Explore an Uncommon
Approach to Leadership!
Duncan Robinson
Duncan Robinson went to Williams out of high school, now he's a key starter for an NBA playoff team. A great story.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29707109/nba-playoffs-miami-heat-duncan-robinson-steps-sunlight
Play The NCAA Tournament First
With the incredible impact of Covid-19, it's pretty clear any athletic season that does take place is going to look very different. Here's one idea I haven't heard yet, and the more I think about it I can't see what the downside is: Why not start the college basketball season with last year's NCAA Tournament?
I read that the total financial blow to the NCAA for cancelling the tournament last year was over 930 million dollars. It's been made pretty clear that the NCAA can't go another year without that revenue. They have to play and NCAA Tournament this year in some form. No one is sure if we are going to get through a full season. So why not start the season with the 2020 NCAA Tournament? The one we didn't get to have last March.
It may sound odd or unreasonable, but look at every league that has gotten back to competition. The NBA is in a $150 million bubble at Disney World playing in an empty gym. Golf is playing outdoors in front of zero fans. Major League Baseball is playing in empty stadiums, playing 7 inning games, and putting a runner on second base to start extra innings to get the games over with. They have also doubled the size of their playoffs. The bottom line is playing any sporting event is very different right now, with the goal being to find a way to play the games - and make the money.
The NCAA is talking about starting basketball after Thanksgiving when most schools have sent their students home, creating almost 8 weeks where just the athletes will be on campus. So if we are going to play, and that is the safest time for us to start playing, why not start with the games that really matter? Instead of trying to play regular season games or non-conference bubbles or whatever the alternatives are, play the most important games that have been lost to this virus. Have selection Sunday in November (Thanksgiving weekend?) and play the Tournament in December.
We were only a week away from the NCAA Tournament starting when everything got shutdown. I'm sure the NCAA kept their notes on who was going to make the tournament, who was on the bubble and who wasn't. The field was pretty close to set. Will it be completely fair or 100% representative of the bracket that would have been put out in March? Maybe not. But in case you haven't noticed, nothing is going to be normal or fair for the next 12 months at the very least. I just don't see why, when we aren't really sure if we can sustain a season for a long period of time, we would start with non-conference games that don't really mean much and won't create much revenue. We had an NCAA Tournament that was just about ready to go when we got shut down, so let's start with that and see if we can make it work. What a great way to bring back college basketball, while taking a test drive on protocols to play basketball with some significant oversight.
So what do you do with the rosters? Obviously the teams are different right now, with many seniors and others having moved on. Well, why not bring them back? Let the seniors who got robbed of a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament come back and play. Start with the rosters of all the teams as they were on March 1st. If the seniors are still around and want to play - or want to come back and play - bring them back. Let them practice for a month with their old team and get ready to play in the NCAA Tournament. If they can't come back and play, you can replace a player one for one with one of your newcomers to fill out your roster. It's not a perfect representation for sure, but March 2020 is gone and in case you haven't noticed things are going to be very different moving forward. So let's adapt a bit.
Does that create a competitive disadvantage and change the roster make-up of certain teams? Sure does. Deal with it. It really isn't that big of an issue. Is the champion of this tournament going to be the true 2020 NCAA champion? Maybe, maybe not. But again, who cares? Call it the NCAA Cup or the 2020 Invitational. The point being, if it doesn't truly represent a standard NCAA championship, so be it. We've all had to deal with a lot of different challenges due to this global pandemic, surely we can handle Louisville adding a couple of good freshmen to their basketball team to play in a tournament for a month. 2020 is going to have an asterisk on it until the end of time. We all know that.
Start practice on November 1st and start the tournament in December. Anyone interested in sitting down to watch the Final Four over the Christmas holidays? If certain leagues want to do it, let them have play-in games or finish their conference tournament. For example, Vermont and Hartford were scheduled to play in the America East in March for an automatic bid before we got shut down. If the league wants, let them play that game to see who gets in. That's fine. If a league hadn't decided who was going to represent them in the tournament, let them figure out how to do it.
