Coaches model and teach leadership. The best do so naturally and authentically. At Naval Officer Indoctrination School in 1978, we trained under Lieutenant Unruh, someone you wanted to follow.
General Stanley McChrystal shares leadership thoughts in his book, "On Character." The saying goes that, "Sport doesn't build character, it reveals it."
General McChrystal is a man with whom I'd enjoy having lunch to share his experiences on leadership. That won't happen because he only eats one meal a day, dinner. In the book, he referenced a novel, "Once An Eagle," a novel he read multiple times for the leadership concepts.
The book contrasts the experiences of two officers who work their way up "the chain," one via valor and the other via politics. You can guess which one he identifies with.
Here are eight principles extracted from the book, with brief basketball annotations:
Lead by moral example. Authority flows from character not rank alone; standards must be visible and modeled daily.
Basketball: It's a big ask to expect players to set an example when we cannot as a coach. Donald Sterling modeled bad behavior as an owner. Former Patriots assistant Mike Lombardi excavated the character of possible NFL draftees (via SEC sororities).
Serve the mission and the people, in that order. The unit exists to accomplish the job. Leaders protect and develop the unit, not for personal glory.
Basketball: Pete Carroll believes that the first responsibility for coaches and players is to protect the team. The Celtics had a managerial SNAFU that led to Joe Mazzulla's hiring.
Earn loyalty; don’t demand it. Respect is earned through competence, shared struggle, and fairness.
Basketball: Coaching resembles parenting. If everyone likes you, then you're not doing your job. Coaches set limits and enforce discipline and even professionals don't always want that.
Tell the truth early and often. Transparency builds trust; collaboration requires communication and sometimes hard conversations.
Basketball: Kevin Eastman says that you can't fool children, dogs, and basketball players. When players play hard, the coach is doing something right.
Courage includes protecting subordinates from unnecessary harm. A leader sometimes "takes the hit." At the end of the day, (s)he is accountable. Players should recognize and value that loyalty as well.
Basketball: My coach, Ellis Lane, stuck to his principles in defending the team from outside political attack. He got rewarded with multiple sectional titles, a state championship, and election to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.
Ambition must have guardrails. The desire to win is not a flaw; it becomes one when it spawns unethical behavior.
Basketball: Recruiting violations, gambling, and "sports fixing" have all come into sharp relief in recent years.
Competence is a duty, not a credential. Master your craft; stay humble and hungry. A title alone does not establish competence.
Basketball: Leaders don't bigfoot subordinates or players. Few have sympathy for those who "kiss up and punch down."
Accountability flows one direction: inward. Things will go wrong for every team. Leaders own culture, mistakes, and results.
Basketball: Lay out clear expectations. Players need to understand both the what and the why of rules. Getting enough rest improves your performance. Violating alcohol and substance use policy shows contempt for the team and teammates.
It is said that differences between who we are now and whom we become in five years are the people we meet and the books we read.
Lagniappe. Learn every day.
Lagniappe 2. Great set but the complexity could easily confuse young players.
