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Friday, October 14, 2016

Fast Five: Khan Academy


Genghis Khan led the Mongols in a brutal and expansive regime. He created the largest empire in history. He was a butcher responsible for millions of deaths. But his reign also illustrated coaching lessons. 

1. He had a sharp eye for talentThe Great Khan had a keen eye for talent, and he usually promoted his officers on skill and experience rather than class, ancestry or even past allegiances. As coaches and leaders, we must identify and nurture talent.

2. He was a great assimilator. He often adopted the best practices from conquered cultured, adding them to his strategies and governance. We might say he was eclectic, focused on improving his culture. "They learned the knowledge and the skills of the conquered."

3. He believed in religious toleranceThe Great Khan also had a personal interest in spirituality. He was known to pray in his tent for multiple days before important campaigns, and he often met with different religious leaders to discuss the details of their faiths. We have to work to understand others with whom we work. 

4. Khan understood the value of communicationThe Mongols most potent weapon may have been their vast communication network. He developed a mounted courier system. We can't harness the "power of connection" without local and distant communication in every aspect of our lives. 

5. Speed kills. "The key of the Mongols' military success was their ability to move vast differences in a short time...their key was their horse archers." The Mongolian Horde thrived in transition and perimeter attack.