Chasing Greatness Blog

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…

Dare To Be Great: The Kawhi Leonard Risk And What We Can Learn

Don Yaeger May 30, 2019

Let’s play a game: pretend for a moment that you’re the leader of a successful franchise, coming off four straight seasons winning at least 60 percent of your teams’ games.…

How Experience Can Become Your Tangible Intangible: A Lesson From The Golden State Warriors

Don Yaeger May 21, 2019

Not too long ago, I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine that I’ll call Bob, mostly because that’s his name. Bob works in Vegas as a casino…

Change Your Ending: How Steph Curry, Dame Lillard, And Other Stars Turn Bad Days Into Big Games

Don Yaeger May 14, 2019

Let’s start here: if you want to be great, you’d better have a short memory. That may sound like an odd statement, but it was the major takeaway from the…

Make Failure Your Calling Card: A Lesson From The Chicago Bears Kicking Game

Don Yaeger May 7, 2019

Have you ever screwed up so badly you wanted to go into hiding? It’s a natural response to failure. We don’t like to own our mistakes, because they make us…

It’s Not About The Refs: Turning From Excuses To Ownership

Don Yaeger May 2, 2019

I’ve sat down twice in the last few days to enjoy the Golden State Warriors versus the Houston Rockets in the NBA playoffs. Like a lot of hoop-heads, I’ve been…

Hidden Gems: How The NFL Draft Can Help Your Business Identify Talent

Don Yaeger April 24, 2019

On Thursday night, the National Football League will host an event that’s become one of the league’s crown jewels: the annual player draft. This year, the draft is in Nashville,…

Fatherhood And Father Time Make This Masters Different For Tiger Woods

Don Yaeger April 15, 2019

After starting the day bright and early to avoid the threat of thunderstorms, the 18th hole of Augusta National was hit by a roll of thunder yesterday afternoon that no…

Who Do You Think You Are? A Lesson In Identity From UCLA’s Search For A New Head Coach

Don Yaeger April 12, 2019

One of the most storied programs in NCAA basketball history just hired a new head coach. The press release quoted UCLA’s athletic director, Dan Guererro, as “excited to welcome him…

“I Was Terrified” Virginia’s Kyle Guy Shows How Preparation Turns Pressure Into Power

Don Yaeger April 8, 2019

If you and I went to an empty basketball gym, and I walked you to the free throw line, handed you a ball, and asked you to make one free…

Don Yaeger Speaks With John C. Maxwell

Don Yaeger March 21, 2019

Listen to the full podcast

Forget Marie Kondo: Duke’s Zion Williamson Shows How To Spark Joy

Don Yaeger March 15, 2019

For the last few weeks, the internet has been abuzz over a Netflix show called Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. The premise of the show is simple—our lives are better…

Golden State Warrior Steve Kerr’s Courtside Remark About Draymond Green: Here’s Why He’s Right

Don Yaeger March 13, 2019

Imagine for a moment: you’re on a tight deadline at work. Much is on the line, and things have been trending against you for most of the project’s duration. Just…

Team Chemistry Declines When You Go “Palms Up” Like Boston’s Kyrie Irving

Don Yaeger March 5, 2019

Sunday afternoon I found myself at a restaurant with my wife. Not a fancy restaurant, mind you, but the kind of place that has sports playing on large televisions. On…

Everything Is Temporary, Except Your Reputation: The Antonio Brown Saga

Don Yaeger March 1, 2019

This week, dozens of young athletes will put their best foot forward during the world’s largest televised job interview. They will run, jump, and conduct interviews with executives, all with…

Team Of One: While James Harden Makes History, Can Houston Win A Title?

Don Yaeger February 22, 2019

James Harden is on a historic run. The Houston Rockets shooting guard is currently on a streak of 31 games with more than 30 points—something no one has done in…

Can You Handle The Truth? Learn From Georgia’s Tom Crean

Don Yaeger February 13, 2019

Recently I had the chance to work with a company where one of their key divisions was going through a period of transition. The top two leaders of the division…

You’re Wrong For Hating The Patriots

Don Yaeger February 8, 2019

I went to a Super Bowl party on Sunday night, and it seemed for most of the game that I was the only person in the room pulling for the…

Creating Your Super Bowl Moment: NFL Champion Randy Cross On The Power of Preparation

Don Yaeger February 1, 2019

The last time Atlanta hosted a Super Bowl, the world was treated to a fantastic game between the St. Louis Rams and the Tennessee Titans. The contest came down to…

Roger Goodell Won’t Apologize For Bad Call And That’s Bad Business

Don Yaeger January 29, 2019

As a father, I’ve made it a point to teach my kids good manners. To help them, we’ve ingrained three simple phrases into their brains: “Please.” “Thank you.” “I’m sorry.”…

Motivation Or Excuse: Patriots, Saints, And How The Great Ones Respond To Adversity

Don Yaeger January 22, 2019

It’s only been a couple of days since the nation got two of the best Conference Championship games in NFL history, and some wounds are still fresh. But there’s not…

Three Lessons In “Winning” From A Fake Punt: The New Orleans Saints Story

Don Yaeger January 16, 2019

Three lessons in “winning” from a fake punt: The New Orleans Saints story When your team finds the moment slipping away when all of the energy is flowing against you…

Coming To Grips With Failure: Learn From Bears’ Kicker Cody Parkey

Don Yaeger January 8, 2019

Like a lot of NFL fans, I sat down to watch the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Chicago Bears. (Full disclosure: I did so from Auckland New Zealand, where it…

Chasing Greatness Blog

Weekly leadership lessons learned from the world of sports.

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

Dare To Be Great: The Kawhi Leonard Risk And What We Can Learn

How Experience Can Become Your Tangible Intangible: A Lesson From The Golden State Warriors

Change Your Ending: How Steph Curry, Dame Lillard, And Other Stars Turn Bad Days Into Big Games

Make Failure Your Calling Card: A Lesson From The Chicago Bears Kicking Game

It’s Not About The Refs: Turning From Excuses To Ownership

Hidden Gems: How The NFL Draft Can Help Your Business Identify Talent

Fatherhood And Father Time Make This Masters Different For Tiger Woods

Who Do You Think You Are? A Lesson In Identity From UCLA’s Search For A New Head Coach

“I Was Terrified” Virginia’s Kyle Guy Shows How Preparation Turns Pressure Into Power

Don Yaeger Speaks With John C. Maxwell

Forget Marie Kondo: Duke’s Zion Williamson Shows How To Spark Joy

Golden State Warrior Steve Kerr’s Courtside Remark About Draymond Green: Here’s Why He’s Right

Team Chemistry Declines When You Go “Palms Up” Like Boston’s Kyrie Irving

Everything Is Temporary, Except Your Reputation: The Antonio Brown Saga

Team Of One: While James Harden Makes History, Can Houston Win A Title?

Can You Handle The Truth? Learn From Georgia’s Tom Crean

You’re Wrong For Hating The Patriots

Creating Your Super Bowl Moment: NFL Champion Randy Cross On The Power of Preparation

Roger Goodell Won’t Apologize For Bad Call And That’s Bad Business

Motivation Or Excuse: Patriots, Saints, And How The Great Ones Respond To Adversity

Three Lessons In “Winning” From A Fake Punt: The New Orleans Saints Story

Coming To Grips With Failure: Learn From Bears’ Kicker Cody Parkey

Contact Don Yaeger