Leading With The Heart I. Preseason Ch. 1: Getting Organized Establish right away in the first meeting the only rule for the team: “Don’t do anything that’s detrimental to yourself. Because if it’s detrimental to you, it’ll be detrimental to our program..” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.4).
Don’t dwell on it, so it does not ruin the moment. Recruit individuals who want to be part of a team and who are cacheable. Use plural pronouns from the very first meeting on. Use the words “our” instead of “my,” “we” instead of “I,” and “us” instead of “me.” Leadership on a team is plural, not singular. Make sure you are not the only one speaking in meetings, especially the first one, to demonstrate the principal of “we’re all important” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.7). Include players, assistants, trainers, and team managers.
Time Management During the first meeting, hand out notebooks and pocket calendars with important dates listed, such as practice times, special events, and game schedule. “Teach time management, not only as it relates to individuals, but as it pertains to a group” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.18). Academics Remind athletes to tell professors of their schedules, when they will be missing class, and their plans on what to do for getting the materials they missed. Encourage the athletes to get the total university life experience. That is why there are no athletic dorms, so there is no separation between the athletes and student body.
Stress the honor in academics and all things. Rules The rule “don’t do anything detrimental to yourself” covers a wide variety of things. Establishing too many rules gets in the way of leadership. “Don’t be a team of ‘I got’chas” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.10).
Leadership is “ongoing, adjustable, flexible and dynamic,” and so it allows the leader to have discretion. No “hard and fast rule” gives the leader the flexibility in different situations and provides the “latitude to lead” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.11). Support System “Set up a family support system for your team. It’s like getting a shot to keep away jealousy” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.12). Distribute laminated cards to each individual with the phone numbers of staff and fellow players. Remind them to call somebody when they’re in harms way.
A Handshake Deal Make handshake deals with players during the recruiting process, and tell them of the “fair but not equal” policy, which means be “fair” in everything that you do, but players will not be “equal” with regard to on-the-court playing time. A handshake deal means there are no hidden agendas, everything is straight up. “Mutual commitment helps people overcome the fear of failure – especially when people are part of a team sharing and achieving goals” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.15). This commitment to each other allows for open lines of communication. Talk with the players regularly about their personal lives to show you care.
“Ongoing communication enforces the handshake” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.16). Each year brings with it a new team, a new set of personalities, and a new set of skills. So each year you have to coach differently. “Each team has to run its own race” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.17). Ch 2: Building Your Team Talent “When you first assemble a group, it’s not a team right off the bat. It’s only a collection of individuals” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.19).
Assembling skillful individuals as part of the team is a given in order to succeed Employ really good, smart people who want to be part of an organization. Not “yes” people, but people that will tell you the truth, no matter if it is good or bad. All assistants should want to be a top leader in the future. That way they’ll want to learn and grow.
Don’t force an individual into a job description. Rather, they should fit each individual so that his/her strengths are best utilized. “Never let a person’s weaknesses get in the way of his strength” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.25). At the end of each year go through an appraisal and reevaluation process. Rotate responsibilities if needed. Trusting Relationships “The level of cooperation on any team increases tremendously as the level of trust rises” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.26).
Bonds must be formed between all members of the team, from player to player, player to coach, coach to coach, player to manager, etc… “A framework of leadership has to be created so that the wheel is sustained if something happens to the hub” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.27). This is accomplished by developing trusting relationships among everyone. Leaders have to give time for relationships. A Winning Attitude “A real winning attitude is about standards of excellence – which are variable from year to year, from team to team.
Being the best you can be – and doing the best you can – are the constants” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.28). The leader has to asses the team, set the standard of excellence, and then work with the team to achieve that standard. Finding the Heart Give people the freedom to show the heart they possess. The leader of the has to search for the heart of the team because the person who is the heart can bring out the best in the other members of the team, including the leader. Each year ask the question: “Where will the heart be?” Ch 3: Establishing Discipline Respect for Authority “All players must have the discipline to believe and trust in what a coach says to them at a moment’s notice” – and vice versa (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.38).
Leaders must have a caring attitude, “instill respect for authority by being direct, by communicating regularly, and by being honest.” Also, remember that a true respect for authority takes time to grow and develop. (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.39). Honest and Integrity Instill in the team the discipline to tell the truth. Dealing with anything but the truth is a waste of time. People have to know that your word is good.
Personal Responsibility Embrace personal responsibility. Taking responsibility for your own actions and mistakes sets a good example and shows respect for fellow team members. Learn that failure is part of success. Discipline Defined “Discipline is doing what you are supposed to do in the best possible manner at the time you are supposed to do it” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.46). Teach individuals the qualities of good sportsmanship, patience, and being enthusiastic and energized every time out.
“A team has to learn the discipline of physical habit collectively – as a unit” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.47). If every person has a great foundation and the passion and heart to love what they do, they will always love their life. Ch 4: Dynamic Leadership Each year a team creates a brand-new culture. New people arrive and begin to mesh with other members who have been there for one, two, or three years. If that culture is developed properly, then in the heat of competition, when you have to really get a message across, the team or an individual will respond well. Define Your Own Success If you always try to achieve success that is defined by someone else, then you’ll always be frustrated.
Define your own success. “Whatever a leader does now sets up what he does later. And there’s always a later” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.55). Planning and Preparation Each leader has to look ahead at the entire season so that they can plan and prepare for every phase. But those plans, or strategies, must be adjustable and members of the team must be prepared accordingly.
Success is a matter of preparing to win. Shared Goals Goals should be shared among all members of the team. Goals should be realistic and attainable. “Never set a goal that involves a number of wins – never.” Set goals that revolve around playing together as a team so that the team can be good every time out. (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.60). The leader must always follow the progress on a regular basis.
Progress and good work has to be rewarded and encouraged. Each goal set has to be worthy of the team’s commitment. If the leader is not fully committed to a course of action that allows use of the team’s full commitment, then the leader needs to change his course of action. Every Season Is a Journey “Every season is a journey. Live it with exuberance and excitement. Live it right” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.64).
II. Regular Season Ch 5: Teamwork The Fist “There are five fundamental qualities that make every team great: communication, trust, collective responsibility, caring, and pride. I like to think of each as a separate finger on the fist. Any one individual is important.
But all of them together are unbeatable” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.65). “Any one fist can break any one finger. Therefore, your goal as a leader should be to create a dominant team where all five fingers fit together into a powerful fist” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.70). Communication The leader and members of the team have to be able to adjust on the run so not to miss any great scoring opportunities. Confidence shared with other members of the team is better than confidence only in yourself. Don’t hire individuals solely for their technical merits, but rather look and see how well they function as a team member in a team environment.
“Communication is just as important as technical ability” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.74). At the beginning of each year, look for the communicator on the team Trust Trust is the most important word in leadership. Confrontation is good. In confrontation, you are just meeting the truth face-to-face. Teach the principle “that your fifth shot is your first shot” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.75). Collective Responsibility The team wins and loses together.
Great teams embrace responsibility. Caring The principle of caring is a dynamic motivational force on any team. Pride Have enough pride to believe that every loose ball on the floor has your name on it. “Two are better than one if two act as one” (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.83). Ch 6: Training and Development You Hear, You Forget.
You See, You Remember. You Do, You Understand. Always remember the above phrase when teaching. Be fully prepared for every practice. Create a lesson plan, but remain flexible.
Use the lesson plan only as a guide. A leader has to walk through processes and strategies with team members. He can not just tell people what to do and expect them to perform well. Try not to use things like email, memos, or whistles in practice because these items tend to put distance between t …
