TEAM STRENGTH

"As long as you brothers support one another and render assistance to one another, your enemies can never gain victory over you.  But if you fall away from one another, you can be broken like a frail arrow, one at a time."

-Genghis Khan
(Taken from the book "Damn Few" by Rorke Denver

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TALENT AND SKILL

DEFINING AND DEVELOPING YOUR CONTRIBUTION

The mindset of a player who wants to contribute to a team's success is much different than a selfish player that is just looking to be a start and standout.

The following comes from "On Managing Yourself" which is a book sponsored by the Harvard Business Review.  This particular passage comes from the great Peter Drucker who believes we must start with the first essential question:

What should my contribution be?

To answer it, they must address three distinct elements:

#1 What does the situation require?

#2 Given my strengths, my way of performing, and my values, how can I make the greatest contribution to what needs to be done?

#3 And finally, what results have to be achieved to make a difference.

Drucker's questions seem quite simple but it takes a truly honest, self-evaluating team player to ask these questions.  Then it takes a committed, team-oriented player to go about doing the work necessary to create the contribution that he/she wants to truly make.

LEAD YOURSELF FIRST

"Leadership is getting players to believe in you. If you tell a teammate you're ready to play as tough as you're able to, you'd better go out there and do it. Players will see right through a phony. And they can tell when you're not giving it all you've got."

-Larry Bird

DROSE WORKS ON GAME -- AND LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

A big thanks to my friend Joey Burton for emailing me this article.  It is written by K.C. Johnson for the Chicago Tribune and it's on the "leadership growth" of Derrick Rose:

Luol Deng readily recalls the first time his mother met Derrick Rose.
 
"She kept talking to me about him and was just really happy with how he carried himself," Deng said. "To me, I don't care how good you are or what you do in life. Who you are as a person is more important than anything. And you can just tell Derrick is one of those kids who was raised the right way.
 
"He's not going to change. He's better at dealing with the spotlight than before, but all he really cares about are his teammates and winning. That's what a leader is."
 
Rose may be quiet by nature, but his will to win invokes determination and demands of others.
 
"I never worried about Derrick in terms of taking care of himself," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "But in setting the tone for the team, not tolerating others not doing their job, I think that has been his biggest growth."
 
Rose is notoriously hard on himself. His post-practice shooting routine would get bleeped out if misses were filmed. This drive, paired with a tireless work ethic to improve his game, is an example of his non-verbal leadership.
 
"If you can't coach your best player hard, you can't coach your team hard. And you can coach Derrick Rose as hard as anybody on the entire team," general manager Gar Forman said. "You talk about leadership. That to me is probably the strongest type."
 
The verbal leadership is more evident to those who know Rose well. So while there may not be histrionics on the court or many headlines about his leadership, those within the organization say it's there.
 
"He's quiet by nature but he's comfortable with the guys around him," Deng said. "If you don't know Derrick or he doesn't know you, he just goes about his business. Guys he's comfortable with, he'll open up."
 
"The talent is pretty easy to see," he said. "What you don't see are all the intangibles that he brings to the team, the confidence. But the confidence doesn't come from a false bravado. It comes from his preparation, his study and the work he puts into every day.
 
"The best thing about Derrick is he's a team-first guy. He's committed to playing for the team, and that's special."
 
Put another way, Forman appreciates Rose's low maintenance.
 
"We've all seen it over the years: There may be scenarios where the star player wants or needs preferential type of treatment in whatever it is," Forman said. "And there's none of that with Derrick."
 
Asked if he feels he has grown as a leader, Rose looked up.
 
"I just know I put the work in," Rose said.
 
You can read the entire article -- it extremely well-written -- here.

SUCCESS IS NEVER AN ACCIDENT

A short but powerful video and message from Alan Stein:

ARE YOU IMPRESSIVE OR INFLUENTIAL

The following "The Difference You Make" -- a great book by Pat Williams with Jim Denney:

"People are impressed by athletic ability but they are influenced by the way we treat other people.  It takes a lot more than athletic ability to be a hero and a role model.  You've got to have good character, good values, and a good heart in order to be someone worth admiring and emulating.  A 'hero' with great athletic talent but a small mind and a closed heart is unworthy of anyone's adulation."

