George Carralejo
Bio
George Carralejo is a successful business leader and coach from Yorba Linda, California. He helps athletes and professionals exceed their goals. George utilizes this medium to write about leadership, coaching, and organizational excellence.
Stories (9)
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Staying on Your Own Side: Leadership Lessons from Adversity
At one point in his life, Damon West had it all. Smart, charming, handsome, and a Division I quarterback, Damon appeared destined for a future without limits. Yet on July 30, 2008, he was arrested for leading a methamphetamine-fueled burglary ring, hitting rock bottom. The man who seemingly had everything was sentenced to 65 years in prison, and his future appeared nonexistent. What came next is one of the great stories of redemption, resilience, and self-belief you will ever hear. Damon West earned parole and turned his life around.
By George Carralejo21 days ago in Motivation
The Trust Triangle
Author: George Carralejo How do you connect with young players as a coach today? Why don’t young athletes "get it"? Young people just don’t care about winning like they used to. These are the types of questions and statements I hear coaches ask one another every day. While some of these comments are meant to spark reflection and challenge athletes to reach their best performance, more often they serve as an excuse for why coaches struggle to connect with today’s athlete.
By George Carralejo29 days ago in Cleats
The Crisis Playbook: Business Lessons from Admiral McRaven
Years ago, as I was scrolling through YouTube videos, I came across a fantastic commencement speech delivered by Admiral William McRaven. Admiral McRaven, a retired U.S. Navy officer, oversaw some of the most important military operations in history. Whether it’s Make Your Bed, The Hero Code, Wisdom of the Bullfrog, or his most recent release, Conquering Crisis, the simple wisdom and powerful examples in his books offer lifelong lessons and share stories that resonate with readers for years to come.
By George Carralejo7 months ago in Education
Steady in the Storm
It’s often been said, “If you dislike change, you’re going to dislike irrelevancy even more.” One certainty as we navigate our personal and professional lives is this: there will be highs and there will be lows. How we handle each will ultimately dictate our happiness and success.
By George Carralejo7 months ago in Writers
Developing Excellence In Young Female Athletes
Coaching Young Female Athletes: Five Principles for Success It was an early morning at Starbucks three years ago when the email came through. It was time for my daughter to begin her athletic career, and the local soccer league was looking for coaches.
By George Carralejo9 months ago in Cleats
The Art of Sustaining Excellence
The Art of Sustained Excellence By George Carralejo One of the most often recited quotes from Championship Teams is, “it’s easier to get to the top, than it is to remain on top.” It serves as a warning to successful teams that what got you to the pinnacle, won’t keep you there. Once you’ve reached the apex of your profession, a myriad of new issues inevitably arise: your opponents are intensely focused on beating you, your team must overcome the disease of me, and internal complacency begins to set in. These are just a few of the issues that champions face in their quest to remain the best. So how do the best remain successful year after year? Long term winners have both incredible discipline and a willingness to constantly self-evaluate; by making these traits a hallmark of their culture, the team can remain successful year after year. As Super Bowl winning coach, Pete Carroll stated, the goal is to “Win Forever.”
By George Carralejoabout a year ago in Motivation
The Commanding Traits of Great Leaders
The Commanding Traits of Great Leaders By George Carralejo For the past twenty years, I have had the unique opportunity to be surrounded by some of the greatest leaders in the worlds of business and sports. The words “leader” and “coach” should be used interchangeably if the person is approaching their position in the most complete way. A coach should always be a leader, and leaders should always be coaching their team, as this is the only way to achieve consistent improvement and for the team to feel they are growing at the individual level.
By George Carralejoabout a year ago in Cleats
The Art of Team Building
The Art of Team Building By George Carralejo Team building is one of the most misunderstood aspects of successful organizations in business or sports. Too often, leaders think a collection of talented people will be enough to achieve success. When you are running an organization or leading a team, it’s imperative to remember the foundation of all success is built on the concept of team building. The ingredients of successful teams consist of: a strong culture, a realistic plan, strong leadership, and a talented workforce.
By George Carralejo2 years ago in Motivation
Leadership and Culture
Leadership and team culture are two of my greatest passions. In my experience, the most effective leaders clearly define their leadership principles. When you have clear principles, those principles become the standard that the team follows. As the standards come to define the team’s behavioral expectations, you now have a “standard of performance.” The team’s standard of performance ultimately defines the teams culture. In my effort to become a great leader and culture builder, I have studied the likes of Michael Lombardi, Pat Riley and Bill Walsh among others, as these three men have inspired the leadership principles outlined below.
By George Carralejo2 years ago in Motivation








