I'm not trying to win a popularity poll. I'm trying to win football games.
Woody HayesRead
I don't apologize for anything. When I make a mistake, I take the blame and go on from there. I just despise to lose, and that has taken a man of mediocre ability and made a pretty good coach out of him.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Taking responsibility for mistakes is key to personal growth and success.
This quote by Woody Hayes emphasizes the importance of accountability and resilience in the face of failure. Rather than wallowing in regrets, he advocates for acknowledging one's mistakes and learning from them, suggesting that a strong desire to succeed can transform someone's capabilities and lead to significant achievements, even from a position of mediocrity.
Themes
AccountabilityLearningResilienceSuccessCoaching
In practice
Example use cases
In a leadership meeting discussing team dynamics, this quote can remind members to embrace accountability.
More from Woody Hayes
All quotes →Any time you give a man something he doesn't earn, you cheapen him. Our kids earn what they get, and that includes respect.
Woody HayesRead
Nobody despises to lose more than I do. That's got me into trouble over the years, but it also made a man of mediocre ability into a pretty good coach.
Woody HayesRead
The minute I think I'm getting mellow, I'm retiring. Who ever heard of a mellow winner?
Woody HayesRead
The only thing even in this world is the number of hours in a day. The difference in winning or losing is what you do with those hours.
Woody HayesRead
There's nothing in this world that comes easy. There are a lot of people who aren't going to bother to win. We learn in football to get up and go once more.
Woody HayesRead
Similar quotes
You fail, and then what? Life goes on. It's only when you risk failure that you discover things.
Lupita Nyong'ORead
Winners never quit and quitters never win.
Vince LombardiRead
..people are working harder than ever, but because they lack clarity and vision, they aren’t getting very far. They, in essence, are pushing a rope...with all of their might.
Stephen CoveyRead
I'm not a big believer in long-term planning and far-off goals. In fact, I generally set 3-month and 6-month dreamlines. The variables change too much and in-the-future distance becomes an excuse for postponing action.
Tim FerrissRead
We tend to minimize the things we can do, the goals we can accomplish, and for some equally strange reason we think other people can accomplish things that we cannot. I want you to understand that that is not true. You have deep reservoirs of talent and ability within you that you can bring to the surface and achieve all that you desire
Earl NightingaleRead
Though we may have desires or bold goals, for whatever reason, most of us don't think we can achieve something beyond what we're qualified to achieve. Why, I ask, do we let reality interfere with our dreams?
Simon SinekRead