Be inspired by legends with lessons in their fields. Use the influence of others. Draw inspiration from our experiences.
Usher
"A thief steals but a genius borrows." Picasso's original, "Good artists borrow, great artists steal."
"There was something amazing about Gene Kelly." Usher also counseled to study our mentor's mentors.
"Be inspired by what you see." Michelin 3-star chef Thomas Keller says that true inspiration is rare.
"You don't want to be a cheap imitation." Basketball legend Pete Newell explained that most attempts to use your mentor's system become a "poor copy of the original."
"A lot of Michael Jackson's ideas were inspired by Gene Kelly, Bob Fosse..."
"What is new is your perspective." Make a process, drill, or concept your own.
Armin van Buuren
Watch how van Buuren engages and energizes young people. Who wouldn't want that transformative power?
"Some of these chords...were invented hundreds of years ago." The Flex Offense was developed over fifty years ago. As written in Ecclesiastes I, What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
"I'm using Erik Satie's two chords to write new chords."
"Top melodies are...important." What are our core values and themes?
Deadmaus
"You get on the map by following." True originality is rare.
"Draw on what works." Do more of what works and less of what doesn't.
"It's very uplifting..." Inspire.
Frank Gehry
"There's something magical about exploring that idea (folds) in a building." The Bilbao Museum above...is there anything magical or transformative in our coaching?
Malcolm Gladwell
"I'm aware of my shortcomings...because I'm old." Gladwell is 58. "Youth is wasted on the young." Most young players don't know what they don't know.
"I consciously tried to write like him (Michael Lewis)." Gladwell explained that he could never write as well as Lewis, but writes better by trying to write like him. What coaches do we want to be more like?
"His examination of character was amazing." Transform players.
"That was a shortcoming that I chose to address." Use our strengths but address weakness.
"I wanted that feeling in my writing." Does practice convey 'feeling' for us?
"Everyone wants to hang out with Michael Lewis." Be the guy that others want to spend time with.
Takeaways:
- Study your mentor's mentors. (For me those are Wooden and Dean Smith)
- "Top melodies are important." What are our core values?
- "Draw on what works."
- Improve by wanting to be as good as someone we admire.
- Use strengths and address weaknesses.
Lagniappe. Study your shot with cellphone (or other) video. Is it repeatable? Are you 'shot ready' on the catch? Can you make your release quicker?