What about the teams who weren't in the NCAA Tournament? Just let them get ready for their season. Remember, half the teams who play in the NCAA Tournament only play one game, and 75% only play two. You could lose in the first round, take the weekend off, and then go back to preparing for next season. If all goes well, everyone is going to be practicing at some point in November or December to get ready for this season. Some leagues have already declared their teams won't play at all until January. So plan on starting the 2021 season in January after the holidays, when the NCAA Tournament is wrapped up. Everyone is practicing in December, but the teams that are in the NCAA Tournament can get an earlier start. There are details to be worked out for sure, but it's certainly worth it to do just that.
You can also take some of the revenue and donate it to Covid-19 relief efforts. Find a way in challenging times to make a positive impact. Run ads during the games with websites that are taking donations. I'm sure plenty of people will be sitting at home watching the games, many with the ability to help. Raise some money to help those in need while we play the games.
The NCAA really needs the revenue from the NCAA Tournament, even if they can only recoup some of it. We are all unsure if basketball practice or a season can actually work over a long period of time. Once we start practices (if we get that far) we'll all be in uncharted territory. We have no idea if this is going to work. So why start by trying to play non-conference games that are mostly insignificant and won't help raise much revenue? With the NCAA's involvement for the tournament games we can probably ensure testing and safety protocols better than we all can at our individual schools. And we can help some people in need while we are at it. Who loses here?
If we are going to come back to practice in November and try playing games in December anyway, why not play the 2020 NCAA Tournament? Sure, it would be different, but not much different than everything else we've had to adjust to over the last 6 months. I'm having a hard time coming up with reasons why this idea wouldn't work. December Madness. Let's do it.
Courage
“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.”
- Paulo Coelho, Writer
Guys I Can Win With...
I've always said there are plenty of people I enjoy hanging out with, who I'm fine watching a game with, but who I wouldn't want to try and win with. Just because I like you doesn't mean I want to win with you, and just because I can win with you doesn't mean I necessarily like you. Winning involves so much more than enjoying someone's company when nothing is on the line.
Guys I can win with...
- Show up on time
- Love being part of a team
- Are efficient with their time
- Take being a teammate seriously
- Enjoy individual recognition, but never at the expense of the team
- Relentlessly pursue improvement
- Are naturally curious about others
- Lock in on directions
- Embrace criticism
- Compete their ass off in shell drill
- Are serious in the weight room
- Know the play when they leave the huddle
- Make sure everyone knows who they are guarding
- Do not take themselves too seriously
- Have a good feel for what their teammates need
- Speak up, even if it's unpopular
- Call out bad behavior
- Admit when they are wrong
- Run hard all the time
- Get on the floor first
- Go to the gym to work out, not to shoot around
- Can handle losing
- Understand team defense
- Cut to the basket when they don't get the ball
- Communicate naturally
- Won't accept excuses
- Got over themselves already
- Confront bad behavior
- Don't spend a lot of time worried about the officials
- Challenge me to be great every day
- Speak honestly with the coaching staff
- Keep their body in front of the ball
- Don't worry about things they can't control
- Want to guard the best player
- Hate losing pick-up games
- Come back in great shape
- Sense when a teammate needs confidence
- Bring it every day
The Guys Who Complain To Officials
Watching the NBA playoffs has been great, but it's a reminder to me how much NBA players complain and interact with officials. I give the officials a lot of credit because they are usually willing to have a conversation and generally not too quick with technical fouls. But I cringe a bit, because I know players at all levels are watching the NBA and following their lead.
We've all coached plenty of players who spend way too much time thinking about the officiating. But other than telling guys to stop talking to the officials, how do you change the behavior? Often their bitching is an emotional reaction, one that a simple "stop doing that" isn't going to correct.
So what can you do to get players to stop complaining to the officials?
Explain what the team needs from them
The first step that I've found most effective is to have a conversation, and one that isn't based on officiating or their behavior. Explain to them what the team needs from them.
