Lots of football in “Above the Line” and lots of stories about success and failure. It would be a better book for anyone that is an Ohio State Buckeyes fan but has content to help businesses, corporations, teachers and more learn the track to success.
Saban talks about some of his former players and how they were just outright good people. He relays the story of walk-on Nick Sarac that was offered a scholarship by Saban going into his senior season. He turned it down because his family could pay and there are others that could use it more.
This book has many references to his successful 2014 Ohio State season. He talks about things he learned in Florida as head coach and how life and family caught up with him. It was because of those things he left a cushy head coaching job with the Gators.
He touches on how his leadership qualities were lacking for years and introduces the readers to E + R = O. Events plus Reaction = Outcome. He wants his players to be above the line leaders and persons in society.
He uses the 2014 season that lost their star quarterback and potential Heisman Trophy winner to injury and how the team went through bad times and good times to become national champions.
Meyer tells about how he had to change his thought process as he had an excellent football player that couldn’t manage life and proceeded to commit suicide. Urban Meyer shows his helplessness at that time and realized he needed to get through to his players in a better way.
Meyer writes. “Success is determined by how you choose to manage the R.” How to manage reactions to events is what Meyer calls “the R Factor.” There are six parts to this that can set a player, worker, and student on the path towards success with press pause, get your mind right, step up, adjust and adapt, make a difference and build skill.
These are keys to success in the business world as well as life skills to success. He states there are three core beliefs in OSU football and they are effort (relentless effort), excellence (competitive excellence) and power of the group (unit). Go as hard as you can for as long as you can and prepare and focus.
This book is football through and through with a large touch of teamwork and focusing processes that can help the corporations and educators. The book is worthy of high praise. You should read it.
Here are a few quotes from the book.
“Think hard. Be as specific as possible. Ask yourself: “Exactly what is it that I am after every day?” If you are Federal Express, your clarity of purpose is get it there. If you are Disney, it is make people happy. If you are the Ohio State”
“A leader is someone who inspires and empowers people to get to places that they wouldn’t be able to reach otherwise, sure, but you also need to have people who are willing to be led. You”
“Giving up on somebody takes nothing. Helping them change takes a tremendous amount of time, energy, discipline, and love. In the end, it’s worth it.” by Urban Meyer, Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Season
Click here to buy your copy of Above the Line
