Author: Andrew Teitelbaum

About ten years ago, while auditing a team building program led by a Navy Seal, I came across a handy definition for leadership.  Leadership is accomplishing a task to a standard with consequences.  As a coach I employed this ditty quite often, particularly when developing athletes into team leaders.  “Managers accomplish tasks,” I would tell … Continue reading Day 124: 20-40-60…

Here’s a confession.  I am a BTL builder who has neglected his core work; not my BTL Core, but my physical core.  I ride the Peloton like I am training for a road race, but until recently, when it was time to get on the mat, I was a no-show. My first step on the … Continue reading Day 116: What the hell…

As a leader in the sports world, I’ve seen a lot of attempts to establish a group mantra.  “We Work,” “Burn the Boats,” and “Believe” are just a few that quickly come to mind. Truth be told, I’ve never been much a fan of team mantras, unless, that is, they connect the team to two … Continue reading Day 114: En Brera…

If you are a rowing coach at an American university right now, you are “in it.”  You are halfway through your racing season, with a bunch of feedback and not a lot of time before the League and Conference Championships arrive.  You are looking at your results and the results around the country, your line … Continue reading Day 112: Specific, concrete, and actionable…

From 2013-2016 I led a team who achieved an unprecedented period of success in NCAA Rowing history. A few years after that series of championships, my wife asked what I thought had separated those teams from the ones I had led before and since.  Without hesitation I responded, Catherine Shields. You might think that one … Continue reading Day 100: One warrior…

No one wants a leader who plays not to lose.  No team is inspired, energized, or convinced by a leader who in a moment of truth defers, delays, or defaults.  People want a leader with nerve. What separates a leader with nerve from one who lacks it?  One word: belief. Do you deeply believe in … Continue reading Day 79: Nerve…

Avodah translates as “work, worship, and service” in Hebrew.  It makes sense to me that these three concepts should nest together in one word.  As I see it, the lynchpin here is worship (to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion), for what you worship will greatly impact your work and how it … Continue reading Day 66 Avodah…

We all have holes.  Two years ago, I had a big one blown through me: I got fired.  I believe many things; among the deepest of them is that forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.  Logically I understood this, verbally I expressed it, but emotionally I could not forgive the person who decided to … Continue reading Day 61: Repent…