"When you are locked in on what's important, this team feeds off your energy. We need you to focus on what you can control, because when you do that the team reacts positively. When you are concerned with other things, you don't play well and neither does our team."
Focus on how their behavior can have a positive impact on the team. So when you have to correct it, you aren't simply yelling "stop talking to the officials!" You are saying, "Stay locked in here, this team needs you." Their value to the team and their loyalty to their teammates should be more important than their beef with the refs.
Silent days
Start practice one day by telling them they aren't allowed to talk. They can't say a word. Maybe you can't do it for the entire practice, but do it for a couple of live, competitive drills. Don't let them respond to anything, and force them to focus on what they can do better, not things they can't control. When they can talk again, they'll spend more time talking to their teammates about what's important.
Sub them out
When a constant complainer starts bitching in practice, just put a sub in for them. Don't challenge them, yell at them or add any emotion to what is already an emotional situation. It's a simple "Brian, get Kaseem." Just remove him from the practice, and keep it moving. Let them take a deep breath and calm down, and they'll start to realize when they complain, they don't get to play.
Make a teammate run
Don't pick on one guy for this, but make it a rule for the team. If it continues to be a problem with just one guy, then maybe it becomes his rule. When someone complains about a call, stop practice and put one of their teammates on the line. Make him run a quick sprint. "Tim, it's too bad you can't count on Jeff. He let you down by not running back on defense, and that's going to cost your team in the long run. You are really going to have to be in great shape if Jeff is going to keep doing that."
It doesn't have to be a long sprint, just a quick down-and-back. Nobody is comfortable putting their teammates on the line because of their own bad behavior (or if they are, you aren't winning with them anyway and get them out of your gym quickly). You'll also create some peer pressure within your group, so the guys start getting on their teammates about leaving the officials alone.
Call less fouls in practice
Put them in situations where playing through it is the norm. The expectation is that you are going to get hit, and tough teams play through it. I've seen a number of practices where the bitching is actually made worse by inconsistent officiating - this guy gets a call, that guy doesn't. And now guys are complaining, but they have a legitimate beef. Create a tough mentality where you are going to play through all of that stuff. Let them play, and they'll get used to it.
Check yourself
This might be the most challenging adjustment to make, and also the most important. Look at your own behavior with regards to officials. If you are losing your mind with the officiating, what do you expect your players to do? The do as I say, not as I do approach is fraudulent. Your kids are going to take on your personality, good or bad. The idea that "I'll take care of the officials," or "I'm just fighting for you guys" is an excuse for your own bad behavior.
I can't tell you how many times as a head coach I was upset with the officials and then I realized I was losing control of my team. They are going to follow your lead. Check your own emotions to make sure your players can handle theirs.
Dynamic Leadership Podcast: Mike Pressler
Extremely enlightened, selfless leadership approach from Bryant Lacrosse coach Mike Pressler.
Great Teammates
From the Sports Illustrated article in 2003 that named David Robinson and Tim Duncan the Sportsmen of the Year.
"We honor them too for the way they fit together in San Antonio, one superstar and number 1 draft pick (Duncan in '97) biding his time until the other superstar and number 1 draft pick (Robinson, '87) was ready to bed the starring role. The mind boggles at the clamorous scenes that would have unfolded in Los Angeles had Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant had to share the same spot for the Lakers. Robinson, a post-up center, and Duncan, a post-up power forward, figuratively and literally had to make room for each other, a display of selflessness at which both men shrug their shoulders. "It was a natural process," says Duncan. "When I came in, David was the Man and I was just trying to learn the game, develop under his wing. And when it was time for me to do more, David understood it without a word being spoken."
Well, maybe a word or two. "Sure, I had a few talks with Pop, because it was a tough thing for me when the offense started going through Tim," says Robinson. "But it never got the the argument stage because how could I not accept it? It was the right thing to do."
Has there ever been a better pair of teammates who were as talented and high-profile? We are talking about two of the top 50 players in the history of the game, who essentially played the same position, teaming up and sacrificing for championships together.
