How Do the Great Achievers Think?
When we’re in a position of authority or expertise as coaches, teachers, parents, or administrators it becomes very easy to make judgments about the futures of people with whom we are helping. Heck, we’ve spent our life’s work studying our own particular area of performance, whether it’s hockey or physics, golf or English literature. And our tutorees are asking for our “expert” advice. The last thing we want to do is let them down. Being humane, kind-hearted souls who have chosen a “helping” profession, we want to protect our prodigies from harm, protect them from painful heartbreak. And we want to see them succeed.
So we try to paint a picture of “reality” that
...I fall into the first group. The few times I have built up the courage to go to a Pro for lessons, has been a frustrating experience for the Pro. The Pro usually walks away in disgust after a few ...
Look at it this way: if your mission is to win at
...feeling that I would have the time of my life. My parents would go with me to watch me when the championship was being played. The day before the tournament, there was a parade of flags for all the contestants ...
...the Gulf Islands along the southwest coast of the British Columbia mainland, have perfect weather conditions for eight to nine months of the year at least. In comparison, dry conditions exist in the parched, southernmost valleys of British Columbia?s Rockies, ...
The point is, if you’re in a position to advise, influence, and even direct the future of people, you have a duty to believe in them. Very simply, don’t assume you know what is best for them. Let them tell you, and then get totally juiced about helping them chase whatever it is they want. Your job as an “expert” is to teach them how to love tackling failure, not how to prevent or avoid it. They need to feel from their mentor or support system a confidence that there are no impossibilities, only possibilities. Check out the following
...Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days. In spite of the compelling heart protective data related to physical activity, less than 50% of Americans are following these recommendations. And 25% of adults are not active ...
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“Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.”
Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949
“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
“I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won’t last out a year.”
The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957
“But what…is it good for?”
Engineer at the
...go back to what they were comfortable with; their old swing. The lesson I learned here was to create a new habit (a new skill) requires a determination to continue practicing the new skill until it becomes second nature. Even ...
“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.”
Ken Olson, President, Chairman and Founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.”
Western Union internal memo, 1876
“The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a ‘C’, the idea must be feasible.”
A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith’s paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. Smith went on to found Federal Express.
“A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America
...attire in their lineup. This is not to say that Tartan is for everyone, it takes a certain conscientious soul to don the fashions of the past in today s game. There is no mistaking the certain charm and regal ...
Response to Debbie Fields’ idea of starting Mrs. Fields Cookies
“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.”
Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962
“If I had thought about it, I wouldn’t have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can’t do this.”
Spencer Silver on the work that lead to the unique adhesives for 3M “Post-it” Notepads
“So we went to Atari and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we’ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay
...by their characteristics along. Things like Nike or Adidas shoes make people believe they understood them. First of all, a proper swing is key to playing good golf. Women s golf has been known for playing good golf and their ...
Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempt to get Atari and H-P interested in his and Steve Wozniak’s personal computer.
“Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools.”
New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard’s revolutionary rocket work, 1921
“You want to have consistent and uniform muscle development across all of your muscles? It can’t be done. It’s
...scan through golf school directories to find one that is close to you, or close to your vacation destination, however, to get you started you may want to consider these top rated women s golf schools. Your first option is ...
Response to Arthur Jones, who solved the “unsolvable” problem by inventing Nautilus
“Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.”
Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929
“Everything that can be invented has been invented.”
Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899
“Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction.”
Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872
“The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will be forever shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon.”
Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria, 1873
“The phonograph is not of any
...few blacks in pro baseball. The way Title IX has been interpreted and implemented, it effectively restricts the number of baseball scholarships colleges and universities offer. In fact, most schools, even major schools like the University of Florida, do not ...
Thomas Edison, 1880
“Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical and insignificant, if not utterly impossible. “
Simon Newcomb, astronomer, 1902
“Sensible and responsible women do not want to vote. “
Grover Cleveland, 1905
“It is an idle dream to imagine that automobiles will take the place of railways in the long distance movement of passengers. “
American Road Congress, 1913
“There is no likelihood that man can ever tap the power of the atom. “
Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize winner in physics, 1920
“Babe Ruth made a big mistake when he gave up pitching. “
Tris Speaker, 1921
“Who wants to hear actors talk? “
Harry Warner, Warner Brothers Pictures, 1927
“The odds are that the
...gives you a chance to learn by doing. It's akin to getting instant golf tips after hitting shots. Below are some examples of what I call second-serve techniques. Experienced teaching pros provided these examples. They're not only simple to do, ...
New Science Magazine, 1964
“640K ought to be enough for anybody.”
Bill Gates, 1981
JOHN F. ELIOT, PH.D., is an award winning professor of management, psychology, and human performance. He holds faculty appointments at Rice University and the SMU Cox School of Business Leadership Center. He is a co-founder of the Milestone Group, a consulting firm providing training to business executives, professional athletes, physicians, and corporations. Dr. Eliot s clients have included: SAP, XEROX, Disney, Adidas, the United States Olympic Committee, the National Champion Rice Owl’s baseball team, and the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Eliot s cutting edge work has been featured
...best golf instruction site online, we believe, due to the fact that your guaranteed (yes, it's guaranteed) to lengthen your drive and cut your handicap by 7-12 strokes in just two weeks. If you want to learn more about this, ...
