Tony Dungy quotes:

Our goal was to win, to win a Super Bowl, but also to win in the right way, to be role models to our community, to represent Indianapolis, the state of Indiana and the National Football League.

The secret to success is good leadership, and good leadership is all about making the lives of your team members or workers better.

You may not win the Super Bowl. Your kids may not go on to be doctors and lawyers and everything may not go perfectly. That doesn't mean it was a bad plan or the wrong thing. It's just like a football season. Everything's not going to go perfect.

People look at me and see a calm, cool guy on the sidelines and I want them to know that my Christian faith affects my coaching and everything I do.

I could never have pictured myself writing a book when I was 25 years old. My mom was an English teacher but I wasn't that way growing up.

Did you know that nearly one in three children live apart from their biological dads? Those kids are two to three times more likely to grow up in poverty, to suffer in school, and to have health and behavioral problems.

I learned from Chuck Noll in Pittsburgh that speed and explosiveness on defense is the way to build a team. Both are difficult for your opponent to assimilate in practice and then in games it is even harder to match.

The further I get away from coaching, the more I know I made the right decision. You almost forget how wonderful family life is.

When Jim Irsay called me five years ago, he told me, 'I want you to be our coach and help us win the Super Bowl.' He told me, 'We are going win it the right way. We are going to win it with great guys; win it with class and dignity. We are going to win it in a way that will make Indianapolis proud.'

For some reason the football coach of a major college program is seen as one of the leaders of the campus. And some way we have to let our young people know that that leader can look like anyone.

You never know what's going to happen. My mother was an English teacher. If someone had told her that I was going to write a book, she would never have believed that. So you can never say never.

We need somebody to give us a chance.

I've always talked to players about perception and reality. I don't worry about perception. There may be some of that, that people want to attach to a good name, but the reality is that some good things can happen.

Lovie Smith and I are not only the first two African-Americans but Christian coaches showing that you can win doing it the Lord's way and we're more proud of that.

I just think winners win. And guys who won all the way through high school and college, the best player at every level, they have a way of making things happen and winning games.

Anyone who's a parent dreads that call in the middle of the night. I have four grown children and I still dread it.

But there's no substitute for a full-time dad. Dads who are fully engaged with their kids overwhelmingly tend to produce children who believe in themselves and live full lives.

I think I've got a responsibility to be home a little bit more, be available to my family a little bit more and do some things to help make our country better. I don't know what that is right now, but we'll see.

I've said all along that God is in control.

We talked about some of our experiences, focusing, hanging together down the stretch, important games. It's not necessarily who has the most talent but what team sticks together and executes their fundamentals the best.

That's the difference between the NCAA and the NFL right now. They've got to step up and say, 'We're going to do the right thing. We're going to hire qualified people. We're going to hire the best man for the job regardless of what boosters or anyone else has to say.'

I am a firm believer that the Lord sometimes has to short-circuit even our best plans for our benefit.

I enjoy talking to young people, and talking to people about helping young people. That part is not a chore. It's pretty fun, and something I like to do because I think it's important.

It's about the journey--mine and yours--and the lives we can touch, the legacy we can leave, and the world we can change for the better.

We have a number of difficulties facing our nation, but I believe fatherlessness is right at the top of the list.

The Lord has a plan. We always think the plans are A, B, C and D, and everything is going to be perfect for us and it may not be that way, but it's still his plan.

I always liked to be fairly simple because you could get more players ready to play quickly. If you lose players to free agency, injuries, etc., it is easier to get young players ready to play in a less complex system.

They were unwillingly to give 100 percent if they didn't personally think it was important. What you don't understand is the champions know it's all important.

I guess I'm flattered that people think I can help get things done.

Who really benefits from discouragement? More often than not, encouragement is exactly what is needed.

I said all along that God is in control.

Take a moment to think about your answer to this question: Am I prepared to have great success and not get any credit for it?

What's important is not the uniform or the number, and it's not what team you play for or whether anyone else sees your value; it's who you are on the inside. And when you're in Christ, that's never going to change.

It's the journey that matters. Learning is more important than the test. Practice well, and the games will take care of themselves.

I can't very well preach unity and tell the guys we're all in this together and everyone's important, then cut a guy because we might improve by one percent if we bring in someone else.

A good leader gets people to follow him because they want to, not because he makes them.

