Lessons from Coach Lou Holtz

Icons in the public sphere from sports figures to music industry artists, from actors to politicians, capture our attention and imagination for different reasons throughout our lives. When one of these icons dies, even though we may have never met the individual, we feel a sense of loss. Today I’m thinking about University of Notre Dame and University of South Carolina legendary football coach Lou Holtz, who passed away at the age of 89 years.

I never personally met Lou Holtz, but I did hear him speak at professional meetings on several occasions. I also read his 1998 best-selling book Winning Every Day: The Game Plan for Success. Of course, Coach Holtz was a sports commentator for many years, and we heard his quips and moments of poetic wisdom throughout football season. Today, in honor of Coach Holtz and the lessons I learned from him, I’m going to highlight a series of his quotes with a “be” statement that I took from them. All of these quotations come from his writings or speeches, and I hope that perhaps you can find 10 to 15 minutes of quiet space to ponder the coach’s words, considering how they may impact your role in our profession.

“Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” Be positive.

“If you burn your neighbor’s house down, it doesn’t make your house look any better.” Be kind.

“Winners embrace hard work. They love the discipline of it, the trade-off they’re making to win. Losers, on the other hand, see it as punishment. And that’s the difference.” Be a winner.

“Remember, every day some ordinary person does something extraordinary. Today, it’s your turn.” Be extraordinary.

“I follow three rules: Do the right thing, do the best you can, and always show people you care.” Be genuine.

“Nothing on this earth is standing still. It’s either growing or dying. No matter if it’s a tree or a human being.” Be open to growth.

 “If what you did today seems big, you haven’t done anything today.” Be humble.

“The freedom to do your own thing ends when you have obligations and responsibilities. If you want to fail yourself, you can, but you cannot do your own thing if you have responsibilities to team members.” Be responsible.

“Pressure comes when you are called upon to perform a task that you aren’t prepared for.” Be prepared.

“When all is said and done, more is said than done.” Be a doer.

“Don’t be a spectator, don’t let life pass you by.” Be involved.

“You’ll never get ahead of anyone as long as you are trying to get even with him.” Be forgiving.

“Successful people will always tell you that you can do something. It’s the people who have never accomplished anything who will always discourage you from trying to achieve excellent things.” Be encouraging.

“Making a big life change is pretty scary. But you know what’s even scarier? Regret.” Be courageous.

“The man that complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it.” Be accountable.

“We can all be successful and make money, but when we die, that ends. But when you are significant is when you help other people be successful. That lasts many a lifetime.” Be a mentor.

May we all be better, and grow, personally and professionally, because of the inspiration of Coach Holtz and those like him who inspire us every day.

For every pharmacist. For all of pharmacy.