⏳ Read Time: 4.5 min

⏩ What’s in this week’s newsletter?

• 📖 Ancient Wisdom, Modern Edge — How Stoicism is quietly powering today’s top athletes and coaches.

• 🏌️ Rory’s Shift — What changed for Rory McIlroy after an 11-year major drought? (Hint: it’s older than the PGA Tour.

• 📊 Performance Backed by Philosophy — How Stoic practices improve clarity, reduce anxiety, and raise game-day performance.

• ✅ Five Ways to Lead Like a Stoic — Simple, practical ways to control your response—on the field, in the office, and under pressure.

• 🧠 Perspective Over Perfection — The final takeaway from Marcus Aurelius that every leader needs to remember.

📖 Anecdote: What The Greats Are Studying

Here at BETTER, we are firm believers that there is no such thing as a new leadership idea. Many of the best ideas have been around for a long time.

So, it caught our eye when Stoicism and Epictetus were cited as contributors to his Master’s victory after an 11-year Major Drought.

It turns out this was old news.

Perhaps you’re familiar with Ryan Holiday, author of books like The Daily Stoic, The Obstacle is the Way, and Ego is the Enemy. He has been popularizing the thoughts, outlook, mindset, and leadership of classic leaders for over a decade.

And it's caught the attention of many leaders in sports, including Rory’s.

But it’s not just Rory. These ideas have also made their way across the NFL. Stoicism has been embraced by nearly every professional sport.

Here’s a shortlist: Bill Belichick, Nick Saban, Michael Lombardi, Pete Carroll, Shaka Smart, Olympic Gold Medalist Chandra Crawford, MLB Manager Joe Madden, and NBA players like CJ McCollum.

Let’s take a second to evaluate some of these ancient ideas through the lens of modern sports leadership. What can we learn from Stoicism, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius?

There’s more than you might think.

🧠 The Idea: Stoics are Performers?

Leadership in sports has always involved striking a balance between emotion and execution. But in a world dominated by noise—social media, pressure, outcomes, and expectations—some time-honored truths can serve leaders.

At its heart, Stoicism teaches one timeless truth:

That core principle is perhaps more relevant to athletes, coaches, and ADs now than ever.

Stoicism, at its core, is a practical philosophy designed for high-stakes environments, such as sports. For leaders in athletics, Stoicism offers a mindset forged in clarity, composure, and control. It teaches that while you can’t dictate outcomes, you can control your response, your preparation, and your character. 

Whether you're a coach, an athletic director, or a team captain, Stoicism teaches you to lead with resilience under pressure, to focus on what you can control, and to turn adversity into strength. It's not about emotionless detachment—it's about steady leadership rooted in principle, not impulse.

📊 Research Insight: Emotional Regulation Fuels Performance

A 2020 study published in the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology examined elite performers who practiced Stoic principles, including mindfulness, emotional regulation, and cognitive reframing. The study found that these athletes experienced:

• Reduced performance anxiety

• Greater mental clarity under pressure

• Stronger resilience after failure

The Stoic emphasis on controlling internal responses—rather than external events—helped athletes not only endure pressure but thrive within it.

In leadership, this has wide applications. As a coach, athlete, or AD, you deal with a flood of expectations you can't control.

Stoicism would offer you a filter: “Is this within my control?” If not, let it go.

This mindset isn’t soft. It’s strong.

✅ 5 Ways to Practice Stoicism Today

1. Control the Controllables

   • Practice asking yourself: “Is this within my control?” If it’s not—release it. Put that energy elsewhere.

2. Practice Negative Visualization

   • Prepare for setbacks before they happen. This is a Stoic practice called premeditatio malorum—imagining what could go wrong so you can stay steady when it does.

3. Detach from Outcomes

   • Focus on process, not results. Whether you're recruiting, coaching, or competing—outcomes are lagging indicators. Attention belongs on the habits that precede them.

4. Daily Reflection

   • Marcus Aurelius journaled to remind himself of who he wanted to be. Take 5 minutes to write: What did I handle well today? Where did I get rattled?

5. Anchor in Purpose

   • Stoics believed in living in accordance with your values. Know your why. When the storm hits, your anchor will keep you grounded.

🧠 Conclusion:

The best ideas don’t need to be reinvented. Stoicism reminds us that high performance doesn’t come from perfection—it comes from perspective. For modern leaders in athletics, mastering your mindset isn’t just a competitive advantage—it’s a leadership requirement.

So the next time adversity strikes, ask yourself what Marcus Aurelius might:
“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

Here’s what we are paying attention to:

We’re always paying attention to the various team-building blueprints. And “friendraising” isn’t new, even if the term is.

We don’t think it’s a coincidence that some of the best programs in their respective conferences over the last few years have also come from long-tenured coaches.

But, it’s not the leash they’ve been given we’re paying attention to. It’s the alignment that it affords the AD-Coach combo to build not just in the “how” but also the “why”.

This is a shift that many coaches have struggled to get behind, leading to tension between the coach and the AD.

We’re paying attention to all of the various soundbites coming out of the CAA World Congress of Sports:

• Sankey’s most recent comments on the current landscape (link)

• The most recent update on ESPN’s Direct-To-Consumer sports product (link)

• All of the various NCAA Golf Conference Championships!

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