So many business owners fall into the trap of focusing only on the end outcome: are sales up or down, did the product sell or not sell, are we profitable? But in reality, we should be focused on measuring the stepping stones along the way that they can control: sales leads collected, on time delivery, managing discretionary expenses, etc. 

In this, business is much like sports. Focusing solely on the end outcome (did you win or lose?) can only get you so far. You also need to focus on what you’re doing in the lead-up to the games. Our guest this week is an expert in preparing athletes for those moments — and helping them measure progress along the way. 

Bill Maxwell is the Director of Athletic Performance for Olympic sports, with a primary focus on men’s basketball, at the University of Iowa. Before that, he was an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Kansas, where he oversaw strength and conditioning programs for the Jayhawk Olympic sports, including basketball, baseball, and swimming and diving.

Listen to the full episode for more on how a Division I strength and conditioning coach measures success within his program, the difference between outcome goals and process goals (and how to set both), some of the technological advances that have been made in the strength and conditioning industry, and more.

Here’s a Glimpse of What You’ll Learn: 

• How Bill got started in strength and conditioning as a profession
• Some of the ways that the strength and conditioning world has progressed over the past couple decades
• The impact of wearable technology for athletes
• How Bill and the rest of the team at Iowa measures athletes’ nervous systems, and the impact that rest has on performance 
• The most important key performance indicators that athletic programs should measure
• More about the reactive strength index, and how it serves as the standard for the student-athletes at Iowa
• How Bill answers the question “how do you know your program is working?”
• The mindset shifts it takes to be a top-performing athlete
• The difference between outcome goals and process goals, and why both are important within an athletics program
• How sleep impacts performance 
• Some of the personal habits Bill has integrated to keep himself at his best every day 
• How much water intake you should really have
• The 3 action words Bill tries to practice each day, and what each of those words mean to him

Resources Mentioned in This Episode: 

• Iowa Olympics Sports Strength & Conditioning
• Bill Maxwell on LinkedIn
• “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” by James Clear
• “Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t” by Simon Sinek
• “The Brain Always Wins: Improving Your Life Through Better Brain Management” by Dr. John P. Sullivan
• 40 Strategy
• Contact 40 StrategyCarl J. Cox on LinkedIn