MasterClass.com offers courses by directors from Ken Burns and Ron Howard, Mira Nair and Werner Herzog, and Martin Scorsese to Jody Foster. It also lends expertise in many other domains.
I've shared some of their offerings like Howard's "the director is the keeper of the story." Coaches are a lot like directors, supervising the wide range of players from youth to experienced.
The best teams are player-led where mature players have input, accountability, and self-motivation. Young players generally lack physical, emotional, and basketball maturity.
Jody Foster discusses similarities between directing and parenting, balancing control and freedom. One actress with an overarching career needs little direction, while a newcomer needs more. Yet, Foster wants the 'players' to be organic. If a youngster's first response is to put the ball on the floor, we need to redirect that habit and explain why it limits her options. The same could go for exclusive use of the dominant hand, excessive gambling on defense, or 'sophisticated mediocrity' instead of refined hesitation and crossover dribbles. James Harden is elite, yet not the prototype for young players. Don Meyer called for mature simplicity.
Jackie Chan's instruction is pure. "How can you fill your cup if already full?"
A player can only be as good as she believes she is. Avoid try and can't, failure words. Emphasize do and will. Although your "role" is scorer, when your opponent doubles you repeatedly, have the vision and passing skill to find the best option under the circumstances.
Collaboration finds solutions not blame. The current NBA coaching carousel is the opposite. You can't fire all the players, so replace the coach. Organizations without stability can win big, but they are the exception.
What behaviors foster collaboration?
- Disagree agreeably. Create conflict without acrimony to find better ways, an Eric Spoelstra strength.
- Speak last. Nelson Mandela listened and processed before sharing his opinion.
- Take the hard truth. Zak Boisvert encourages an exercise of asking players, "what does it feel like to play for me?" What's good, what's bad, what could be better? The answers can make us better, but won't always make us feel better.
- Network. Ken Burns advises filmmakers to find a team of allies. Doris Kearns Goodwin shared Lincoln's different approach, bringing together a Team of Rivals, whose unique skills added strengths. The pandemic has brought coaches closer together to share ideas and concepts willingly.
- Sacrifice. The 2008 Celtics of Pierce, Garnett, and Allen saw each sacrifice shots and numbers for a championship. Director Werner Herzog required Christian Bale to eat maggots in his film. First, Herzog volunteered to show him how to do it.
