As we get closer to the start of college football, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at the coach of the defending national champions, Nick Saban. The only active coach in NCAA with three national championships at two schools, Nick Saban is famous for his leadership and ability to take 18-year old boys and turn them into men who know their know their job and take responsibility to get their job done. His coaching centers on taking these young men and training them to be responsible on the field, but more importantly, off the field in their personal lives. As opposed to schools like Florida, Auburn, USC, and others, Alabama is rarely criticized for allowing players on the field who should be penalized. Saban's emphasis on personal responsibility has paid off, as he has led the Crimson Tide to two national championships in two years. College football is littered with his old assistants who have quickly made a name for themselves and gone on to coach other big name schools. Derek Dooley at Tennessee. Will Muschamp at Florida. Jimbo Fisher at Florida State. Mark Dantonio at Michigan State. He inspires not just his players, but his staff and all those around him. Known for his tireless work ethic and his own personal responsibility, there are lessons from the 2011 National Champions that can be applied to business as well as everyday life.

1. Use your losses as motivation, and learn from your mistakes. Make yourself better in business and in your personal life. However, don't live in the loss. Learn  your lesson and move on.

2. Do the right things to put yourseld into position to win. The right things usually entail hard work, responsibility, and improving areas of weakness. Don't just assume you can ignore shortcomings and succeed in the future. 

3. Use stories to illustrate your point. Saban showed the movie Redtails to his team before the championship game. I'm sharing this article with you.

4. Cultivate talent. Hire good people, and train them to do their jobs well. They'll be inexperienced at times, but force them to grow. Cultivation isn't passively watching something grow on it's own. It's deliberately working to grow something towards a goal. Do the same with your staff.

In today's world, we're strikingly short on leaders who will lead well. We have a lot of leaders who lead poorly. Cultivate yourself into a better leader, and earn the right to cultivate and motivate others.