Jesse Cole, the guy who owns the Savannah Bananas had a great post on LinkedIn about a conversation he had with Dabo. It’s really great so I figure I’d share it here-
When a quick conversation with Coach Dabo Swinney turns into one of the most inspiring conversations you've had in a long time.
We connected for the first time prior to our trip to play at Clemson's Death Valley and I'm still blown away by our conversation.
I shared my story and the Bananas story and how he's inspired me throughout the years, and he started sharing some of the lessons he's learned on his journey. We talked about standing out, having vision, the power of belief and the importance of the long game.
Here are some of my notes and quotes from Coach...as I know if it inspired me, it may inspire you as well.
The most impactful part of our conversation was on playing the long game and he shared his story about watering Bamboo.
He said, "We have a saying around here. Just keep watering the bamboo. If you plant the bamboo seed and you water it every day for a year, guess what happens? Nothing. You water it every day for two years, guess what happens? Nothing. Three years, nothing. Four years, nothing. But into the fifth year, if you stick with it and you're diligent and you keep watering, all of a sudden, that bamboo seed will sprout 90ft in six weeks."
I always talk about our coaches like that. The improvement process or building something process, it doesn't always happen overnight. Sometimes we get a player and you know, he's not a great player, but if we keep watering the bamboo, eventually, he might be a great fifth-year senior. It's the same thing in business and trying to build something. But it takes conviction to keep showing up and bringing the water when you're not seeing the results that you want. But success is not always what you see. You've got to keep watering the bamboo.
On Playing the Long Game:
I've seen so many people compromise what's best for the long term health of the organization or the program or the team, for what's best in the moment. Even young people, I can tell them, hey, what do you want most in life? And they go, I want this. I want to buy a house. I want to do this, but then they will give up what they want most for what feels good in the moment.
Here's some of my favorite quotes from him on our call:
"Confidence comes from doing the work. You can have the greatest dream and the most belief in the world., but you got to do the work. You can't have a million-dollar dream with a minimum-wage work ethic."
"I tell our staff, I tell our recruits. Unique and different attracts unique and different. Why be like everyone else when you can be one of one?"
"There are two ways to be successful, I believe you can do what everybody else does and try to out-smart them out-work them, outlast them, and out-tough them. Or you can be unique and different."
"Sight is a function of the eyes but vision is a function of the heart."
"You know, there's a difference between sight and vision. And you and your wife, not only do you have the vision which drives the belief, but you've got the conviction
When a quick conversation with Coach Dabo Swinney turns into one of the most inspiring conversations you've had in a long time.
We connected for the first time prior to our trip to play at Clemson's Death Valley and I'm still blown away by our conversation.
I shared my story and the Bananas story and how he's inspired me throughout the years, and he started sharing some of the lessons he's learned on his journey. We talked about standing out, having vision, the power of belief and the importance of the long game.
Here are some of my notes and quotes from Coach...as I know if it inspired me, it may inspire you as well.
The most impactful part of our conversation was on playing the long game and he shared his story about watering Bamboo.
He said, "We have a saying around here. Just keep watering the bamboo. If you plant the bamboo seed and you water it every day for a year, guess what happens? Nothing. You water it every day for two years, guess what happens? Nothing. Three years, nothing. Four years, nothing. But into the fifth year, if you stick with it and you're diligent and you keep watering, all of a sudden, that bamboo seed will sprout 90ft in six weeks."
I always talk about our coaches like that. The improvement process or building something process, it doesn't always happen overnight. Sometimes we get a player and you know, he's not a great player, but if we keep watering the bamboo, eventually, he might be a great fifth-year senior. It's the same thing in business and trying to build something. But it takes conviction to keep showing up and bringing the water when you're not seeing the results that you want. But success is not always what you see. You've got to keep watering the bamboo.
On Playing the Long Game:
I've seen so many people compromise what's best for the long term health of the organization or the program or the team, for what's best in the moment. Even young people, I can tell them, hey, what do you want most in life? And they go, I want this. I want to buy a house. I want to do this, but then they will give up what they want most for what feels good in the moment.
Here's some of my favorite quotes from him on our call:
"Confidence comes from doing the work. You can have the greatest dream and the most belief in the world., but you got to do the work. You can't have a million-dollar dream with a minimum-wage work ethic."
"I tell our staff, I tell our recruits. Unique and different attracts unique and different. Why be like everyone else when you can be one of one?"
"There are two ways to be successful, I believe you can do what everybody else does and try to out-smart them out-work them, outlast them, and out-tough them. Or you can be unique and different."
"Sight is a function of the eyes but vision is a function of the heart."
"You know, there's a difference between sight and vision. And you and your wife, not only do you have the vision which drives the belief, but you've got the conviction
