Six Reads For Friday November 28th 2014

I hope you have had a Happy Thanksgiving. Here are five six reads for this week that I hope you will find meaningful. I have one more than the usual five because I could not decide between two on gratitude and virtuous behavior. They were both meaningful to me.

Five Ways Leaders Can Show Gratitude -- Tim Elmore
Thanksgiving is a great time for gratitude articles. It seems people who are really good at showing their gratitude receive health benefits from that behavior too. Tim Elmore explains in the article above.

The Trick To Being More Virtuous -- Brooks -- NYT
I liked this article for a couple reasons. First, it shares an interesting story about the authors visit to Provo, Utah and how it affected his behavior. I spent over a week this summer in Utah. Most of that week in Provo -- with a short side trip to Park City. I am not Mormon and never will be. I have only known a few Mormons in my life. But I have always respected the disciplined way they have conducted their lives. Second, I have been thinking a lot about team culture recently. I think there are some good thoughts in this article on building a better team culture.

Friday Focus - Blake Theroux - Flotrack
Blake Theroux runs for the University of Colorado that just defended their NCAA Cross Country Championship. You may not know or even understand the sport of cross country. But you ought to read Theroux's answer to the question what advice he would give to a high school runner who aspires to run at the next level. It sounds a lot better coming from an All-American and National Champion that it does from me, but the basics are focus on one day at a time.

Guidelines for Young Athletes To Reduce Injury -- WSJ
Organized sports are now part of just about every child's youth. For some it is multiple teams and multiple sports at the same time. There is a price to pay for many with all this engagement. Great article that goes beyond the issue of guidelines. Great to see my College teammate Dr. JP Difiori once again quoted on the topic. He's a guy you can trust.

The Power of High Leverage Practice -- Daniel Coyle
Odell Beckham's catch in last weeks Giants Cowboys game some have called the greatest catch ever in NFL history. I still think the "Immaculate Reception" (from the Raiders vs. Steelers playoff game in 1973) is the best. But that's not my point. Odell Beckham made that catch because he practiced making a one handed catch and this post describes how.

Need To Change? Keep A Diary. -- Harvard Business Review
I believe one of the most important steps an athlete takes to truly realizing their potential has nothing to do with what they are doing it in practice. It is a habit of journaling after practice. Getting high school kids to understand this I have always found a challenge. But when they start and commit to it, they never stop and it makes a huge difference eventually in performance. Here Harvard Business Review explains it is not just fitness that can improve.