Practice Doesn't Matter As Much As You Think
Very interesting article from a few years back on the value of practice versus talent.
https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/practice-doesnt-make-perfect
The Culture Has To Be Theirs
Culture has been a hot buzzword in team sports for a while now, so there is plenty to read on the topic. I'm a big believer in culture and the impact the every day environment can have on individual and team behavior. When I became a head coach at Rhode Island College in 2005 I went about establishing a culture, as most first-year head coaches do, and we had a lot of success.
It probably took a full year to establish our culture, but our culture was really what allowed us to sustain success. It was a great combination of talent, mentality and fit between myself, the school and the players who were already in the program. There was alignment on what the program should look like and how we should go about our business every day, and our players completely bought in. I said it at the time and I still say it today - I don't think I'll ever be a part of a culture as tight as the one we had at Rhode Island College again. It was something special.
The most important thing about that championship culture, however, is something I think we often forget about as coaches. The culture we build wasn't my culture, it was my players' culture. Leadership can be very tricky, because ultimately we are responsible for what happens, yet we to get the most out of our people we have to give control to them. As the leader it's easy to think of the culture as something that is yours, not theirs. The most important aspect of our championship culture at Rhode Island College was that it became theirs, it wasn't mine.
What I did was help the players establish some standards and set some guidelines for our behavior. And certainly in the beginning, mine was the dominant voice as we were trying to get things established. But as you evolve, and as your players truly buy-in, they are the ones who carry the culture every day. It doesn't have to come from your mouth. They know what is expected of them, they believe in it, and they carry it out. The culture grows under their watch, not yours. They set the standards and they handle the accountability when those standards aren't met.
You hear it said often that the best teams are led by the players, not the coaches. I'm not sure I completely agree with that. We often use leadership conveniently, saying we have great leadership when things are going well and blaming our lack of leadership when they aren't. The leadership comes from you as the head coach and goes through your players, and hopefully over time you have to be less and less active in that regard. But culture and leadership are two different things. Certainly you need leadership on your team for your kids to carry the culture, but culture is more about behavior and less about what is said. The leadership you provide helps establish the culture in the minds of the players, but then they carry it out without thinking about it. It becomes who they are and what they are about.
When I became the head coach at Maine, I went about establishing our culture the same way. I knew it would take longer given the lack of talent in the program at the time. We had good kids, but most of them weren't used to the work ethic or commitment necessary to be great. As I look back, I realize our culture was mine for way too long. I was the one carrying it for the first 3 years, trying to get our guys to understand what it took to be successful. It's certainly not easy when you aren't having success to get the belief you need, but I could have done a better job. I had too much control of the culture from the beginning, and I didn't give the players enough room to take a hold of it. It wasn't until our fourth year when I started to give up control that we really started to establish and believe in our culture.
To make the culture theirs you have to be confident enough to step out of the way. You can't control everything or make every decision. You have to trust the guidelines you put in place, and let the players carry out the behavior. Sure, you'll have to step in at times to make a point or to change behavior. But over time your players will take on that responsibility and those who don't fit will find their way out of the program.
Culture is crucial, and establishing a great culture can lead to sustained success. But don't just create a culture and ask your guys to fall in line. If you really want to achieve at a high level, make the culture theirs. Give the control and let them hold each other accountable to standards they believe in. The most effective culture you can have is one owned by your players.
Reality
My first year as a head coach we started out 8-7 in our first 15 games. I took over a very talented team, as it turns out one that I think was likely the best team in the league. But we didn't get off to a good start. We'd play very well for a week and then we'd just no-show for a game or two, losing to teams that should never beat us. By mid-January we were barely over .500 and we should have been much better.
In my mind we were practicing well, our guys were bought in and they were competing very hard. We just couldn't seem to put it together. I was a new coach that took over in September and didn't recruit any of the current players, so we were still getting comfortable with each other. It was going to take time to pull it together, people told me. You have to get some of your own players in there. It'll click, just give it time. It's not going to happen overnight. We could attribute our difficulties to it being my first year as a head coach and the players still trying to get comfortable with a new system.
