blog

When Leadership Misses The Mark: Willie Taggart, FSU, And The One Thing You Need To Keep Handy In Times Of Transition

Don Yaeger November 5, 2019

Okay—complete transparency here. I live in Tallahassee, I’m a Florida State University season ticket holder, and I know there are other sports stories I could write about this week. But…

No Place Like Home? The Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, and When Home Field Advantage Might Hurt More Than It Helps

Don Yaeger October 29, 2019

It wasn’t long after Sunday night’s World Series Game 5 came to an end that I sat down to write this. Between the Series returning to Washington DC for the…

Become Someone Worth Following: New Cubs’ Manager David Ross Shows Us How To Go from Teammate To Team Leader

Don Yaeger October 23, 2019

When you write a book with someone, it’s kind of hard not to become a devoted admirer. I’ve partnered with some amazing people in my career, and I’ve come away…

You Are Worth It: Kyle Carpenter On Grenades, Marathons, Marine Service, And Taking Advantage Of Your “Bonus” Days

Don Yaeger October 14, 2019

It seems fitting, after a weekend that saw Eliud Kipchoge break the 2-hour mark for a marathon, that I’m writing about one of my favorite marathoners. You might have heard…

Feel the Heat: Dan Snyder, Bruce Allen, And The Washington Redskins’ Dumpster Fire Culture

Don Yaeger October 10, 2019

I travel sometimes for work, which means I spend a lot of time in airplane seats next to people I don’t know. I go out of my way to be…

Now Hear This: Joe Maddon, Clint Hurdle, And An Honest Discussion About A Leadership Voice Growing Tired

Don Yaeger October 3, 2019

As Major League Baseball prepares for the opening of the Divisional Playoffs, the excitement of October baseball is settling in. For fans of the game, it’s time to turn the…

Hear The Roar: The New Zealand All Blacks, The Haka, And How You Can Rewrite Your Team’s Mission When Culture Goes Stale

Don Yaeger September 26, 2019

Not sure how you’d answer, but when someone calls me and offers me the chance to fly 17 hours across the globe to learn from the most bad-ass sports team…

An Eye on the Future: Army Coach Jeff Monken Embraces Analytics, Old School Football, To Create A Fearless Business Lesson

Don Yaeger September 20, 2019

Perhaps no other sentence sums up what Jeff Monken is doing as the head football coach at the United States Military Academy at West Point, better known by their popular…

Antonio Brown, The New England Patriots, And Who’s To Blame When Things Go Bad At Work

Don Yaeger September 13, 2019

Let’s just get this out of the way: I’m sick of talking about Antonio Brown. Over it. Done. Bored to death with his antics and his self-destructive ways. But he…

Greatness Never Dies: The Secret Behind The Legacy Of Chicago Bears’ Walter Payton

Don Yaeger September 4, 2019

On Thursday, the NFL will celebrate its 100th year by kicking off the 2019 season in style: a prime-time game between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, at…

One Million Views

Don Yaeger August 27, 2019

The Colts’ Andrew Luck Asked Himself The Question You Need To Ask

Don Yaeger August 27, 2019

The most shocking sports story of the weekend came right in the middle of an otherwise forgettable NFL preseason game. With one tweet, NFL Network’s Adam Schefter turned the upcoming…

Be All-In Unless You’re All-Out: Roger Federer’s “Retirement” Plan Is Simply The Best

Don Yaeger August 21, 2019

Qualifying for the US Open tennis tournament started this week, and more powerful than the storyline of what surprising talent might be in is when the men’s sides most transcendent…

Making The Most Of Your Moment: Oakland Raiders’ Antonio Brown Should Seek Advice From Mike Tyson

Don Yaeger August 13, 2019

For the past few days, it’s been quite fashionable to bag on the Oakland Raiders’ Antonio Brown. After all, we’ve learned that his foot problem is possible frostbite from a…

Rotten From The Top: Former Michigan State Dean Goes To Jail

Don Yaeger August 8, 2019

Here’s a leadership truism: you reproduce what you are. I’ve been around enough Great coaches and leaders in the sports world to know that the character of the coach is…

Browns’ Coach Freddie Kitchens Faces NFL’s Most Fascinating Task: Make The People Around Him Believe

Don Yaeger August 7, 2019

The single-most challenging job in the NFL right now involves a man who doesn’t look like he belongs in the NFL. A little stocky, a little country. His name is…

Titans’ Quarterback Marcus Mariota: How Greatness Is Built By The People Around You

Don Yaeger July 31, 2019

I recently went to the Pacific Northwest for a business trip, and during my time there I met two interesting and successful athletes. The first one was still in college.…

Learning From Roger Federer’s Wimbledon Loss: Are You Performing At The Top Of Your Game?

