Mindset and Performance for Athletes + Leaders with Kevin DeShazo

The New Generation Leader - Your Tools for Winning in the Digital World

Kevin DeShazo on social media will undoubtedly encourage you, equip you, and give you insights on leadership.

As Kevin talks about in this episode, he has been diving into mindset and the power of how your mind can go to work for you.

Kevin's work as founder of Better has taken him to some of the highest-profile Division 1 college programs and the College Football Playoff. He's visited campuses for a decade, investing in the lives of student-athletes and coaches around mindset, leadership, and performance.

Show Outline

• 1:11 - The uncertainty of change
• 1:53 - Guiding leaders through uncertainty
• 5:03 - Prioritizing and taking action
• 9:01 - The importance of healthy leaders
• 9:51 - The impact of healthy leaders on student-athletes
• 10:32 - The need for better leadership in college athletics
• 17:15 - Developing young people as leaders
• 18:44 - The pressure to win and handling it
• 19:41 - Path to collegiate athletics and leadership
• 24:47 - Building a Valuable Social Media Presence
• 25:22 - Shifting Conversations on Social Media
• 27:46 - Challenges and Turnover in Athletics Administration
• 32:06 - The shift towards valuing people
• 33:30 - The challenge of holding people accountable
• 35:13 - The importance of honest feedback and accountability
• 39:50 - The importance of self-control for coaches
• 40:58 - Support and challenge in leadership
• 43:40 - The power of self-reflection for coaches

Quotes from the Episode

• "If you want an elite student-athlete experience, that means you have to make sure the people that interact with them the most are unbelievable leaders because that's going to multiply down to the student-athletes."
• "Negative thoughts actually do brain damage."
• "We won because we had the most talent, we had the best culture, but to say, hey, again all this stuff's cool but we've got to be developing these young people to perform because all this actually does is create more pressure for young people. You put all these facilities, all these resources around them, now they feel even more pressure to win. So how are we going to help them handle that and develop them?"
• "I think most people when we look back on the leaders who have made the most impact in our lives, who have been the most significant, they weren't the kindest or most comforting. That doesn't mean they weren't caring. They actually were being kind because they told us the truth, they held us accountable, they brought the healthy challenge. That is actually being kind, is to speak the truth and say, 'Hey, I love you, this needs to get better. And then, what can I do to help?'"

Connect with Kevin + Better

• Instagram @KevinDeShazo
• Better

Full Transcript - Episode 50

Coming soon!