Pat Summitt Quotes

Pat Summitt's leadership philosophy inspired generations of leaders, athletes, and teams. Her quotes on discipline, accountability, and excellence continue to guide people today.

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Pat Summitt Quotes

Being disciplined doesn’t always feel good.

— Pat Summitt

Confidence is what happens when you’ve done the hard work that entitles you to succeed.

— Pat Summitt

Discipline helps you finish a job, and finishing is what separates excellent work from average work.

— Pat Summitt

Discipline fosters achievement and self-confidence.

— Pat Summitt

Discipline is about belief.

— Pat Summitt

Discipline is supposed to be thoughtful and appropriate, not knee-jerk. Remember, the goal is to train people (and yourself) into good habits and out of bad ones. 

— Pat Summitt

Discipline is the internal mechanism that self-motivates you.

— Pat Summitt

Discipline is the only sure way I know to convince people to believe in themselves.

— Pat Summitt

Disciplined people finish the job

— Pat Summitt

Do not let anyone outwork you. Overcome the challenges and stay the course.

— Pat Summitt

Group discipline produces a unified effort toward a common goal.

— Pat Summitt

Hard work breeds self-respect.

— Pat Summitt

Hard work is about controlling those things that you are capable of controlling.

— Pat Summitt

Hard work isn’t much without intelligence and understanding.

— Pat Summitt

Have a plan and work it.

— Pat Summitt

Here’s how I’m going to beat you… I am going to work you. That’s it. That’s all there is to it.

— Pat Summitt

I sometimes asked myself, could I play basketball for me? Would I enjoy it? So now I ask you, “Could you work for you? Would you enjoy it?”

— Pat Summitt

I’ve learned that the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

— Pat Summitt

If we didn’t have the problem, we wouldn’t need the rule. There’s a word for that. It’s called accountability and it is the backbone of discipline. You don’t have one without the other.

— Pat Summitt

It goes fast, so have the right attitude, work ethic, and know-how to take care of yourself.

— Pat Summitt

My 5th definite dozen principle is “discipline yourself so no one else has to.”

— Pat Summitt

My 6th definite dozen principle is “make hard work, your passion.”

— Pat Summitt

My 7th definite dozen principle is “don’t just work hard, work smart.”

— Pat Summitt

Outwork your competition. 

— Pat Summitt

Plan your work, and work your plan.

— Pat Summitt

Recognition of consequences is the sure way to instill discipline.

— Pat Summitt

Self-discipline is entirely up to you. You can make or break your own habits. No excuses.

— Pat Summitt

Self-discipline is not the path to instant gratification. The reward is much farther down the road, and not always obvious. But in the end, it is a much deeper form of gratification.

— Pat Summitt

Self-discipline is what makes you believe in yourself. 

— Pat Summitt

So, you have a choice. You choose to settle for mediocrity, never venturing forth much effort or feeling very much. Or you can commit. If you commit, I guarantee for every pain, you will experience an equal or surpassing pleasure.

— Pat Summitt

Have pride in your work.

— Pat Summitt

Success is simple: Outwork your competition. 

— Pat Summitt

Taking on too much can be a morale breaker, and when the morale breaks down, so does self-discipline.

— Pat Summitt

The most difficult part of self discipline is convincing yourself that it’s in your own best interest.

— Pat Summitt

You are in control of your life. There are four things you can control every day of your life: attitude, work ethic, how you treat others, and how you treat yourself.

— Pat Summitt

You have to discipline yourself to do something the right way until it’s second nature.

— Pat Summitt

Talent alone will not win, teamwork always works!

— Pat Summitt

Teamwork allows common people to obtain uncommon results.

— Pat Summitt

Teamwork doesn’t come naturally. It must be taught.

— Pat Summitt

Be fair. The fewer rules you have, the fewer rules will be broken. Establishing discipline will be a lot easier if you don’t burden people with a lot of silly minor regulations. All you need is a handful of fair rules that you are prepared to enforce.

— Pat Summitt

Leadership Principles in Practice

Pat Summitt's leadership principles—discipline, accountability, and high standards—apply as much today as they did during her coaching career. Explore how these ideas shape effective leadership.

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