Coach K Leadership Quotes

Now that Duke has advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, I thought you might enjoy these "Coach K" leadership quotes:

• "I don’t look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball."
• "Effective teamwork begins and ends with communication."
• "Too many rules get in the way of leadership. They just put you in a box...People set rules to keep from making decisions."
• "People have to be given the freedom to show the heart they possess. I think it’s a leader’s responsibility to provide that type of freedom. And I believe it can be done through relationships and family. Because if a team is a real family, it’s members want to show you their hearts."
• "Confrontation simply means meeting the truth head-on."
• "During critical periods, a leader is not allowed to feel sorry for himself, to be down, to be angry, or to be weak. Leaders must beat back these emotions."
• "Leaders have to give time for relationships. But more demands will be placed on their time as they become more successful. So if a person’s success is based on developing relationships, then they have to continually find new ways of getting it done."
• "Every leader needs to remember that a healthy respect for authority takes time to develop. It’s like building trust. You don’t instantly have trust, it has to be earned."
• "Leaders should be reliable without being predictable. They should be consistent without being anticipated."

Coaching Inquiries: Which of these quotes speak to you? Which ones concern you? How can you bring their wisdom into your own life? How can you become more of a leader from whatever position you play? How can you empower others to be great?

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