Loading
Hall of Fame football coach Joe Gibbs, in Sarasota recently to plug his book, “Game Plan for Life,” says adversity, in life and business, can really be a secret weapon for success.
“I stared out 0-5,” Gibbs says of his first season with the Washington Redskins, in 1981. “I lost the first five games I coached. And 0-5 is a big deal in Washington, D.C.”
But Gibbs, in an interview with the Business Observer, says the ability to stick to a plan only becomes more vital when things aren't going well. For Gibbs, a devout Christian, that plan was to have faith — and pick the right team.
“I was able to get 45 really good players with the Redskins and that made me look like a champion,” Gibbs tells Coffee Talk. “My job as head coach was to help these players be the best they could be.”
Gibbs, who also owns a Nascar team, says he did that by paying attention to cues that helped each of his players overachieve. And he was good at that task: A three-time Super Bowl winner in the 1980s, Gibbs was known for winning games without always having superstar quarterbacks and running backs.
“When it comes to motivating people, everyone is different,” Gibbs says. “Some people, all it takes is a little bit of sugar. It takes a lot more than that for other people.”
Gibbs spoke at a breakfast at Robarts Arena in Sarasota Sept. 10. “Game Plan for Life” includes chapters on finances, health, careers and how success in those and other areas can be traced to Biblical teachings and principals.
Your free article limit has been reached this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited digital access to our award-winning business news.
Join thousands of executives who rely on us for insights spanning Tampa Bay to Naples.
