Ruthless Consistency

My son Leon is two and a half. For months, I fell into a trap. I would lay with him every night and cuddle him until he fell asleep.

It felt like the right dad move. But the system was broken. It took way too long, and I usually fell asleep before he did.

I was losing my entire evening to comfort.

This week, I killed the old system. We established a new standard. He had to learn how to fall asleep on his own.

The execution was brutal. I put him in his bed and walked out. Every time he tried to leave the room, I walked him right back and put him horizontal.

No negotiating. No extra hugs. Just ruthless consistency to the new standard.

As coaches, we do the exact same thing with our athletes. We hold their hands. We cuddle them through adversity because it avoids conflict in the moment.

We think we are being good mentors. We are actually building a massive weakness.

You have to stop doing the work for them. If you want your players to execute in the fourth quarter, they need to learn how to stand on their own.

When an athlete breaks the culture, do not negotiate. Do not over-explain. Coldly put them back in line and point to the standard.

Ruthless consistency is the only way behavior actually changes. The process is exhausting at first. But the freedom on the other side is worth the fight.

Keep the Fire Burning,

Leech