Coaches change the natural order. Selection, organization, training, planning, and practice distort chaos into collaboration.
Coaches constrain freedom and produce inequality. Society does, too. Will and Ariel Durant wrote in The Lessons of History, “Inequality is not only natural and inborn, it grows with the complexity of civilization.” Conquerors most often reward the conquered with extermination not equality. Many leaders work to consolidate power not cultivate excellence.
We have a lifetime contract with ourselves to become more. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a good example.
Steve Kerr emphasizes mentors, mindset, and culture. Team cultures often struggle to bridge that gap. To understand culture, ask the twelfth person on the team not the star. And yet, superstar Kevin Durant described not feeling accepted.
The past two seasons of the Boston Celtics exhibit the tension between youth and experience. During the playoffs of 2018, injuries to Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward fostered opportunities for young players Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier. Their growth propelled the team to the conference finals. But the past season saw regression with the return of established stars, as unmet ego needs - minutes, shots, and prestige - created a "toxic environment."
Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich asks players to "get over yourselves." It's not that easy with ego as the enemy.
Several years ago, the hospital where I work had a young Environmental Services leader, Troy. Troy dressed impeccably, modeled excellence, and led by example. He'd throw on sweats and show his employees how to complete tasks. He seamlessly transitioned between the top to the mop. In a brief conversation, I remarked that I appreciated his work and knew that he wouldn't be in his current position long. Within a year, the rising star took a new position at another larger hospital. Cultivating excellence while willing to lose stars is a constant challenge.
Don't forget to edit your "mood board" continually. High performance is no accident.
Lagniappe: How does our action translate to team and personal success? This corresponds to the recent lesson of the EPITAPH TEST.
An NBA coach told me his biggest takeaway from a presentation I did for him, and his staff, was to “remove the fluff.” Get right to what most directly helps a player improve and perform better, and thus what most importantly affects winning.— Chris Oliver (@BBallImmersion) September 18, 2019