Let Them Lead Quotes

“We’re fair and fun and we get it done.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“The stars get all kinds of positive feedback from their statistics”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“Likewise”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“often complain about modern employees’ appetite for approval—but why? Praise is easy to give”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“Boredom is poison. The antidote: measurable milestones.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“The caveat here is that praise is only effective when it’s sincere. Numbers help. If you want to praise your people for making progress, you start by measuring it.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“We weren’t just selling the hard, but also celebrating the sense of purpose, accountability, and belonging that goes with high expectations.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“Some of the little things have stuck with me longer than the games and the goals,”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“On our team we sold the hard, and the players bought it, because they sensed a deep compliment embedded in those expectations:”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“Second, because we always tried to give them more in return. I came up with a lot of slogans, but I was always interested to see which ones meant the most to them. Those became our mantras. This one they repeated often: “I work hard for you. You work hard for me.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“So why didn’t any of our guys quit? First, because they proved to be much tougher, stronger, and more dedicated than anyone had given them credit for—including me. Just about everyone had told me the exact opposite about them. Fact is, no one knew what these guys had inside them because no one had ever tested them to find out.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“There is no reason to be stingy with praise—especially for those who need it most.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“You have to work harder than your people do—and they need to see that. If you’re working hard, it’s fair for you to expect them to work hard. That’s the deal.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“But—and I need to be crystal-clear about this—we didn’t spend that time with our players because we felt obligated to, or because we wanted to get inside information or gain a competitive edge. No, we just liked them, and we liked being around them.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“Whatever else we coaches got right or wrong, the players knew that all of us were exchanging a lot of our lives to work with them—and we were happy to make the trade.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“Henry David Thoreau said the price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“What struck me about those casual conversations was how often things I really needed to know would pop up. By keeping the conversation going, you learn things you’d never hear otherwise.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“Even better, the more the players got to know me, the less they feared approaching me.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“Most of our players played another sport, something we strongly encouraged.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“The business concept of “management by walking around” is essential to your success.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“The more you share, the more they’re going to share. That’s how you begin to develop trust with your people.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“Here’s the scary part: if you want to know your people, you have to let them know you—and you have to go first.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“Your résumé, your title, your tactics, your fancy speeches—none of it counts for much if your employees don’t already know you care about them as people.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“Huron’s former assistant principal Al Gallup, a World War II veteran who’s still biking every day at ninety-four, told me years ago, “It’s hard to motivate people you don’t know.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“great leaders always know their people.Always. And that’s why the best leaders make that their top priority.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“The best speeches are usually not spontaneously pulled from thin air, either, but patiently prepared like a bonfire—slowly constructed and soaked in fuel until the moment comes to light the match, toss it on”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“I now believe that what happens before a great locker-room speech is more important than the speech itself.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“If you want your people to trust you, you have to trust them first.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“When you trust each other, you can make difficult decisions with confidence.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team

“No need to force-feed anyone. If you’re not hungry for what we’re serving, that’s fine. Keep walking. But if you are, keep eating. We’ll get you more.”
― John U. Bacon, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team