👋 Good morning! ‘Great Teams Better Leaders’ is written by Greg Berge. Do you have an idea or something to share? Just hit reply - I read and respond to every message. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe for free.
Let’s dive in.
💭 ONE THOUGHT
The 33% Rule
Every coach has lived this:
Two athletes respond to the same situation… and go in completely different directions.
One brings energy.
One drains it.
Same practice. Same drill. Same moment.
Sue Enquist calls this the 33% Rule, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
And honestly? It applies to every locker room, every coaching staff, and every season.
Here’s the simple breakdown…
1. The Bottom Third
These are the energy vacuums.
The barfers.
The complainers.
Nothing is ever right. The weather. Their role. Their shoes. The score.
They drain focus, steal momentum, and pull attention away from what matters.
Every team has them.
The key is not letting them get inside your locker room — or inside your head.
2. The Middle Third
These are your “good when things are good” players.
They’re positive when they’re starting…
and frustrated when they’re not.
They love the team when they’re scoring…
and disappear when adversity hits.
They want to be great.
They just haven’t decided they’re willing to stay steady when it gets hard.
The Middle Third is where most teams either level up or fall apart.
3. The Top Third
These are your standard-keepers.
They don’t need perfect conditions.
They don’t need someone watching.
They don’t need the scoreboard to look a certain way.
They show up the same — every day — because that’s who they are.
Being in the Top Third has nothing to do with talent.
It’s about responsibility:
You control your effort.
You control your response.
You control your attitude.
Top Third players choose to add value, not drain it.
The Coaching Moment
Here’s what you can tell your team: “Every day you’re trending toward one of the thirds. Which direction are your habits pulling you?”
And here’s the truth for coaches:
We fall into the thirds, too.
There are days we catch ourselves complaining.
There are moments we drift into frustration.
There are times we let negativity creep in.
Awareness is everything.
Once you see it, you can change it.
🎥 Watch Sue Enquist Discussing the 33% Rule:
Three Takeaways for Your Team This Week
Define the thirds. Give your players the language. Most kids have never heard it put this simply.
Ask the mirror question. “Which third were you today?” It’s uncomfortable, and incredibly honest.
Celebrate Top-Third behaviors. Effort. Communication. Positivity. Resilience. Make those visible.
Great teams aren’t perfect. They spend more time in the top third and less time in the bottom third.
What’s one small behavior you can model today that pulls your team toward the Top Third?
Good luck!
Greg
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📜 GREAT QUOTES
“Pressure is something you feel when you don’t know what the hell you’re doing.”
“People say to me all the time, ‘You have no fear.’ I tell them, ‘No, that’s not true. I’m scared all the time. You have to have fear in order to have courage. I’m a courageous person because I’m a scared person.”
🔗 LINKS FOR LEADERS
🎥 Video: Powerful Tom Brady Speech [LINK]
🆇 ICYMI: Nothing by Nick Saban [LINK]
📰 Article: How do you impact winning?
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Contact Me: Greg Berge, [email protected]