I knew something wasn't right, but I really couldn't figure it out. One of my assistants at the time, Bill Black, used to say "I just think we need to be more consistent." He used the word consistent over and over. I was convinced our guys were playing hard every day and committed to what we were doing, it was just taking time for it to click. Something wasn't right, but it was easy to attribute it to everything being new.
Coach Black kept using the word consistent, and I realized eventually he meant we weren't being consistent in some way. As we talked it out it became clear that I was sending mixed messages. We talked about how hard we wanted them to compete every day, but some days I was on them about it and some days I was letting them off the hook. I was a first-year head coach, and I was unknowingly concerned what my guys thought about me - not holding them accountable.
For about 6 weeks we were trying to figure out how to get better, attributing our problems to the fact that things were just new and we needed to get used to each other. The reality was much different. We were inconsistent because of my approach with the team. It really had nothing to do with us getting comfortable with each other. I made some changes in my approach, earned the trust of my players and we started to play to our potential, going 11-3 in our final 14 games. The following year we won 27 games and went to the Elite 8.
We spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to solve our problems. I'm not sure we spend enough time understanding what the actual problem is in the first place. I have a great friend, Phil O'Brien, who runs the York Consulting group, and he always says when it comes to problem solving "See reality for what it is, and act accordingly."
I think the first issue we have with problem solving is we often don't know what the problem actually is. I thought the problem with my first team was just that everything was new and it would take a little time to gel. The problem was my approach. If we don't get to the reality of the situation we are going to waste a lot of time trying to solve the wrong problems.
A lot of this when it comes to coaching is self-serving. Have you ever been in a locker room at halftime or after a game and heard "We got the shots we want... we just have to make more shots?" That's a pretty common coaching attribution after a loss. We played well, we got the shots we want, we just couldn't make any. Not much else we can do. That usually makes the coaching staff feel better, but it also avoids reality. Do you really think the reason we lost is because we just couldn't make enough shots? Sure, that may happen occasionally, but most of the time when I hear that it's not reality. Usually if we weren't making shots it's because we weren't getting the shots we wanted.
In evaluating your team, especially when you aren't playing well, it's very easy to go to what's comfortable. You find a common narrative where you can tell yourself you know the problem and you can go about fixing it. My first team was on their 3rd coach in 3 years, so of course we were going to be inconsistent. That was the coach-speak, and it fit because it made me comfortable. That must be the issue, not much I can do about it, it's going to take time. It just wasn't reality, so there was no way to fix it.
I think about this a lot with the current global pandemic going on. We are in an unprecedented situation with devastating consequences. We've been sidelined for 5 months and no one knows when we can start getting back to normal. But there is such an urgency to get back to normal, that I'm not sure we are starting from reality. We see what we want to see, a narrative that allows us to get back to school and get back to playing sports. We have to get back to normal in the fall, right? There's no way the virus can keep us shut down that long. There are so many anecdotes and different angles out there that we can find whatever information we want to support the most comfortable narrative. Just like I did with my first team.
As a coach, before you try and start solving your teams problems, make sure you know exactly what those problems are and the root cause behind them. Ask people you trust what they are seeing from the outside. Analyze the data so you are dealing with facts. Tell your staff they have to come up with a different angle, to disagree with something that you guys have been talking about. Talk to your players and get to know what is going on from their perspective.
We often don't spend enough time dealing with reality. Before you can solve your teams problems you'd better know exactly what they are. Make sure you start with reality first. See it for what it is, and then act accordingly.
Low Hand To The Ball
I was very lucky to be a part of the staff for the USA Pan American Team playing in the Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru last summer. It was great to be involved with international competition in the summer, but maybe the best part of it was being in a basketball lab every day with Ed Cooley, Mike Martin and Kevin Willard.
One concept I loved from Kevin Willard was the aggressive way he defends the ball screens. He teaches his guys to put their "low hand to the ball" when hedging the screen. As you show or even switch out onto the screen, your job is to swipe at the basketball with your low (outside) hand.
