Have you ever wanted to have an intimate conversation with someone who has played in a Rose Ball and coached in the National Football League with the likes of Marv Lewis and Steve Spurrier –and hear what it takes to be successful–as a leader–with some of the most elite athletes and largest humans on the planet? If that’s you, then you’re going to love this episode and my conversation with Dechon Burns. Of course, it’s fun to hear the stories about the big games and the big names in football, but the real reason I wanted to have Coach Burns on the show is because I thought that some of the lessons he learned on the football field were transferable to the conference room, the shop floor, or wherever you need to accomplish your mission. And I was right. Here’s the bottom line: You have to take care of your people off the field if you want to win on the field. In other words, people and performance go hand in hand. But you’re going to want to listen to the entire conversation. It’s just too good to miss. ‌ About the Guest DeChon lives football--first as a high school standout, then for the USC Trojans, where he played in the Rose Bowl, and later as a coach at the high school, college, and professional levels–including stints at the University of Florida, the Washington Redskins, where he worked with Marv Lewis and Steve Spurrier. As a high school and college coach, he has had literally helped hundreds of players advance to Division 1 programs and the National Football League. Since 2013, DeChon has been at the helm of Linfield Christian High football program and invests in the lives of young people. ‌ What You’ll Learn: What is the mission of any great coach and leader How to address losses and setbacks as an individual and team How do you handle talented people with the wrong attitude Why taking care of your people is important for winning What separates great coaches from average coaches Links for This Episode: https://www.instagram.com/dbusc26/ Private Christian School Temecula CA | Linfield Christian School Connect with Dr. Mike: Website: https://www.drmikepatterson.com Book: https://www.missionfirstpeoplealwaysbook.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichaellpatterson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealdrmikepatterson/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/drmikepatterson Buy The Book!: Mission First People Always Episode Minute By Minute: 0:00 An intimate conversation with some from the football inner circle 1:39 An introduction to DeChon Burns 4:53 The mission of any great football coach 7:19 What “All gas, no breaks” means and why it matters to leaders 11:00 How do you teach commitment to team? 16:27 Pushing high level players to perform at their best 22:33 How do you take care of people as a coach? 27:23 How and why you can developing Grit in your players 30:03 The story behind how DeChon Burns’ coaching journey 39:23 What great coaches do that averages coaches don’t 40:38 The legacy of DeChon Burns 41:50 Above all else, why leaders should tell the truth