This is going to be an exciting basketball season for my family because my younger brother is the first year coach at one of the largest high schools in the state of Kentucky.
I played a lot of basketball growing up and I’ve been an avid follower of both the college and pro level since I was a kid, and for the first time, I’ve found myself trying to approach the game from a coach’s point of view, more specifically, that of a first year coach.
I would think the biggest challenges of stepping into a new coaching role would be your unfamiliarity with the existing team coupled with the fact that you only have six weeks or so to get ready for the season; no different than what a new manager faces when they transition into a new business leadership role. I’m sure the high school’s athletic director would like to see my brother’s team come out of the gate strong this season, thereby reaffirming his decision to offer him the job. Most companies want and expect their new managers do the same.
I remember when I accepted my first corporate sales management job, I felt the overwhelming to need to come in and immediately begin making radical changes to the existing team and structure. I wanted to believe that the future success of our department relied solely on my incredible leadership abilities and management skills.
At that particular time, I subscribed to a very specific sales philosophy and I was bound and determined to get everyone in sync with the philosophy. Anyone that wasn’t willing or capable of falling in line or drinking the Kool Aid found themselves riding the elevator down to the first floor with the contents of their desk in a cardboard box. Looking back, I now realize that I attempted to be, as Jim Collins (bestselling author of Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't) terms it, a “genius with a thousand helpers.” As I said, I wanted the success of our team to be a direct result of MY system and philosophy, which ultimately, would be a reflection of me as a manager.
But does this approach work? What IS the genesis of a great team? Is it the result of a brilliantly implemented coaching strategy that forces the players to get on the same page and operate as interchangeable parts? Or is greatness achieved by allowing your players to take control and call the shots, thereby taking full advantage of their individual skill sets.
Over the next couples weeks, I’m going to take a look at some of the most successful teams in basketball history in an attempt to determine the impact of the coach verses the players themselves.
Comments