Normally I don't like teaching to reach or playing with your hands, especially with a guard trying to turn the corner on a ball screen. But what happens is the guard with the ball has to take a split second to read the ball screen coverage - is it going to be a trap, a switch, a soft hedge, etc. With an aggressive swipe at the ball, you almost always catch the ball-handler a little off guard and force him to take a step away from the hoop. He gets a little startled and backs up instinctively, giving your defense a little bit more time to adjust and slowing the ball down.
Your defender doesn't have to get a piece of the ball or aggressively go for a steal. It's just a simple swipe with his outside hand, forcing the ball-handler to protect it for a half-second. That small amount of time gives you defense a better chance at staying connected and keeping the ball out of the paint.
Adversity Action Steps: Actively Seek Positivity
When things start to go South, it's easy to tell everyone to stay positive. But to actually do so takes a more intentional approach. When things aren't going well you are surrounded by frustration and negativity. It's the nature of adversity. You have to aggressively seek out positivity.
You have to do more than just "stay positive." Surround yourself with positive people. Shut down any negative talk or feeling sorry for yourself immediately. Perhaps you can give your team a little time to mourn, to feel bad, to flush out the bad feelings. But in a short period when it's time to get back to work, the negativity has to be gone.
Celebrate small victories every day. Little things that people in your organization are doing to make you better - even some things that are common and expected. Make sure everybody knows about them and celebrates them. Here is what we are doing to get better, and we should be proud of it. Go out of your way to celebrate small, daily wins when the chips are down.
When people ask how they can help, the first thing you can say to anyone is "Only speak in positive tones about our organization." That's how people can help. Speak positively about the team, the mission, the people, regardless of the tough times that are in front of you.
Train your people to talk about what you are going to do moving forward, not about what happened to you. Once you've analyzed what went wrong, get over it. Talking about what happened and continuing to dissect it only keeps you in a negative frame of mind.
There is a lot of research done on what is called the "Illusory Truth" effect, which essentially says that if you hear something stated to you consistently you start to believe it - EVEN if you know it's not true. Think about that for a second. If you know it isn't true, but people keep telling you something, you start to believe it. That should tell you a lot about the power of your mind.
Have you ever heard anyone say "It's hard to beat a team three times," in the same year? You hear it in basketball and football all the time. You beat a team twice, and now you have to face them in a conference tournament. The prevailing mentality is it's a tough challenge, beating the same team three times.
Except that it isn't true. Over a 10-year period in college basketball, when teams played three times, the team that won the first two games also won the third game 73% of the time. It actually isn't that hard to beat a team three times. The same goes for NFL football. But, we hear it so often we think it is true.
If you continue to have dialogue around "We stink, we just aren't very good right now," or "We just can't get out of our own way," you will start to believe it. And so will everyone around you. It's a difficult challenge, because when you are struggling you also have to be realistic about your situation to get better. But constantly repeating negative messages is only going to make you worse.
When adversity strikes, aggressively seek positivity. It's more than just staying positive. Put a plan in place, surround yourself with positive people, celebrate small successes, and stamp out negativity. Actively seek positivity to give your team the best chance to turn things around.
HoopHeads Podcast
Had a long conversation on a number of coaching and leadership topics with Mike Klinzig of HoopHeads Podcast. The interview takes about 1:40, so save it for a long car ride.
Patience
We should all read anything Ibram X. Kendi writes. This is powerful.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/07/john-lewis-and-danger-gradualism/614512/
But the gradualists of today admonish the gradualism of yesterday, condemning all those who opposed immediate emancipation, all those who told Lewis to tone down his speech in 1963. Reformists don’t age as well as revolutionaries. How could anyone say in 1829 that slavery should live another hour? How could anyone not have demanded a “scorched-earth policy” that burned “Jim Crow to the ground—nonviolently,” as Lewis was prevented from saying at the March on Washington?
A century from now, when almost all of us are dead, if we don’t act with urgency and boldness, I can only imagine what our descendants will be saying about us. How could we allow the evil of racial inequity to live another hour? How could we not support a scorched-earth policy to eliminate racial injustice? The revolutionaries of today will age well, as those revolutionaries of yesterday aged well.
