In Desperate Search for the Get Rich Quick Scheme
Athletes who took shortcuts become coaches that do the same.
I was the flavor of the month—the shiny new penny glinting on the ground. The fresh-faced coach who had seemingly cracked the code. I’d done something different, and suddenly, everyone wanted to know my secret. Fresh off a state championship win, I was the talk of the circuit. That’s how I found myself standing in front of a room full of coaches at a clinic, the youngest person in the room by a good margin, still in my 20s, basking in the afterglow of leading my small school (graduating classes of less than 50) to the Nike Team National prelims.
The room was filled with seasoned veterans, coaches who’d been doing this long before I’d ever purchased a “real” stopwatch. But here I was, the "new kid," up at the front. I had prepared thoroughly, feeling confident as I opened my PowerPoint (don’t judge me) and began walking through our training program. I’d put hours into that presentation—visuals, stats, everything lined up to show exactly how we transformed our team. I like to think of myself as a good teacher, the kind that can capture attention and get people to buy into a vision. So, as I clicked through each slide, I scanned the room, waiting for the nods of approval, maybe even the occasional "aha" moment.
But instead of curiosity or intrigue, all I got was silence. Not the "I’m listening, keep going" silence. No, this was the uncomfortable kind—the kind that makes you question if the mic is even on. And then came the scoffing. It was subtle at first—just a few eye-rolls and muffled laughs. But soon, I could see the disbelief etched across their faces, like I was trying to sell them snake oil.
To them, the program I was presenting didn’t make sense. It didn’t fit the mold. Where were the relentless high-intensity sessions? The soul-crushing mileage? That’s how you win, right? That’s how you get athletes to run fast. And yet, here I was, standing there telling them we did it differently—focused on long-term development, gradual progress, and keeping athletes healthy. I could tell they thought I was lying. But what they didn’t understand was that I had once been in their shoes—stuck in that same short-sighted mindset.
From Short-Sightedness to Prudence
I used to be that coach—the one chasing quick results, thinking the harder I pushed my athletes, the better they’d perform. I was focused on winning the next race, not thinking much beyond that. But that mindset didn’t work for long. My athletes were getting injured, burning out, losing interest. I was missing the bigger picture.
It wasn’t until I shifted my focus to long-term development that I saw the real change. Instead of asking how we could win the next meet, I started asking how we could develop athletes who would continue improving for years, peaking when it mattered most—at the end of their high school careers and even beyond. This wasn’t about taking shortcuts. It was about building something sustainable.
That’s when I learned a truth I still carry with me today, one that’s echoed in Proverbs 14:8: “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.”
Stability in Leadership
Proverbs 14:8 offers a powerful lesson for leaders, especially those of us in coaching or any leadership role. The word Arum—translated as “prudence”—carries the idea of careful foresight, strategic thinking, and shrewdness. It’s about seeing the whole picture, not just the immediate result in front of you. This is the kind of wisdom that separates good leaders from great ones.
For me, this verse hit home as I reflected on how I had approached coaching early on versus what I had learned. In the early days, I was focused on short-term gains. The “folly of fools” was deception, and I had been deceiving myself into thinking that quick success was sustainable.
But Arum—the kind of wisdom that Proverbs is talking about—isn’t about chasing after immediate victories. It’s about laying a foundation, one that can withstand pressure over time. It’s about considering how today’s decisions will shape the future of your athletes, your team, and ultimately, your own growth as a leader.
Long-Term Success Through Strategic Leadership
Once I embraced a long-term view, everything changed.
I began to design my training programs with a focus on longevity. Instead of pushing athletes to their breaking points for the sake of quick success, I emphasized steady, consistent improvement. Every decision I made was now centered around one question: How can I keep my athletes healthy and continuously improving for years?
The key wasn’t in grinding them down with back-to-back high-intensity sessions. The key was in careful, thoughtful planning—a strategy that prioritized recovery, proper pacing, and gradual development. The results? Well, I believe the athletes thrived. They weren’t just winning races; they were running their best in their final year, healthier and more confident than ever before.
Sure, this approach didn’t come with the immediate gratification of a quick fix. But in the long run, it produced athletes who stayed in love with the sport, avoided burnout, and reached their full potential when it mattered most.
This wasn’t just about running—it was about building a program that could last, a team that could sustain success over the years. Simon Sinek, in his book The Infinite Game, explains that leaders often fall into the trap of playing a finite game—focused solely on short-term wins and immediate results. In contrast, true leadership embraces the infinite game, where the goal isn’t just to win today but to build something enduring. In the infinite game, success isn’t measured by short-term gains, but by longevity and adaptability over time. As Sinek says, it’s about creating an environment where the organization, or in this case, the team, thrives for years, not just one season. And that’s what real leadership is about. It’s not about winning today at the cost of tomorrow. It’s about ensuring that tomorrow, and the next year, and the year after that, are just as successful, if not more.
The Power of Prudence in All Areas
The lesson I learned as a coach applies far beyond athletics. Whether you’re running a business, leading a team, or managing a project, the same principle holds true: Prudence—the ability to think ahead and plan strategically—is the foundation for long-term success.
Too often, leaders get caught up in the allure of short-term victories. They chase quick gains, hoping for immediate results, but they fail to see the bigger picture. This is where leadership can falter—when the pursuit of what’s easy or immediate blinds us to what’s sustainable and wise.
Real leadership requires stepping back and thinking about the long-term implications of your decisions. It requires the wisdom of prudence, the kind of leadership that builds something lasting.
Returning to the Conference Room
As I stood in front of those skeptical coaches, I knew that I wasn’t there to convince them of my methods (no get rich quick schemes here). My goal wasn’t to sell them on my approach, but rather to share a different way of thinking—a way of thinking that prioritized long-term success over short-term victories.
Years later, the athletes I worked with back then are still running. They’re healthy, strong, and still improving. Our program wasn’t built on quick fixes; it was built on steady, consistent progress.
And in the end, that’s the secret. Real leadership is about seeing beyond today, making decisions that lead to stability, and building something that lasts. That’s the kind of wisdom Proverbs 14:8 teaches us, and that’s the kind of leadership that stands the test of time.