As an athlete, you are working hard to develop your skill set.  But as a person, how are you working to develop those around you.   Do you know you gym janitors by name -- always greeting them will a "hello" and a smile?  When's the last time you've been by the office to speak to your team secretary and see how she's doing?  What is your relationship with your team's managers?  Do you truly treat them as team members or do you make their jobs more difficult?  The absolute great ones know that to achieve maximum success that they need everyone to be at their best.

ENJOY AND EMBRACE THE GRIND

CLIMB THE STEEP

 

"For every hill I've had to climb

For every rock that bruised my feet

For all the blood and sweat and grime

For blinding storms and burning heat

My heart sings but a grateful song

These were the things that made me strong."

 

-James Casey

MORE IMPORTANT THAT THE TEAM PLAYS WELL

"I think any player will tell you that

individual accomplishments help your ego, but if

you don't win, it makes for a very, very long season. 

 It counts more that the team has played well."

 

-David Robinson

TEAM: LEAN AND SUPPORT

"No body is a whole team...We need each other.  You need someone and someone needs you.  Isolate islands we're not.  To make this thing called life work, we gotta lean and support. And relate and respond.  And give and take.  And confess and forgive.  And reach out and embrace and rely...Since none of us is a whole, independent, self-sufficient, super-capable, all-powerful hotshot, let's quit acting like we are.  Life's lonely enough without our playing that silly role.  The game is over.  Let's link up."

-Chuck Swindoll

WORK ETHIC & MATURITY -- HOW TO IMPRESS YOUR COACH!

Do you want to know how to impress your coach?  Here is how Blake Griffin impressed his new coach Doc Rivers:

“One guy that has stood out to me is Blake. Just sitting in my office up there and looking down on him and watching him work. I knew he was a worker. I didn’t know he was the worker to the extent that he’s worked this summer. He’s put in a lot of time. I’ve been impressed with his scheduling. He does a lot of stuff and nothing gets in the way of his basketball, and that shows me a great sign of maturity.”

-Doc Rivers

STOCKTON "LOVED TO COMPETE"

In 19 years, John Stockton never once lost a suicide drill in practice. Well there was one day.  But he was sick and he still ran it.   That’s the important thing.  John didn’t need all the attention that comes with making the all-star teams or getting his name into the headlines. He just loved to compete.”

-Jerry Sloan (Stockton’s coach at Utah)

 

LeBRON ON COMMITMENT

“Commitment is a big part of what I am and what I believe.  How committed are you to winning?  How committed are you to being a good friend? To being trustworthy? To being successful? How committed are you to being a good father, a good teammate, a good role model?  There’s that moment every morning when you look in the mirror: Are you committed, or are you not?”

-LeBron James

 

KNOW YOUR CIRCLE

PASSION NEVER SLEEPS

Young, aspiring coach Nick Grant takes a couple players through a great workout -- Passion Never Sleeps!

KD35'S WORK ETHIC

Scott Brooks on Kevin Durant:

 

"He works like he has no talent. 

He works hard everyday like

he wants to make the team."

THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERNAL LEADERSHIP

Thanks to Matt Weikert for sharing this...great look into internal leadership both verbally and through effort in workouts and how it transfers to game action.

WHAT IF EVERY DAY WAS A TRYOUT

Check out the slogan on the back wall of the video room at the University of Michigan.  How good could you be if this were your attitude?  What if everyday you went to practice you felt you had to play hard enough, execute well enough, show the right type of attitude, and display a measure of mental toughness just to make the team?

KEEP THE WINNING SPIRIT ALIVE

There will be days when it is difficult to muster enough to be our best.  We may be tired or frustrated or in a bad mood.  There may be unforeseen circumstances and distractions, setbacks and injuries.  Professional or personal issues may arise.  Nevertheless, these are the times when it is most important to push onward and stay focused.  We do not want to give in to a belief that we are victims of circumstances.  Even in our darkest hours and toughest challenges, we must give it everything we have if we wish to succeed.

The winning spirit is kept alive by living and performing in the moment, visualizing success, finding the support of a coach and inner circle, making a personal commitment to excellence, living a discipline life, affirming our truest values -- all while believing in our ability to achieve our goal.