Adversity Action Steps: Trust And Delegate
One of the most difficult challenges when your team or organization faces adversity is to trust the people around you. It's natural when things aren't going well to want control, yet control isn't the best way to get the most out of your team. And when you are struggling, that's exactly what you need.
The military uses a phrase that I use with my teams a lot - "In command, without control." I want to train my teams to handle everything that is going to come their way on the court, but when it's time to make key decisions I don't want control over them. They are empowered to make the right decisions based on the way we've prepared.
I've found that when adversity hits I often find my own confidence in the group. Granted, the players are looking for direction, but given a voice and some shared responsibility they will feel a responsibility to find success. Let your entire team gain confidence from the people around them by asking questions, sharing the responsibility and empowering everyone to play to their strengths.
Avoid going into a shell as the leader when things get tough. Your team will sense your uneasiness and lack of confidence in them, and that is not a game plan for improvement.
As you take a collective approach, make sure you share and delegate responsibility. Assign specific tasks to team members, and include detail about the approach and expectations. "Tim, I'm putting you in the starting line-up. I need you to be the best defender on the team, and take on the opponents best player every night. This team needs you to shut him down. Can you do that for me?" Be very specific about what you expect out of everyone, and assign the tasks directly. Any meeting you have with your organization should end with a plan of action. "We've had a great discussion about how we are going to get better moving forward. Now let's talk about the actions-steps. Here is what we are going to do when we leave this room." Specific, detailed action-steps are an essential part of any plan to overcome adversity.
There was a great study done by researchers at MIT on high-performing teams, and they found that the best teams showed 3 things - they were empathetic, everyone was willing to help, and the responsibility was shared amongst the group. Everyone on the team played an equal role in the success of the group. The teams that had one or two alpha-dogs leading the way, telling everyone what was going to happen and taking on most of the responsibility, weren't as successful. The best way to get the most out of your team is to collaborate, even when the chips are down.
Resist the urge to take complete control when things aren't going your way. Trust the people around you and empower them to help with specific, detailed action-steps. Taking the solo route is only going to make things more difficult and likely alienate members of your team. Collaborate with them and count on them to get your team back on the right path.
Resistance Vs. Muse
Pat Scanlon is the head coach at Greenwich Country Day School. He has some great thoughts on his blog. Always worth checking out.
Hard Work
"The greatest who ever do it are always the hardest workers."
- Rich Gannon
I'm not sure we are being honest with the way we talk about work. You hear and see quotes like the above one from Rich Gannon (who was talking about Tom Brady) all the time. We don't really ever seem to question whether or not they are actually true when we are talking about hard work.
Babe Ruth wasn't exactly known for his work ethic, but he's on Mount Rushmore of the greatest baseball players of all-time. Shaquille O'Neal didn't really blow people away with how hard he worked either. But he's one of the top 50 basketball players ever to play. It's just interesting to me the way we glorify hard work, and we immediately associate the best players with having this incredible work ethic. I just don't think that's accurate.
"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard"
I'm sure you've seen that one on a high school wall somewhere or at least on instagram or twitter. That flows nicely and fits well on a poster of some track athlete dripping with sweat. But is it true?
I coached some great teams at Rhode Island College that won championships that were really talented but didn't necessarily work that hard. They relied a lot on their talent and suffered some bad losses along the way because of their lack of a consistent work ethic. In the end, however, they were talented enough to pull it together and win a championship. I also coached some teams at the University of Maine that worked extremely hard and were fully committed, yet only won a handful of games. Ultimately due to transfers and injuries, we just didn't have good enough talent on the floor to win games.
If I gave you a choice to coach the hardest working team in the league or the most talented team in the league, which one are you choosing? I'm taking the most talented team, and I suspect most coaches who are interested in winning, would do the same.
Look, I'm not saying work ethic isn't important. It absolutely is, and it's generally something within your control. I've made a career in college athletics out of work ethic, because I knew as a junior in high school I wasn't good enough. So this isn't to crush work ethic as a non-factor. It's extremely important. But I'm not sure we need to glorify it the way we do.
