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๐ญ ONE THOUGHT
The Donkey Principle (For Leaders)
(Leadership and coaching lesson inspired by Sahil Bloom.)
Every once in a while, a story hits so clean you canโt ignore the lesson. Sahil Bloom recently shared one called The Donkey Principle, and every leader needs it in their toolbox.
A donkey insists the grass is blue.
A tiger says itโs green.
They go to the lion to settle it.
The lion agrees the grass is blueโฆ then punishes the tiger with a year of silence.
The tiger is stunned.
Why the punishment?
The lionโs answer is the entire story:
โSomeone as wise as you should never waste time proving anything to a fool.โ
Thatโs the Donkey Principle. And it might be one of the most important coaching truths youโll ever learn.
Because if you coach long enough, youโll meet your share of donkeys.
People who argue without listening.
People who donโt want the truth.
People who want to pull you into noise, drama, and debates you cannot win.
Parents who wonโt see the big picture.
Fans who donโt understand your standards.
Players who only want feedback that fits their narrative.
Social media voices who get loud without knowing a single thing about your team.
If you respond to all of them, youโll spend your season defending yourself instead of leading your team.
Great coaches donโt waste energy on outside noise.
They protect their attention.
And they guard their peace.
Hereโs the hard truth: when you argue with a fool, you give them your level.
Coaching is emotional. People will test you. Push you. Try to shrink you into small, reactive conversations.
Your job is to stay steady. Focus on your standards. Control what matters. Lead your team, not the outsiders.
Stop trying to convince people who arenโt willing to listen.
Start investing in people who are committed to the work. Stop explaining your purpose to people who donโt share your values. Stop chasing validation from voices who have never done what you do.
Your peace has a price.
And great leaders are willing to pay it.
No to drama.
No to noise.
No to pointless debates.
Save your yes for what matters:
Your team.
Your standards.
Your purpose.
Your growth.
Coaching gets a whole lot clearer when you embrace this.
Your energy belongs to the mission, not the noise around it.
Reflection Questions
Where are you wasting energy on people who are not listening?
What arguments do you need to walk away from?
What would your season look like if you protected your peace and focused only on what matters?
Good luck!
- Greg
P.S. If this lesson hit home, youโll love my new book, The 100 Word Coach.
Itโs packed with short, simple, powerful lessons like this one, and it's written for coaches who want clarity, confidence, and calm in the chaos of a season.
Grab your copy here โ Get the 100 Word Coach on Amazon.
๐ GREAT QUOTES
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do."
"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires."
๐ LINKS FOR LEADERS
๐ฅ Video: How Sabanโs Lost Prodigy Saved Indiana Football [LINK]
๐ ICYMI: The Power of One [LINK]
๐ฐ Article: Discipline > Motivation
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