From "The Winning Spirit" by Joe Montana

MJ ON LEADERSHIP

But a leaders has to earn that title.  You aren't the leader just because you're the best player on the team, the smartest person in the class, or the most popular.  No one can give you that title either.  You have to gain the respect of those around you or by your actions.  You have to be consistent in your approach whether it's basketball practice, a sales meeting, or dealing with your family.

A leader can't make any excuses.  There has to be quality in everything you do.  Off the court, on the court, in the classroom, on the playground, inside the meeting room, outside of work.  You have to transfer those skills, that drive, to whatever environment you're in.

And you have to be willing to sacrifice certain individual goals, if necessary for the good of the team.

From "I Can't Accept Not Trying"

THE ARCHER'S MENTALITY

"When an archer misses the mark he turns

and looks for the fault within himself.  Failure

 to hit the bull's eye is never the fault of the target. 

To improve your aim, improve yourself."

 

-Gilbert Arland

THE COMPETITIVE NATURE OF KOBE BRYANT

An article that ran on BusinessInsider.com gave a list of examples of the competitive nature of Kobe Bryant.  Click here to read the complete list:

He decided to lose 16 pounds for the Olympics in 2012
Kobe has never been out of shape, but he decided to change himself as a precautionary measure. He told the Guardian: "With summer basketball leading directly into the season — and I'm expecting to play until next June — I have to take some load off my knees. I've got to shave some of this weight."

Showed up at 5 a.m. and left practice at 7 p.m. ... in high school

He'd make high school teammates play one-on-one games to 100

He used to practice by himself without a ball, says Shaq

Shaq wrote in his book: "You'd walk in there and he'd be cutting and grunting and motioning like he was dribbling and shooting — except there was no ball. I thought it was weird, but I'm pretty sure it helped him."

He counts all of his made shots in practice, and stops when he gets to 400

He goes through super intense workouts on game days
From ESPN's Rick Reilly: "Among a dozen other drills, Bryant does suicide push-ups. At the top of the pushup, he launches himself off the mat so hard that both his feet come off the ground and his hands slap his pecs. He does three sets of seven of these. This makes me turn away and whimper softly."

He had Nike shave a few millimeters off the bottom of his shoes in 2008 to get 'a hundredth of a second better reaction time'
He is on a crazy strict diet right now
He has eliminated sugar and pizza and only eats lean meat.  He told ESPN: "There aren't really any supplements that I'm taking from that perspective. What I've done really is just train really hard and watch my diet. I think that's the thing that catches guys most. They don't do self assessing."

He ices his knees for 20 minutes three times per day and does acupuncture so he doesn't get hurt

He watches film of himself at halftime
According to ESPN's Jackie McMullen in 2010: "He often corrals teammates, fires up the laptop, and shows them precisely how they can carve out easier shots for themselves."

He trains for four hours a day during the season, and more than that in the offseason

He keeps players after practice as "guinea pigs"
In 2008, Sports Illustrated reported that Kobe will keep random players after practice so that he can try out new moves on them. Similar to what he did to bench warmers in high school.

This quote from an NBA scout in 2008: 'Allen Iverson loves to play when the lights come on. Kobe loves doing it--- before the lights come on."

This quote about how he wants to be remembered: 'To think of me as a person that’s overachieved, that would mean a lot to me. That means I put a lot of work in and squeezed every ounce of juice out of this orange that I could.'

MASTERY

Coach Mike Kryzyzewski on LeBron James

"I’ve seen him grow from a great talent to an outstanding player to the best player; he’s the best player.”

”He’s in a position right now in our sport, which I call Mastery. In other words: he can guard any position, he can play any position, he’s brilliant, he’s an amazing leader, has a great leadership voice, easy to coach, and when you’re just with a group of people, he’s as funny as can be.”

”If you would see his preparation every day, and what he puts into the game, it would knock people out.”

”He’s 6’9’’ 260 and he runs like a deer, he thinks like a wizard, he leads like a general, he’s got it in every way. I’m proud of him.”

PRACTICE AND LUCK

"It's a funny thing. 

The more I practice, the luckier I get."

