They called you lucky.

They called you undeserving.

They called your confidence weak and you team untested.

They called the other teams a dynasty, the favorite, unbeatable.

They called your raking disputable and surprising.

They called you a fourth seed, if that.

They called you an underdog.

But now they call you something else…

CHAMPIONS

~Nike’s Champions Poster

On January 12, 2015 the Ohio State Buckeyes proved themselves as they won the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship defeating Oregon 42-20. This accomplishment goes down as one of the great stories in college football history.

The Buckeyes began the 2014 season losing their first string quarterback, Heisman contender, Braxton Miller, when he collapsed on the practice field suffering from a long-standing shoulder injury.

The Buckeyes went on to lose an early home game against Virginia Tech under the leadership of second-string quarterback, J.T. Barrett.  After that initial devastating loss, Barrett was able to turn it around and led the Buckeyes to a winning season to then become the Big Ten’s most valuable player before breaking his ankle in their final regular season game.

Heading into the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin, third-string quarterback, sophomore Cardale Jones was quickly promoted and led Ohio State to a shut out game against Wisconsin, 59-0  making the Buckeyes the Big Ten title winner.

Somehow in all this chaos, Ohio State got better.

Onto the Sugar Bowl, Ohio State shocked the nation as they defeated #1 Alabama 42-35 earning them a spot in the National Championship Game.  Ohio State’s unprecedented season culminated in a win against #2 Oregon giving them the National Championship title.  An honor they were never supposed to achieve.

Yet I sit and write this not inspired by OSU’s titles or incredible win Monday night, but more so by the inner workings of what led to that outcome.  This was a team that against all odds came out on top.

A team that had the will to win and a powerful belief in themselves.

Whether you are a Buckeye fan or foe, there are lessons to be learned by evaluating Ohio State’s 2014 season and how they persevered to achieve their ultimate dream.

NEVER GIVE UP

Many teams would have given up coming into the season with a lost bowl game from the previous season and an injured quarterback. Many others would have given up after losing yet another quarterback before heading into a championship game. But Ohio State never stopped believing in themselves.

What differentiates good from great is tenacity and persistence. When you fall down, it is the will to get back up that matters. It is taking the risks — even when you don’t have the proof or guarantee that you will have a successful outcome.

As Jim Thompson, founder of Positive Coaching Alliance, states in his book Elevating Your Game, you can never be your best if you fear mistakes. Athletes who are tentative or afraid of making a mistake are usually the ones who get beat. Thompson  goes as far to say “Being afraid of mistakes is worse than making one.”

We all face adversity — we all fall down. It is not the failure that matters, it is how gracefully you pick yourself back up and use the information to make yourself stronger. And even in the midst of failure, having that inner knowing that you can and will do it.

DON’T LET OTHERS DICTATE WHAT IS POSSIBLE

If Ohio State listened to or even worse subscribed to all the negative press they received throughout the season, they would have lost. In the midst of the harsh comments “undeserving”, “weak”, “untested”, Coach Meyer and the Buckeyes never stopped believing in their potential.

We all have critics — those who doubt our capabilities or tell us it can’t be done. Especially when you have big ideas or want to go where no one has gone before. People will challenge your intention.  People may question the reality of your ideas. Yet, the most successful leaders and innovators are those who challenge the status quo and push beyond what anyone may have thought possible.

TAKE IT ONE STEP AT A TIME

Far too often we get ahead of ourselves. We spend too much time focusing on the long-term goals and in effect become overwhelmed. Long ago I learned a technique called “3-foot toss”, in which you focus on the immediate next step which will take you closer to your larger goal. By taking small, yet deliberate steps you are able to break down what could be an overwhelming goal and experience immediate success.  All the while, moving you closer to your greater goal.

When Ohio State’s Coach Urban Meyer was asked about the future of the Buckeyes, his response was “The plan that’s in place is to try to clinch the Big Ten championship…to be representative of the Eastern Division. That’s our plan.” His focus was on the present. Not the future (who will be quarterback in 2015) or the past (the major loss against Virginia Tech that many felt would keep OSU out of the playoff game). His only focus was on the next game. As Darron Lee, OSU linebacker, stated “After we play a game, next mission… focus on that and take it one step at a time. The greatest feature of this team is we take it one step at a time. It’s going to benefit us in the long run.”  And it did.

THINK POSITIVELY

A Wall Street Journal article written several days before the championship game, The Power Of Ohio State’s Positive Thinking, summarizes how Cardale Jones was able to step up so quickly. The Buckeye’s mantra  for the past two years has been “E plus R equals O”… Event plus Response equals Outcome.” This motto has been instilled in the players by the Buckeye’s leadership coach Tim Kight. Kight’s message—that a successful reaction isn’t impulsive but rather a skill that can be taught—and has helped the Ohio State players harness the power of positive responses to every imaginable event.

We all have a choice in how we view our situation. When we decide to have a positive reaction to any event, we are more likely going to get our desired results. As Kight powerfully stated “If you asked the one thing that has powered this team’s resilience, they’d say it’s a brotherhood of trust, and we play for each other. They were taught that. That didn’t happen by accident.”  Ohio State’s positive thinking, coupled with their unwavering belief in their ability to win, allowed them to push through, persevere, and beat all odds.

And for that, I am proud to be a Buckeye!

Do you belief in yourself?  Do you have the inner knowing that you can accomplish your biggest dreams?  Are you willing to persevere through the obstacles maintaining a positive response to you can achieve your desired outcome?

To learn more about positive thinking and other crucial leadership skills, schedule a complementary Deep Dive Strategy Session today!