Bill Walsh: the 4 most powerful words

Legendary football coach Bill Walsh remembers that quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young came to the San Francisco 49ers with supremely high expectations of themselves. Put it this way: Neither lacked confidence.

They believed they could do just about anything. Walsh let them know he thought they could do more than anything.

He advises doing the same with your own team. The best way, he says, is to use the four most powerful words: I believe in you.

Say it however you like, he adds, but say it.  Nobody will ever come back and thank you for expecting too little of them.

—Adapted from The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership, Bill Walsh with Steve Jamison and Craig Walsh, Portfolio.