 

-Arnold Palmer

RIVALS DURING THE SEASON, TEAMMATES IN THE OFF-SEASON

You have to love the work ethic as well as respect that opponents are working together to improve.

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM TIM DUNCAN

The following is an article written by Scott Williams for www.BigIsTheNewSmall.com:

Well the NBA Finals wrapped up with the unlikely San Antonio Spurs missing the opportunity to win their 5th title. I say unlikely because everyone including them Heat themselves had pretty much crowned the Miami Heat as the 2013 NBA Champions before the season even started. Well, the Heat were tested throughout the playoffs and passed every test, even the test of the well-coached Spurs.

Even though the Spurs lost and Duncan missed a point blank shot, he will go down as one of the greatest NBA Superstars ever. Not to mention a SuperStar who shined bright like a diamond while staying outside of the spotlight. Here are 10 Leadership Lessons From Tim Duncan’s Career.

1. Substance Over Style – Looking good is great, performing great is better. Duncan doesn’t win the style contest, but he is a straight up winner.

2. Greatness Is Appreciated More When It’s Gone – Tim Duncan’s Game, Career and Place in history won’t be appreciated until he’s retired and gone.

3. Great Leaders Know When To Defer – Duncan has admittedly turned the team over to Tony Parker, which has extended his career and allowed him to continue his greatness.

4. You Can’t Care What People Think – Duncan doesn’t get the commercials, the shoes, the endorsements… He just gets the trophies. Duncan could care less what people think about his personality or lack there of, all he does is win.

5. Classy over Sassy – Tim Duncan is one of the classiest players in the NBA. It’s hard not to like classy… when in doubt, keep it classy.

6. Quietly Be The Best At What You Do – Tim Duncan will quietly go down as one of the best power forwards to ever play the game. Period, the end.

7. Nice Guys Don’t Finish Last – Nice guys finish wherever they want to finish, Duncan is nice and he doesn’t finish last.

8. Get Better With Age – They say some things get better with age, great leaders get better, lead better, play better and make better decisions with age. Duncan seems to get better the older that he gets.

9. Know How To Lead Up – Duncan plays for a tough coach and he’s one of the few players that knows how to lead up, talk to Popovich, how to handle him in the media and how to lead up. There is an art to leading up and Duncan figured it out.

10. Make Those Around You Better – Duncan makes his teammates, his coach, his city, his community and the NBA better.

ARE YOU A PASSENGER OR A DRIVER?

On any of life’s journeys, we have to make a choice before we begin the trip. Our options are these: we can be a passenger, or we can be the driver. It’s our choice.

People who choose to be passengers are subject to going where other drivers are going. Passengers have no control over the speed with which they move ahead, nor do they have any say about whether or not rules are observed.

Then again, being a passenger is appealing. Passengers merely sit in the car, relaxed and oblivious to their final destination. They may put on headphones and listen to music, or they may nap. They may talk in the cell phone or do crossword puzzles. However, they rarely pay attention to whether progress is being made. Their journey may be pleasant enough, but those choosing to be passengers are just going along for the ride.

Those who choose to be drivers accept responsibility for moving forward toward their goals. They pay attention and focus on getting to their final destination. They make decisions about how quickly they move ahead. They avoid obstacles, like bumps or dips in the road. They may choose to take a detour. They decide when to stop and refuel. During the journey they make the choices to control their safety and success.

The distance between a passenger and a driver in a car is less than three feet, but the difference is huge. The driver has the choice to head toward success. The passenger just goes where he is driven.

From "Monday Morning Choices" by David Cottrell

FORGET ABOUT TOMORROW, ENJOY TODAY

Greg Maddux is the only pitcher in Major League Baseball history to win at least fifteen games for seventeen consecutive seasons.  He recalls some advice he one received from then Cubs manager Tom Trebelhorn.  "You know what they problem is with players these days?" Trebelhorn said.  "They are always looking forward to something.  They're never trying to something today.  They're always looking forward to the next off-day, the All-Star break, the end of the season.  They never stop and enjoy the day that's here."