Engage, educate, equip, encourage, empower, energize, and elevate. Those are the methods for maximizing the potential of any individual, team, organization, or institution for ultimate success and significance. Those are the methods of a mentor leader.

Character is the glue that bonds solid and meaningful relationships

Everybody needs encouragement, even when things are going well.

The first step toward creating an improved future is developing the ability to envision it. VISION will ignite the fire of passion that fuels our commitment to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to achieve excellence. Only VISION allows us to transform dreams of greatness into the reality of achievement through human action. VISION has no boundaries and knows no limits. Our VISION is what we become in life.

No excuses. No explanations.

He's probably the hardest-working guy I've been around who has great ability. Overachievers work hard because they have to. Peyton has rare talent, but chooses to push himself like he doesn't.

I just don't think you pass on a great quarterback if you have the opportunity. If need be, you can trade it away.

When it's over, it's over is part of football's greatest appeal to me. When a game ends, win or lose, it's time to prepare for the next one.

I hired top-notch people, trusted them to do their jobs, and then came to grips with the fact that I wouldn't be coaching as much.

Sometimes I think God wants there to be a circus so we can show there's another way to respond.

Everything's not going to go perfect. You're going to have some losses that you're going to have to bounce back from and some things that are a little unforeseen that you're going to have to deal with.

I had 10 to 12 close buddies who I played ball with all the way from elementary to high school. That is where I learned to compete.

We're not hitting on all cylinders, defensively. When we're playing good, I'll let you know.

To win those big games you're going to have to complete some third-down passes, you're going to have to be able to get some explosive games in the passing game.

Don't shed any tears for me. I got to live a dream most people don't get to live.

(Offensive Coach) Paul Hackett realized that Joe Montana knew more about the offense than he did, but when the meeting was over, Paul saw that Joe had taken three pages of notes. He documented exactly how Paul wanted to run the play, as well as all of the basics of it and its details. That's what a professional does.

And as a football coach in the National Football League, I know for sure that it's going to end someday.

And if God has given you a lot of ability, I believe you should be held to a higher level of expectation.

And one game, as we know, can cost you a lot.

At some point in life's journey, professionally and personally, we have to be able to trust our preparation.

At the end of the day, the only people a One Voice doctrine silences are those who should be the most loyal.

Avoidance doesn't solve anything; it merely serves as a temporary salve.

Be successful not just in what you do, but in who you are.

But I know I have a son who doesn't listen to anything I say and if he hears the same thing from someone else, sometimes it has a little more impact.

Change isn't always bad; we should always be learning and improving. But the change I was seeing involved principles, not procedures.

Courage is the ability to do the right thing, all the time, no matter how painful or uncomfortable it might be.

DON'T FEAR FAILURE. Fear being successful at things that don't matter

Don't worry about your platform; focus on your impact.

False modesty is an attempt to tear yourself down. True humility focuses more on build up others.

First, there is no typical grief cycle, and second, it's not something I went through. I'm still grieving.

Football is a vocation and an opportunity for ministry. But it's not a life.

Gay marriage and who should be on a football team have nothing to do with each other.

God allows us to feel pain for a reason: to protect us.

God's definition of success is really one of significance-the significant difference our lives can make in the lives of others. The significance doesn't show up in won-loss records, long resumes, or the trophies gathering dust on our mantels. It's found in the hearts and lives of those we've come across who are in some way better because of the way we lived.

God's definition of success is really one of the significant differences our lives can make in the lives of others.

Hard work and togetherness. They go hand in hand. You need the hard work because it's such a tough atmosphere... to win week in and week out. You need togetherness because you don't always win, and you gotta hang though together.

How you use the opportunities your given to affect the world around you will determine the legacy you leave behind.

I do not think being a coordinator is a requirement, but it does give you some advantages. You get used to working with half the team and you go through the game-planning and decision-making processes.

I enjoy watching football on TV. Many times I can visualize the whole field, even on the TV screen, because I still know enough about what the teams are doing.

I found that while life drags on when you're losing, it marches on when you're winning.

I have yet to hear God's audible voice, although I have often felt led by God in more subtle ways.

I learned it doesn't matter how you win. You play to your team's strength.

I love coaching football, and winning a Super Bowl was a goal I've had for a long time. But it has never been my purpose in life. My purpose in life is simply to glorify God. We have to be careful that we don't let the pursuit of our life's goals, no matter how important they seem, cause us to lose sight of our purpose. I coach football. But the good I can do to glorify God along the way is my real purpose.

