I was just one player who played football for coach Don Matthews. We didn’t win any of our varsity football games my sophomore year of high school. Coach Don arrived my junior year and we ended up being Oregon State Champions my senior year.

I was saddened to learn of the passing of my Hall of Fame coach. Yes, he went on to Canadian Football League coaching the CFL and retiring as the leagues winning coach with a record of 231-132-1.

Coach Don was known to  be bold, brash, and confident. He built winners, players, and teams. Don Matthews, make no mistake, had a style, “swagger,” and passion for the lives of those he left.

I was a good athlete but my day changed when my coach took me for a brief walk following one of our football practices. He said two things that unlocked my greatest potential, “Steve Gutzler, you are a great athlete. you are also a leader. I need you to play great this year and lead this team!”

I did everything in my power to “live up” and “play up” that season because of Coach’s confidence in me. Truth be told, I wasn’t a great athlete, I was good. But his words pulled me higher than I thought possible.

Years later, I crafted a personal mission statement, “Inspire Greatness in Others,” and a few years later I founded and became the President of Leadership Quest. I am dedicated to inspiring leaders and teams to discover their greatest potential.

How do leaders inspire greatness in others? The answer is simple, with you words— your raw belief in other’s greatness.

Who can you inspire greatness in today? Your children, your spouse, your team, your clients, your friends, and yourself. My friend, Mike Stephenson said it this way, “Never have I seen such a leader who willed us to be better than we ever imagined.”

Here’s to your greatness,
— Steve