Page 115 - How to Create a Winning Organization

Call Yourself a Teacher
many roles and wears many hats. I also understood that there was 97
one hat I didn’t wear; namely, I was not a player. In 40 years of
coaching, I never scored a point or blocked a shot. My job was to
teach others how to do it.
Whatever the context of your leadership—sports, business, or
otherwise—your team scores the points. You, as leader, are re-
sponsible for teaching the team how to accomplish that. In the
process you’ll wear many hats, and they must all fit. Unfortunately,
when I began my career I had one whistle and one hat. While that’s
enough whistles, it’s not enough hats.

THE SECOND LAW
Demonstration is what we call the second law of learning in
sports—demonstrating how to throw the ball, catch the ball, and
so forth. Words are powerful, but demonstration is more power-
ful, and it applies to more than throwing a basketball. What you
do counts more than what you say.
The things you hope to teach those under you are best taught by
your own behavior—demonstration—whether it’s the act of show-
ing respect for others, being on time, shooting a free throw, or ex-
ercising self-control. Action speaks louder than words.
I am fond of a little verse that I have kept in mind over all these
years. I’ve changed it slightly, but the sentiment is the same:

No written word nor spoken plea,
Can teach your team what they should be,
Nor all the books on all the shelves,
It’s what the leader is himself.

I used to smoke cigarettes as a young high school coach at South
Bend. I would quit during the basketball season to set a good ex-