Don Yaeger July 16, 2019

Sunday afternoon, my wife and children sat next to me, huddled anxiously around my cell phone. We were watching one of the most remarkable finals in Wimbledon history, the epic…

The Value Of Chemistry And Culture: Kawhi Leonard Leaves The Money To Win With Friends

Don Yaeger July 10, 2019

The biggest fireworks of the 4th of July didn’t officially happen on Thursday. Instead, they erupted late on Friday, July 5th, when Kawhi Leonard announced that he was signing a…

The Weight Of Greatness: Naomi Osaka And The Struggle To Be Best

Don Yaeger July 3, 2019

“I just felt like there’s been a weight on me.” Those were the words of Naomi Osaka after she lost in straight sets during the first week of the French…

What USA Women’s World Cup Coach Jill Ellis Can Teach Us About Taking Risks

Don Yaeger June 28, 2019

It takes a lot of guts to do what Jill Ellis is doing. The US Women National Soccer coach has guided her squad into the quarterfinals of the FIFA Women’s…

It’s Never Too Late: What Best-Selling Author David Epstein Teaches Us About Career Paths

Don Yaeger June 20, 2019

Of all my Sports Illustrated alums/colleagues, few have fascinated me like David Epstein. His path to becoming a writer at the magazine was very non-traditional, and the way he thought…

Be The Same, Whether You’re Up Or Down: A Lesson From Golden State’s Steve Kerr

Don Yaeger June 10, 2019

Tonight, the Golden State Warriors will lace up for a make-or-break game against the Toronto Raptors. Down three games to one in the NBA Finals, the Warriors are on the…

Will You Be Ready When Your Number Is Called? Learn From FSU’s Tim Becker’s Wild Weekend

Don Yaeger June 4, 2019

When I sent a request to talk with a central figure of the biggest sports story of the weekend, his coach told me he’d have to wait until the player…

Chasing Greatness Blog

Weekly leadership lessons learned from the world of sports.

When Leadership Misses The Mark: Willie Taggart, FSU, And The One Thing You Need To Keep Handy In Times Of Transition

No Place Like Home? The Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, and When Home Field Advantage Might Hurt More Than It Helps

Become Someone Worth Following: New Cubs’ Manager David Ross Shows Us How To Go from Teammate To Team Leader

You Are Worth It: Kyle Carpenter On Grenades, Marathons, Marine Service, And Taking Advantage Of Your “Bonus” Days

Feel the Heat: Dan Snyder, Bruce Allen, And The Washington Redskins’ Dumpster Fire Culture

Now Hear This: Joe Maddon, Clint Hurdle, And An Honest Discussion About A Leadership Voice Growing Tired

Hear The Roar: The New Zealand All Blacks, The Haka, And How You Can Rewrite Your Team’s Mission When Culture Goes Stale

An Eye on the Future: Army Coach Jeff Monken Embraces Analytics, Old School Football, To Create A Fearless Business Lesson

Antonio Brown, The New England Patriots, And Who’s To Blame When Things Go Bad At Work

Greatness Never Dies: The Secret Behind The Legacy Of Chicago Bears’ Walter Payton

One Million Views

The Colts’ Andrew Luck Asked Himself The Question You Need To Ask

Be All-In Unless You’re All-Out: Roger Federer’s “Retirement” Plan Is Simply The Best

Making The Most Of Your Moment: Oakland Raiders’ Antonio Brown Should Seek Advice From Mike Tyson

Rotten From The Top: Former Michigan State Dean Goes To Jail

Browns’ Coach Freddie Kitchens Faces NFL’s Most Fascinating Task: Make The People Around Him Believe

Titans’ Quarterback Marcus Mariota: How Greatness Is Built By The People Around You

Learning From Roger Federer’s Wimbledon Loss: Are You Performing At The Top Of Your Game?

The Value Of Chemistry And Culture: Kawhi Leonard Leaves The Money To Win With Friends

The Weight Of Greatness: Naomi Osaka And The Struggle To Be Best

What USA Women’s World Cup Coach Jill Ellis Can Teach Us About Taking Risks

It’s Never Too Late: What Best-Selling Author David Epstein Teaches Us About Career Paths

Be The Same, Whether You’re Up Or Down: A Lesson From Golden State’s Steve Kerr

Will You Be Ready When Your Number Is Called? Learn From FSU’s Tim Becker’s Wild Weekend

Contact Don Yaeger