Lou Holtz, the legendary football coach, once said, “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.”
This isn’t just a quote for the sports world; it’s a powerful and practical framework for anyone in a leadership role. It breaks down the essential components of success into three distinct, yet interconnected, pillars. As leaders, we’re not just measured by what we know, but by our capacity to inspire action and cultivate a resilient mindset in ourselves and our teams. This week, let’s explore how this timeless wisdom applies directly to effective leadership.
1. Ability: The Foundation of Competence
This is the raw material of leadership. Ability is your knowledge, skills, and experience—the technical and strategic expertise that qualifies you for the role. It’s the baseline, the non-negotiable set of competencies that prove you’re capable of navigating complex challenges. It includes everything from your formal education and certifications to your hands-on experience in a specific industry.
- In action for a leader: A leader’s ability is demonstrated by their capacity to create a compelling strategic plan, analyze market trends to inform key decisions, or manage a project budget with precision. It’s the reason you were chosen for the job, and it’s what gives your team confidence in your direction. Without a solid foundation of ability, a leader lacks credibility.
2. Motivation: The Catalyst for Action
Motivation is the engine that transforms potential into performance. You can have all the ability in the world, but without the drive to act, nothing gets done. For a leader, this pillar has two parts: your own personal drive to achieve and, more importantly, your capacity to ignite that same fire in your team. A great leader doesn’t just delegate tasks; they inspire a collective desire to succeed, connecting individual efforts to a larger, shared purpose.
- In action for a leader: A leader who understands motivation doesn’t just tell their team what to do; they empower them. This means setting clear, compelling goals and providing the necessary resources and autonomy for people to achieve them. It’s about recognizing achievements, offering constructive feedback, and fostering an environment where every team member feels valued and their contributions matter.
3. Attitude: The Multiplier of Success
While ability gets you in the door and motivation gets you moving, attitude is what determines the quality of your work and the resilience of your team. This is the mindset you bring to every challenge. It’s about your resilience in the face of setbacks, your optimism during tough times, and your willingness to learn and adapt. A positive, growth-oriented attitude can turn a capable but unmotivated team into an unstoppable force. It’s the secret ingredient that makes good teams great.
- In action for a leader: During a difficult project setback, a leader with a strong attitude doesn’t dwell on the failure. Instead, they focus on what can be learned from the experience, rally the team with a positive outlook, and maintain a calm, confident presence. This attitude is contagious, shaping the entire team’s culture and elevating everyone’s performance, even under immense pressure.
A Reflection on Leadership and College Football
Thinking about Lou Holtz, it’s clear how this quote shaped his legacy. He could identify a player’s raw ability, but his true genius was in motivating them to execute and instilling an unshakeable attitude that led to championships. Great leadership, whether on the field or in the boardroom, is about developing all three of these pillars—in yourself and in your team.
In leadership, as in football, success is rarely a straight line. It’s a combination of talent, drive, and the right mindset. By focusing on ability, inspiring motivation, and cultivating a winning attitude, we can lead our teams to achieve far more than they thought possible.
Book Recommendation
For a deeper dive into this topic, I highly recommend “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” by Daniel H. Pink.
Why it’s a must-read: Pink challenges the traditional carrot-and-stick model of motivation. He argues that for complex, creative work, intrinsic motivation—the desire to do things for their own sake—is far more powerful. He introduces three key elements of intrinsic motivation:
- Autonomy: The desire to direct our own lives.
- Mastery: The urge to get better and better at something that matters.
- Purpose: The yearning to do what we do in service of something larger than ourselves.
This book provides a modern, science-based approach to understanding how to cultivate motivation and create an environment where a positive attitude and peak performance can thrive.