Win More, Live Better

In 1943, Edwin Land’s three-year-old daughter asked him a simple question after he took her picture: Why couldn’t she see it right away? Her question helped activate an idea that had been developing in Land’s mind for years and ultimately contributed to the invention of the Polaroid camera. In this episode, Zach uses that story to explore why meaningful growth frequently occurs before it becomes visible and why great leaders help people see the progress they may not yet recognize in themselves.

Learn More About Zach:

• Zach's Email -- [email protected]
• Reserve a seat at the Game Changer's Advantage Event on Sept. 4th here.
• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.
• You can watch the video recordings of the podcast on YouTube here.

What conversation are you currently talking yourself out of? Difficult conversations rarely become easier simply because we avoid them. More often, the frustration, assumptions, and tension continue to build beneath the surface. In this episode, Zach shares some practical strategies for navigating difficult conversations and becoming more skilled at them.

Learn More About Zach:

• Zach's Email -- [email protected]
• Reserve a seat at the Game Changer's Advantage Event on Sept. 4th here.
• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.
• You can watch the video recordings of the podcast on YouTube here.

John O’Sullivan is a former collegiate and professional soccer player, longtime coach, author, speaker, and the founder of the Changing the Game Project—an organization dedicated to creating better experiences for athletes by transforming the way we coach, lead, and develop people through sport.

John is also the host of the Way of Champions Podcast, where he and Dr. Jerry Lynch have had nearly 500 conversations with some of the world’s top coaches, leaders, researchers, and performers. He is the author of several books on coaching, culture, and athlete development, including Changing the Game, Every Moment Matters, and The Champion Teammate.

His newest book, co-authored with Jerry Lynch, is Captain: The Athlete’s Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader.

In this conversation, John and I explore why leadership should be treated as a skill that can be taught and developed, what exceptional captains do differently, and how coaches can create more opportunities for athletes to actually practice leadership. We also discuss the difference between being liked and respected, how to prepare athletes for difficult conversations, why great leaders sometimes lead from behind, and the two qualities John has seen consistently show up across hundreds of conversations with elite coaches.

Here's some notable highlights from our conversation:
[6:00] — Would You Want to Play for You?

[8:06] — Leadership Is a Skill, Not a Character Trait

[11:45] — Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

[15:10] — You Are Always Leading

[20:41] — The Qualities of Exceptional Captains

[24:17] — Leadership is a Way of Being

[29:40] — Great Leaders Are Thermostats

[37:30] — Preparing Athletes for the Challenges of Leadership

[40:30] — Being Liked Vs. Respected

[46:28] — Who Are People Gravitating Toward in Your Culture?

[52:36] — You Can't Develop Leaders Without Giving Them The Reps

[56:37] — Two Common Traits of Great Coaches

[59:27] — Captain + Leadership Development Curriculum

Learn More About John O'Sullivan:

• Purchase John's new book Captain here
• Explore The Changing the Game Project here

Learn More About Zach:

• Zach's Email -- [email protected]
• Reserve a seat at the Game Changer's Advantage Event on Sept. 4th here.
• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.
• You can watch the video recordings of the podcast on YouTube here.

Wherever you go, your attention goes with you. So why wouldn’t you deliberately train it? In this episode, Zach explores how training attention can strengthen other mental skills, why calm isn’t necessarily the goal of meditation, and what it means to develop greater stability in the moments that matter most.

Learn More About Zach:

• Zach's Email -- [email protected]
• Reserve a seat at the Game Changer's Advantage Event on Sept. 4th here.
• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.

How do you respond and adapt when you confront conditions you didn't prepare for? In this episode, Zach shares the remarkable story of a world-renowned pianist who was forced to perform on an instrument that was far from what he expected and created something extraordinary by adjusting the way he played. Through lessons from music, Roger Clemens, and a professional hitting coach, Zach explores why adaptability begins with accepting reality, focusing on what remains available, and trusting your ability to improvise.

Learn More About Zach:

• Zach's Email -- [email protected]
• Reserve a seat at the Game Changer's Advantage Event on Sept. 4th here.
• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.

Josh Steinbach is the head volleyball coach at Villanova University, where he is entering his 20th season and has become the winningest coach in program history with more than 300 career victories.

Before arriving at Villanova in 2007, Josh's coaching journey included stops at San Diego Mesa College, Penn State, University of Cincinnati, and Wright State. During his time at Villanova, Josh has earned BIG EAST Coach of the Year and AVCA East Region Coach of the Year honors while building a program that has consistently competed at a high level on the court and in the classroom.

In this conversation, Josh reflects on his shift as a leader from controlling to trusting, why relationships ultimately matter more than X's and O's, the importance of empowering and mentoring other coaches, and why he wants his players to leave Villanova saying, “I wish I could do that again.”

Josh also opens up about navigating adversity away from volleyball, modeling vulnerability as a leader, rediscovering the joy in coaching, and his recent “learning renaissance” that has shifted him from entering the gym with all the answers to showing up with better questions.

Here's some notable highlights from our conversation:
[7:40] — Why Experience Made Him Less Controlling as a Coach

[11:03] — The Assistant Coach Who Taught Him to Let Go

[15:16] — Developing Future Head Coaches

[21:18] — Finding Your Own Coaching Voice

[26:40] — The North Star for Villanova Volleyball

[31:49] — Coaching From Joy Instead of Relief

[37:40] — Being Vulnerable With Your Players

[46:34] — Why Leadership Has to Be Adaptive

[48:41] — Inside His "Learning Renaissance"

[55:06] — Why Mentoring Others Makes You Better

[58:41] — What Josh Is Most Proud Of

Learn More About Zach:

• Zach's Email -- [email protected]
• Reserve a seat at the Game Changer's Advantage Event on Sept. 4th here.
• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.
• You can watch the video recordings of the podcast on YouTube here.

Why do some lessons stick with us for years while others disappear almost immediately? In this After the Whistle segment, Zach builds on a lesson from his conversation with Maryland Basketball's Josh Chambers about the role emotion plays in learning. Zach discusses why information alone isn't always enough to create engagement or change and how emotion influences what captures our attention.

Learn More About Zach:

• Subscribe to my free newsletter here and stay up-to-date on upcoming in-person events and new resources.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.
• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.

In this From the Other Side of the Mic episode, Zach joins Colin Jonov on The Playbook podcast to discuss the paradoxes of leadership, the role of identity and values in decision-making, and how preparing for adversity, not avoiding it, helps people sustain excellence over time. They also discuss the hidden costs of ambition, balancing professional success with the responsibilities of family, and why the best leaders don't simply chase results, they model the behaviors and character they hope to inspire in others.

Learn More About Zach:

• Subscribe to my free newsletter here and stay up-to-date on upcoming in-person events and new resources.
• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.
• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.

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The words leaders choose to recognize often become the behaviors people repeat. In this episode, Zach distinguishes between the three types of recognition: Compliments, praise, and feed-forward. He explores how great leaders not only acknowledge success, but also provide the clarity people need to continue growing.

Learn More About Zach:

• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.
• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.

Most leaders focus on becoming someone others can trust, but far fewer ask an equally important question: Am I willing to trust others? In this episode, Zach explores the often-overlooked distinction between being trustworthy and being trust willing through the remarkable story of Charles Blondin's historic tightrope walks across Niagara Falls. 

Learn More About Zach:

• Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.
• Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.