“He (Lincoln) understood who his rivals were in politics and he did what masterful leaders have done in the past, and that is to say, “OK, fine, they’re going to be part of my team and we’ll figure this out.” - from Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals in “The Leader’s Bookshelf"
"You can never have too many good players." Don't be so sure. “Good” can mean talented - or it can mean aligned. Those aren’t the same thing.
What Works Works - Sometimes Less is More
Good education informs how the world works. Sometimes influence and results improve by ceding some control. Demanding total control sometimes leads to punching ourselves in the face.
Power Asymmetry Matters
Don’t tilt at windmills. Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly said, “Never argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel.” The credit 'sword' earned by assuming control has two edges. Complete power means full ownership of failures, too. Control can conquer or cut.
Rivalries within Teams - Good or Bad?
Rivalries can split teams. Madeleine Blais wrote the magnificent, "In These Girls Hope Is a Muscle" about a rivalry fueling and fracturing the Amherst Hurricanes. The stars had to "figure it out" or go home. ("Hope" was named one of the top 100 sports books ever written by Sports Illustrated)
When teams have multiple "stars" it can create exceptional play or escalate exceptional problems. When the Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to join Paul Pierce, each agreed to sacrifice role and shots. Their stats fell - and the team won the 2008 NBA Championship. The team's slogan was UBUNTU, "I am because we are."
Leaders Find Solutions
"I can go faster alone, but we can go farther together." - African Proverb
MVB had multiple "alphas" through the years. I can't recall any years where ego destroyed team. That reflects on both culture and leadership of both players and Coach Scott Celli. That doesn’t happen by luck. It happens when culture is taught, protected, and modeled.
Celtics legend Bill Russell, author of 14 titles (11 NBA, 2 NCAA, Olympics) in 15 years said it well, "My ego depends on the success of my team."
Rivalry without shared purpose fractures. Rivalry inside shared purpose sharpens.
Lagniappe. Alistair McCaw on communication:
3 Coaching Nuggets:
— Allistair McCaw (@AllistairMcCaw) January 26, 2026
1. Catch the person doing the right things and tell them. Too many coaches today just criticize.
2. To win the player, you need to win the person. Trust comes from connection.
3. Always be honest and compassionate when delivering feedback or bad news.
No comments:
Post a Comment