I need to treat everybody fairly, but fair doesn't always mean equal.

I needed to do my current job well, keep preparing, and wait on God's timing. I needed to trust His leadership rather than try to force an outcome I wanted.

I never wanted our players to think the Super Bowl was the ultimate. I always talk about 'Yes, we're going to win, but what are we going to do as we're winning? What are we going to do after we win?' Winning the Super Bowl is not the destination. It's not an end point. It's what you do from here.

I realized that I needed to be more like the shepherd than the hired hand in protecting my team.

I talk to our players about life and situations and doing the right thing all the time.

I think there are times when I believe God welcomes the circus into our lives to give us an opportunity to show that there's another way to live and respond to things.

I was able to look at football as something that God was allowing me to do, not something that should define me. I couldn't take my identity from this sport.

I was not asked whether I would have a problem having Michael Sam on my team. I would not.

I would want America to know our kids need us. Spend as much time with your kids as you can. Enjoy them. Be with them. Hug your children; You never know when it will be the last time.

I wouldn't have taken him. Not because I don't believe Michael Sam should have a chance to play, but I wouldn't want to deal with all of it. [...] It's not going to be totally smooth things will happen.

If I can't get the captains to respond appropriately and show the leadership I expect, how is anyone else going to respond?

If someone needs help, I can offer advice. I'm not always right and people don't always listen.

If we do what we do without panicking, we can accomplish great things.

If we have trouble hearing Him, He will faithfully work in our lives until we are pointed in the direction He wants us to go.

If we lose sight of people, we lose sight of the very purpose of leadership.

If you want to be an athlete, then getting good grades, going to college, and developing your intellectual skills are important.

If you want to make a difference in the lives of the people you lead, you must be willing to walk alongside them, to lift and encourage them, to share moments of understanding with them, and to spend time with them, not just shout down at them from on high.

If you're a leader, people's lives should be better because of the influence you've had along the way.

If you're just saying, hey, I'm doing this. I'm working to make money. I'm working to increase my status. If that's all there is, I think you will find out that it's meaningless.

Integrity doesn't come in degrees: low, medium, or high. You either have integrity or you don't.

Integrity is what you do when no one is watching; its doing the right thing all the time, even when it may work to your disadvantage.

Integrity, the choice between what's convenient and what's right.

It's easy to lose sight of the ultimate goal when you're in the trenches.

It's just really making sure I am doing the best job I can do as a dad. I do think that is my No. 1 job.

I've always tried to coach people the way I would like to be coached; positively and encouragingly rather than with criticism and fear ... I've tried to be as fair as possible.

Keeping ridiculous hours doesn't mean you'll be successful.

Life is challenging. I wish I could tell you that you'll always be on top of the mountain, but the reality is that there are days when nothing will go right, when not only will you not be on top, you may not even be able to figure out which way is up. Do yourself a favor, and don't make it any harder than it has to be. In those moments, be careful how you speak to yourself; be careful how you think of yourself; be careful how you conduct yourself; be careful how you develop yourself.

Long-term success requires faith-faith that your efforts to plan and execute the process will lead to the desired outcome.

Nothing does more to lubricate the rough spots than a good dose of encouragement.

Nothing is more deflating to morale than to have a poor outcome pinned on someone who doesn't deserve it. It lacks integrity and overvalues the outcome at the expense of the people as well as the process.

Once a player joins our team, our priority is to teach him, not worry about the player we didn't select.

Once we had become locked in on a schedule, he (Coach Denny Green) often created a disruption (artificial adversity) to that schedule just to see how guys would respond.

Others first. Whatever your corporate mission, paint a clear and compelling picture that others can understand and embrace. State your mission in terms that appeal to your team's best instincts. Persuade and empower as if you are leading and mentoring volunteers.

Pain prompts us to change behavior that is destructive to ourselves or to others. Pain can be a highly effective instructor.

Part of our purpose in life is to build a legacy â?? a consistent pattern of building into the lives of others.

Remember that mentor leadership is all about serving.

Remember that mentor leadership is all about serving. Jesus said, "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

Stubbornness is a virtue if you are right.

Success is uncommon and not to be enjoyed by the common man. I'm looking for uncommon people because we want to be successful, not average.

The best solution for falling just short of the goal is to focus on the fundamentals but perform them better.