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Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Basketball - Hal Moore's Second Principle

Learn from exceptional leaders, like Lt General Hal Moore. 

Principle #2: 

There’s always one more thing you can do to influence any situation in your favor. And after that, there’s one more thing. And after that, there’s one more thing. And after that, one more thing. The more ‘One More Things’ you do, the better your chances are for achieving success in any situation. A leader must create time to detach himself mentally and ask:

 “What am I doing that I should not be doing? And what am I not doing that I should be doing to influence the situation in my favor?” 

A leader is paid to do three things: 

1. Get the job done and get it done well. 

2. Plan ahead - be proactive, not reactive. 

3. Exercise good, sound judgment in doing all of the above." 

- "Hal Moore on Leadership"

Basketball applications of Moore's second principle:

What am I doing that I should not?

  • Overcoaching and under teaching 
  • In developmental settings, overemphasis on winning
  • Micromanaging - As Coach Krzyzewski said, "Basketball is about making plays, not running plays." Helps having 4 and 5 star talent
What am I not doing that I should?
  • Maximizing player development 
  • Making practice as efficient as possible (Brad Stevens said that watching Belichick's practices helped) 
  • Assuring that everyone is on the same page (the most painful losses often come from mental mistakes)

    What can players not do too much? 

    • Contain the ball. 
    • Contest shots without fouling.
    • Rebound. "Rebound selfishly."
    • Take quality shots. 
    • Communicate. 
    • Pass unselfishly (rarely a team overpasses). 
    Advanced planning
    • Find a mentor/trusted advisor.
    • Have a "fallback plan."
    • Attend to details of player development, study, video review. 
    Good judgment
    • "Don't follow a lit fuse." - Get in front of toxicity when possible.
    • "Avoid giving away games with mental errors"
    • Shot selection and many turnovers relate to judgment
    Write it down

    “The faintest ink is better than the best memory.” - Chinese Proverb

    Have a clear philosophy that stands on its own. 
    Keep a record of decisions and their rationale. It doesn't have to be public.
    Track what worked and what didn't and why.

    Summary: 

    Hal Moore’s second leadership principle is simple but demanding: there is always one more thing you can do to influence the outcome. Effective leaders ask two hard questions: What am I doing that I shouldn’t be doing? and What am I failing to do that I should? Eliminate overcoaching and micromanagement. Prioritize what wins games - player development, efficient practices, shared understanding. Share fundamentals teams can never do too much: contain the ball, contest without fouling, rebound, communicate, pass unselfishly, and take quality shots. Plan ahead - seek mentors, prepare fallback plans, study film - and exercise judgment, avoiding toxic distractions and the mental mistakes that give games away. The final discipline is reflection: write decisions down, track what worked and why, and build a philosophy grounded in evidence—because the faintest ink is better than the best memory.
     
    Lagniappe. Study exceptional. 

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