029: "It's pretty simple. I WIN. Google me."

I personally don’t have the cajones to say this out loud, but I LOVE that Coach Cignetti does. (Biased because I’m a born-and-raised Hoosier, and IU is my alma mater.)

Watching the transformation of Indiana football over the last two years has shown me, in real time, a paradigm shift in what I thought was possible. This guy is making me a better leader, and I will do the same for others.

We hear it all the time:

“Programs take years.” “Culture takes time.” “You have to be patient.”

And while there’s truth in that, Indiana is a good reminder that one person actually can make a meaningful difference quickly if the leadership is clear and consistent.

What stood out to me isn’t just wins or losses. It’s the mindset shift.

Instead of trying to slowly bring everyone along, the message was clear from the start:

This is where we’re going. This is how we’re doing it. And this is what it means to be part of it.

It made me think of one of those kids’ toys with a bunch of gears.

Some gears are big. Some gears are small.

When all the gears are moving together, the machine moves fast.

But when the big gears are dragging the smaller ones along, or worse, when some gears aren’t really moving at all, everything slows down.

That’s how I see leadership on teams, and the key change that Coach Cignetti has made.

It’s not always about needing bigger, stronger, more impressive players.

Sometimes it’s about making sure everyone who’s already there is actually engaged, aligned, and working toward the same goal.

Indiana didn’t wait years to decide who they wanted to be.

They decided, and then acted accordingly.

So here’s the question I’d encourage you to think about this week:

On your team, do you really need bigger gears? Or do you need more gears operating at the same speed? Consistently.

Because when leadership is consistent and expectations are clear, momentum shows up faster than we think. Go Hoosiers, - Casey

🎯Real Talk - It’s tempting to believe progress requires more experience, more time, or better people.

But more often, it requires braver conversations. Clear standards. And the willingness to say, “This is how we’re doing it now.”

That’s not harsh leadership. That’s kind leadership, because it removes the guesswork. People stop hesitating and start stepping up.