Attitude

"An athlete with a good attitude is coachable. He welcomes criticism, constantly seeks to learn, and avoids criticizing his coach or teammates."
-#7 on list for Having a Proper Attitude

Coach Tressel devotes an entire section, and even bases a large part of the Ohio State University football program, to having a proper attitude. There is no substitute in life for gratitude, humility, and enthusiasm. At the heart of these characteristics is the desire to put the team and the goal first.

How often in life are we "coachable"? Do we welcome criticism, seek to learn, and avoid the pitfall of blaming and criticising others? I am guilty of failing at all three of these often. When I feel stressed or something in life just hasn't gone my way, I am the last person who wants to hear criticism. It is in my human nature to put the blame on other circumstances or even on someone else. I don't feel like being willing to learn from my mistakes. Sometimes, I even buy into the lie that I already have the right answers and I can fix the problem myself. When I succumb to any of these, I am putting myself ahead of the "goal" and ahead of the people around me. Attitude is a virus. Whether it is my team, my family, my department, or anything else I lead, my attitude is infectious. A team that constantly throws blame at each other and is unwilling to learn from each other is doomed for failure. When we model an attitude of humility, one that allows us to say that we are at fault and we are in need of teaching from someone who is more knowledgable, that attitude begins to spread and we are headed towards growth (both individually and as a community/team/family/department). In Proverbs it is written, "Humility precedes honor." God calls us to practice an attitude of humility.

Do I have the humility to be coachable?