I'm a better coach now than when I joined Celtic. The longer you

"I'm a better coach now than when I joined Celtic. The longer you stay in any job, the better you become. If you lose your drive, your enthusiasm, your imagination, that experience is no good." These words, spoken by Gordon Strachan, embody a timeless truth about the nature of growth, experience, and the continual development of one's craft. Strachan acknowledges that experience alone does not guarantee improvement. It is the drive, enthusiasm, and imagination that breathe life into experience, transforming it from a mere accumulation of years into a true evolution of wisdom and skill. In this statement, he reveals a fundamental lesson about the art of becoming better in any endeavor: without passion and vision, even the longest career becomes stagnant.

In the ancient world, there was a deep understanding that the growth of a person was not a simple matter of time, but a matter of continuous effort and reflection. Socrates, that great philosopher of Athens, taught that wisdom did not come from the mere passing of years but from a deep commitment to questioning, learning, and evolving. For Socrates, every encounter, every conversation, every moment of introspection was an opportunity for growth—not because of the time spent, but because of the effort to engage the mind and nurture the spirit. Similarly, Strachan’s words echo this ancient wisdom: true mastery, whether in coaching, teaching, or leadership, comes not from the mere passage of time, but from an active, purposeful drive to become better.

Consider the story of Michelangelo, the great sculptor and painter. When he began working on the David, he was already an accomplished artist, but his time spent chiseling and refining the marble was not just about executing what he already knew. Michelangelo's work was about continual improvement—not just with his hands but with his mind and spirit. He pushed himself, not merely to perfect his craft, but to stretch the boundaries of what was possible with stone. As Strachan notes, it is not enough to simply gain experience; one must bring drive, imagination, and enthusiasm to that experience, and it is this commitment that propels the artist—or coach—to greatness.

Strachan’s insight also speaks to the idea of passion as the fuel for growth. In many ways, passion is what keeps us connected to our work, and it is through this sustained enthusiasm that we find purpose and innovation. This is not just true for artists or athletes, but for anyone who seeks to make a meaningful impact. If we think of the lives of individuals like Leonardo da Vinci, we see how passion for his work drove him to continually evolve, to never settle into complacency, and to always seek new ideas and new horizons. It was his enthusiasm for both art and science that led to his most extraordinary inventions and masterpieces. Just as Da Vinci didn’t lose his drive, Strachan reminds us that without passion, experience alone is empty.

The imagination is also central to Strachan’s message. To remain engaged with one’s work, to continue to grow and improve, one must harness the creative spark that imagination provides. Albert Einstein famously said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” highlighting how the ability to think beyond the confines of what is known is essential to true progress. In Strachan’s field, whether coaching a football team or leading a group, imagination allows for the development of new strategies, innovative approaches, and inspired decisions. Without imagination, experience becomes a mechanical exercise, repeating the same patterns over and over, unable to evolve.

Strachan’s own journey as a coach illustrates the power of imagination and continued learning. When he joined Celtic, he did not simply rest on the laurels of his past accomplishments as a player. He entered a new phase of his career with a vision, using his imagination to shape the team and adapt his approach based on the unique challenges he faced. His continued success is a testament to the fact that improvement is not a passive process; it requires an active, ongoing commitment to growth. Just as he refined his strategies and deepened his understanding of the game, so too must we approach our own careers and pursuits—not with the belief that we have arrived, but with the belief that there is always room for growth, for learning, and for new ideas.

The lesson Strachan offers us is both inspirational and practical. No matter how much experience we accumulate, if we lose our drive, our enthusiasm, or our imagination, that experience becomes hollow. True growth comes from a passionate engagement with our work, from a relentless pursuit of improvement. Whether we are leaders, artists, or students, we must remain curious, eager, and open to new possibilities, for it is through this approach that we find not only mastery but fulfillment. The road to greatness is not one of simply accumulating years; it is a road paved with constant effort, creativity, and a willingness to transform.

Let us take Strachan’s wisdom to heart: to grow is to reignite our passion, to continually nurture our imagination, and to stay fully engaged with the world around us. We must not allow the complacency of time to steal from us the excitement of discovery and the thrill of creation. In our lives, let us not merely accumulate experiences but approach each day with the same drive, the same enthusiasm, and the same imagination that will transform those experiences into wisdom and progress. Let us seek to be better, not just for the passage of time, but because we are actively engaging with the world, refining our craft, and pushing beyond our own limits.