You don't (or at least you shouldn't) tell your team that the five hardest-workers are going to start. That's because they won't. I've coached some incredible kids who worked their asses off every day who just weren't talented enough to play very much. A great work ethic alone isn't enough, and I'm not sure we should glorify it like it's the most important thing.
We tell kids at a young age all the time that if they are willing to work hard they can be whatever they want in life. Well that isn't really true. With all due respect to Malcolm Gladwell (and I'm a big Gladwell fan), I could have taken ground balls for 10,000 hours when I was in Little League but I still don't think I was ever playing shortstop for the Yankees.
When I go recruiting, the first thing I am looking for in a player is natural ability. Do I want him to have a great work ethic? Of course I do. But the natural ability to play at this level and help us win is what's most important. We all want our best players to be our hardest workers. But that isn't always the case.
Talent matters. That's okay. It's important to recognize that. We always want to instill the value of a great work ethic as well, but there's no need to misrepresent it. We run the risk of being disingenuous if we do.
Ask Questions
When in doubt, ask questions.
We all think of leadership as standing up in front of a room and delivering an inspiring message to a group. Give them the game plan, tell them what to and how you are going to succeed. In difficult times, it's letting them know everything will be alright. Make them feel better, and lay out the game plan to get things back on track. The leader is supposed to stand in front of the group, show strength, and make statements.
But that's not what leadership is really all about. That looks great in sports movies, but it doesn't usually work out that way. Leadership is hard and often uncomfortable. While you feel like you are supposed to have the answers, often you don't.
I've stood in front of my team many times and told them I didn't know. I wish I had the answer, I wish I knew the right thing to say right now, but I just don't. Transparency is critical for effective leadership. And if I didn't know, I told my players I didn't know.
We are facing incredibly challenging times right now, with a lot of emotion and uncertainty. The George Floyd murder has impacted everyone and the fact that we are all pretty much separated from our everyday lives has made it harder to process. We don't get to see many of the people we are closest with on a daily basis. We don't get to see our workmates, our friends or our teams. So with everything going on in the country we are left on our own to make sense of it all.
A lot of people are struggling with how they feel, and what do do about it. I know I am.
Whenever I wasn't sure what to say, I wouldn't make any statements. I'd ask questions. One of the best things you can do as a leader is to know what you don't know. If you aren't sure what to say, or how to process what you are feeling, don't say anything. Ask questions. You'll learn a lot about your team.
I would always start with two basic questions. 1) How are you feeling? 2) What can we do about it? I think that's a great way to start, especially with the challenges we are facing now. Many people aren't really sure how they are supposed to feel. And not a lot of people know what to do next. We all feel awful, we all want to do something to help, but there really aren't any easy answers. Being confused and unsure is natural right now. Just because you are the leader, doesn't mean you should feel differently.
I'm sure there's a lot of pressure because your group is looking to you for leadership. So give it to them. Ask them how they feel. Explain to them how you feel. Let them know you are unsure. Be transparent, and show them some vulnerability. That will make them feel comfortable. Get them talking. Learn what they might need from you. Let them know it's okay to be confused, to be uncertain. That will make them feel more reassured than any statements you can make that don't ring true. Have a conversation, get them to share their emotions, and then start to work on how you can help.
"People will forgive you for not being the leader you want to be, but they will never forgive you for not being the leader you claim to be." - Diane Sawyer.
Authenticity is leadership. If you aren't completely genuine, especially during tough times, your credibility is shattered. Leadership is situational. Context matters. And we are in an unprecedented situation right now in our country. There is no playbook, because this combination of global pandemic and national outrage has never been seen before.
You aren't supposed to have all of the answers. But you can ask the right questions. Get to know how your team is feeling, and let the dialogue happen from there. Then start to ask about solutions. Be honest about how you are feeling, even if you are unsure. There are no easy answers here, and it's okay to say that. Sometimes leadership is being honest about what you don't know.