Maddox says that he thought about that and saw that Trebelhorn had a point.  In fact, Maddux realized that he had that same mind-set of looking only to the future and never enjoying the present moment.  From that day forward, Maddox concluded, "I started enjoying each day...and really started loving the games from that day on."

From "Coach Wooden" by Pat Williams

BIRD'S 100% THEORY

"I've got a theory that if you give

100 percent all of the time, somehow

things will work out in the end."

 

-Larry Bird

CHAMPIONS BELIEVE YOU LEARN AND GROW FROM ADVERSITY

"If it weren't for the dark days, we wouldn't

know what it is to walk in the light."

-Earl Campbell

Champions believe if you remove the adversity, you remove the victory.  As a result, they tend to view adversity as a challenge through which learning and growing occurs.  Their world view is evident in the way they describe the adversities they face. While average people choose the path of least resistance, world-class performers operate at a higher level of awareness.  They understand that stress and struggle are the key factors in becoming mentally tough.  While average people watch television and hang out at happy hour, the great ones continue to push themselves mentally and physically to the point of exhaustion.  Only then will you see them in rest and recovery situations.  Adversity to average people equals pain.  Adversity to world-class performers is their mental training ground.  It's how they become mentally tough.  Average people scorn adversity.  Those who are world class don't welcome adversity; yet they see it as the ultimate catalyst for mental growth, as well as the contrast needed to recognize the beauty of life.

From "177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class" by Steve Siebold

COMPETE!

“If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and

a uniform that wasn’t the same as the one I was

wearing, I’d run over her if she was in my way.

And I love my mother.”

 

-Bo Jackson

WHATEVER IT TAKES TO WIN

"Garnett pokes and prods and elbows and jabs.

He does whatever he needs to do in order for his

team to win, and that sums up Kevin Garnett to me."

-Kevin Love on Kevin Garnett

THE GREAT ONES STUDY GREAT ONES

"If he had 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists,

I can tell you exactly how he did it, what type

of shots he made and who he passed to."

 

-Kevin Durant (on analyzing LeBron James game) 

WORK HARD, WORK SMART, WORK CONSISTENTLY

Here's a great video from Alan Stein at http://www.strongerteam.com/. This website is an absolute must for all coach and players.

YOUR CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE

This past weekend at our team camp, I give a Champion's Concept lecture to each team talking about various things that I think are important in our quest to the best that we can be.  One of the things that we believe strongly in is that champions understand the importance of their associations.  We speak to them about creating a circle of influence -- a group of people that you choose because they know they will hold you accountable and help you to grow and work towards your goals.

Darren Hardy in his book "The Compound Effect" refers to it as finding a peak-performance partner.  Here is what he has to say:

"Another way to increase your exposure to expanded associations is by teaming up with a peak performance partner, someone as equally committed to study and personal growth as you.  This person should be someone you trust, someone bold enough to tell you what they really thing about you, your attitudes, and performance.  It could be that this person is a longtime friend, but he or she may be someone who doesn't know you well at all.  The point is to get (and give) an unbiased, honest, outside perspective."

Want to be more enthusiastic?
          Surround yourself with enthusiastic people.

Want to be a hard worker?
          Surround yourself with those that work hard.

Want to be a winner?
          Surround yourself with winners!

COMFORT AND CONFIDENCE

“The biggest thing in baseball is comfort. When guys are comfortable, that’s when you succeed, that’s when you play well. You get that confidence going, you stop worrying about stupid things: ‘Am I getting my leg up at the right time? Am I getting my hands separated at the right time?’ No. You’re worried about what you’re supposed to do: throw a fastball down and away — boom.”  

-Jon Lester, pitcher Boston Red Sox     

ARE YOU SPENDING OR INVESTING

“What if someone came to you and offered to deposit $86,400 into your bank account every morning? Wouldn’t that be heavenly! There’s only one catch: You must wisely spend or invest the entire amount every day. Any squandering of the money is not acceptable. Nothing can be carried over, and anything left in the account will be lost to you at midnight. Of course, another $86,400 will be deposited the following morning. What would you do in this situation? You bet! You would be sure to spend all of the money or invest it wisely. Well, this happens to you every day. Only the gift is not measured in dollars and cents; it is measured in time. You are given 86,400 seconds every day. How you use them is up to you. You can squander the time and lose its benefit, or you can invest it wisely and be rewarded. Don’t live a squandered life. Since you have only one life to give, live it well! What separates a futile life from a fruitful one? Your attitude. Your attitude will be the difference between existing and living!”


