Chasing Greatness Blog

Believe Enough To Sell It: Clemson’s Dabo Swinney Offers Three Lessons On Vision And Building Something Special

Don Yaeger January 13, 2020

The most influential man at Clemson University is only 50 years old. His aw-shucks Southern charm makes him seem approachable and affable—and he is—but it masks something greater: a vision…

Even In His Absence, Tom Brady Reveals The Secret To Greatness That You Might Be Missing

Don Yaeger January 11, 2020

After 20 seasons, six Super Bowl rings, scores of NFL quarterbacking records, and an ever-increasing grip on the title of GOAT (Greatest of All-Time), you’d think Tom Brady might enter…

Closing Your Circle: How The NFL’s Black Monday Can Spark Your Best Year Ever In 2020

Don Yaeger January 2, 2020

The start of the year always brings with it a few rituals. There’s the annual performance review at work. There’s the celebration at midnight on New Year’s Eve. There’s New…

The Eye Of The Beholder: What Your Business Should Learn from Drew Brees, Lamar Jackson, And Joe Burrow

Don Yaeger December 26, 2019

Last week, I read a fascinating article on the art of observation which detailed the story of a seminar in Germany where forty people in an auditorium witnessed a staged…

The Tale Of Two Cities: How The Atlanta Falcons And New England Patriots Went In Opposite Directions After An Epic Super Bowl Comeback

Don Yaeger December 3, 2019

I spent part of a Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago in an Atlanta airport watching the hometown NFL team take a beating in their magnificent stadium. The Falcons…

Forget The Records: Why College Football’s Rivalry Week Should Give You Reason To Pause…And Be Grateful

Don Yaeger November 22, 2019

Next weekend, we’re going to hear some rather strange game titles in the news. Iron Bowl. Egg Bowl. Palmetto Bowl. Clean, Old Fashioned Hate. The Game.

Just Desserts: How Ed Orgeron’s Open Eyes Turned LSU Into A Title Contender And What We Can Learn About Pivoting

Don Yaeger November 12, 2019

Going into this weekends’ biggest college football game, I asked my friends who they were taking: the LSU Tigers or the Alabama Crimson Tide? While the margin was closer than…

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.…

Chasing Greatness Blog

Weekly leadership lessons learned from the world of sports.

Believe Enough To Sell It: Clemson’s Dabo Swinney Offers Three Lessons On Vision And Building Something Special

Even In His Absence, Tom Brady Reveals The Secret To Greatness That You Might Be Missing

Closing Your Circle: How The NFL’s Black Monday Can Spark Your Best Year Ever In 2020

The Eye Of The Beholder: What Your Business Should Learn from Drew Brees, Lamar Jackson, And Joe Burrow

The Tale Of Two Cities: How The Atlanta Falcons And New England Patriots Went In Opposite Directions After An Epic Super Bowl Comeback

Forget The Records: Why College Football’s Rivalry Week Should Give You Reason To Pause…And Be Grateful

Just Desserts: How Ed Orgeron’s Open Eyes Turned LSU Into A Title Contender And What We Can Learn About Pivoting

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

Contact Don Yaeger