My ignorance abounds. I'd never heard of William Wilberforce until I began reading Moral Leadership for a Divided Age. Wilberforce was an English patrician and dedicated abolitionist. His career in Parliament spanned over forty years. Many despised him for doing too much for abolition. Others hated because they believed he did too little.
Ultimately his fight stopped the slave trade in England and eventually banished (1833) slavery throughout the British Empire.
But his biographers made four basketball-worthy points in their summary:
1. Expect criticism and be prepared to handle it.
Our decisions won't always be right but criticism is inevitable. John Wooden's Letter to Players included, "the coach has many decisions to make and you will not agree with all of them, but you must respect and accept them."
Some criticism is valid. Ego shields us from constructive criticism. Gregg Popovich simply says, "get over yourself."
2. Outwork your adversaries.
"The magic is in the work." Human nature compels us to seek comfort and to find complacency. "Good is the enemy of great." The exceptional person finds the will to do more, to become more.
When he arrived at Carolina, Michael Jordan told Roy Williams that he would work as hard as any player ever at Chapel Hill. Williams responded that if he wanted greatness, that he had to outwork every player that had come before.
3. Be firm in your goals and flexible in your tactics.
The Warrior trailed the Cavaliers and videographer Nick U'Ren shared footage with Coach Steve Kerr that they outperformed with Andre Iguodala on the court instead of Andrew Bogut. Kerr recognized that good ideas can come from anywhere. He didn't let ego stand in the way of winning. GSW went small and the Warriors won a championship.
4. Build a team.
"We can go faster alone but farther together." Chuck Daly said that every player wants 48 - 48 minutes, 48 shots, 48 million. The best players excel by making everyone around them better. One of Kevin Eastman's early words in Why the Best Are the Best is SACRIFICE. "There is no expiration date on sacrifice if individuals or a team wants to reach their true capability level." He quotes Doc Rivers as saying, "Doing something that may not be good for you but is better for the team."
Values from the past help make greatness in the present.
Lagniappe: (courtesy Chris Oliver)
respect and accept them2. Outwork your adversaries. 3. Be firm in your goals and flexible in your tactics.
"Where is our advantage?"“If someone walked into a gym and watched your team play, how would you want them to describe your team?” Sichuan Blue Whales coach @coachliamflynn joins #thebasketballpodcast with @Chris__Oliver https://t.co/SmNHa075EA pic.twitter.com/1i9JIbNCpV— Chris Oliver (@BBallImmersion) October 24, 2018