From Attitudes That Attract Success by Wayne Cordeiro

 

ARE YOU THE CARETAKER OF YOUR TEAM?

The following comes from Pat William's book "How To Be Like Mike."

“One day during the 1997-98 season, Phil Jackson called off a practice.  Michael said to Scottie Pippen, ‘We’re not playing well enough not to practice.  So they went to Phil and requested a practice.  Turned out they practiced for three hours.  Later, MJ said, ‘The best players have to be the caretakers.’”

YOU WORK AS HARD AS YOU CAN AS LONG AS YOU CAN

"I used to work so hard that I would often vomit after working out.  This was whether I was at Jackson State or with the Bears.  People would ask me why I could work like that even after I was a starter in the NFL, an All-Pro.  I always had a difficult time workout out with other people who didn't share that belief.  And I always thought, 'That's just the way you do it.'  You work as hard as you can for as along as you can and the small gains you make will eventually pay off."

From "Never Die Easy" by Walter Payton with Don Yaeger

BEST ADVICE FOR A BASKETBALL PLAYER FROM ALAN STEIN

The following comes from Alan Stein and his amazing website StrongerTeam.com.  This is one of the best sites out there with tons of outstanding advice and amazing video -- it is a must see for all coaches and athletes.  This segment is titled "Best Advice for Basketball Players" but I know a lot of athletes in other sports that will be able to relate.

KD ON LEARNING FROM PAST GREATS AND LOOKING TO IMPROVE

During this interview with Magic Johnson we are struck with his commitment to understand that history of the game along with his humility.  It is also great to hear that he wants his coach to drive him to greater levels.

MICHAEL STRAHAN'S MOTIVATION

"My greatest motivation was the fear of failure. I knew the team was depending on me, and the very last

thing I wanted to do was let my teammates down."

 

-Michael Strahan

DURANT IN THE OFF-SEASON

WARE THINKING OF HIS TEAMMATES

The following is an excerpt from a story on CNN.com written by Ben Brumfield and Michael Martinez.  You can read the entire article here:

Kevin Ware's leg may be broken but not his spirit.

 

Not in the least bit.

 

And while his teammates were horrified at the gruesome injury, Ware said it was divine providence.

 

"This is all God. This is all God's plan. He would never let anything happen that He wouldn't want to happen," he said.

 

Teammate Luke Hancock came over to Ware as he lay on the floor and said a prayer for him.

Ware said to himself that "I'm either going to cry ... or I'm just going to try to say some words (to help the team)." He thought of his team and put the pain behind him.

 

In a two-hour surgery, Ware's broken tibia was straightened and a rod was inserted into it, according to a statement from Kenneth Klein, senior associate athletic director for media relations at the university.

 

For the team and victory

 

In spite of the pain and the road to recovery ahead, Ware is still thinking of his team, not himself.

"I'll be fine, but (we've) still got to win this championship," he said.

 

Mr. Inspiration is ready for the Final Four, where his team is two games away from a potential national championship.

 

He has already made his way to Atlanta to cheer the Cardinals on in person. During his interview with CNN, he and his mother donned T-shirts with the words "Win it for Kevin."

EXCELLENCE

"Going far beyond the call of duty, doing more than others expect, this is what excellence is all about!  And it comes from striving, maintaining the highest standards, looking after the smallest detail, and going the extra mile.  Excellence means doing your very best.  In everything!  In every way."

-Jack Johnson

THE COURAGE TO HANDLE FAILURE

Steve Kerr cited Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, two of the most "clutch" performers of all time, as examples of players who want desperately to make the important shot, but are tough enough to accept the outcome, positive or negative.  "That's really the key.  You have to be willing to live with the result.  You have to be tough enough to live with the results."

Accepting the consequences doesn't mean that failing doesn't bring hurt or disappointment.  It means that you have the courage to accept the result without fear affecting your ability to perform and that you are also willing to get up off the deck and try again.

From "Toughness" by Jay Bilas