A NEW BLOG FROM JOEY BURTON & JOHN MAXWELL'S 10 WAYS TO LEAD UP

One the great things about our profession is meeting other coaches that share your passion and love for the game. That's how I met Mississippi State's Joey Burton. If you haven't checked out his blog you should at: http://bit.ly/6P4LUz

Here an example of some of the great stuff you can find -- a list from John Maxwell titled "10 Ways to Lead Up." Incredible great list for young coaches and assistants looking to move up in the profession. Great stuff Joey -- THANKS!

I am officially a leadership disciple of John Maxwell. I believe that these 10 Ways to Lead Up will encourage assistant coaches and motivate us to do a better job for our head coach.

1. TAKE THE TOUGH JOBS
The ability to accomplish difficult tasks earns others' respect very quickly

2. PAY YOUR DUES
Sam Nunn said, " You have to pay the price. You will find that everything in life exacts a price, and you will have to decide whether the price is worth the prize."

3. WORK IN OBSCURITY
If people paid their dues and gave their best in obscurity, ego is usually not a problem.

4. SUCCEED WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE
Good leaders find a way to succeed with people who are hard to work with. Why do they do it? Because it benefits the organization.

5. PUT YOURSELF ON THE LINE
You cannot play it safe and stand out at the same time. If you are going to take a risk, you need to put yourself on the line, not the organization.

6. ADMIT FAULTS BUT NEVER MAKE EXCUSES
You will have greater crdibility with your leader if you admit your shortcomings and refrain from making excuses.

7. DO MORE THAN EXPECTED
If you do more than is expected of you, you stand out, and often there can be wonderful, serendipitous results.

8. BE THE FIRST TO STEP UP AND HELP
When you help someone on the team, you help the whole team. And when you help the whole team, you're helping your leaders.

9. PERFORM TASKS THAT ARE "NOT THEIR JOB"
A good leaders goal is to get the job done, to fulfill the vision of the organization and its leader. That often means doing whatever it takes.

10. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
Unless you are willing to drench yourself in your work beyond the capacity of the average man, you are just not cut out for positions at the top

MORE MOTION THOUGHTS FROM LARRY GIBSON

A few more notes on Larry Gibson's motion courtesy Coach Eric Musselman:

SELLING MOTION TO THE PLAYERS

Definition:

Discipline free lance (controlled freedom)

Player and ball movement within our rules

Qualities a player must possess:

Unselfishness - There must be a commitment to teamplay.

Patience - To get the shot you want, you must make 4passes in order to utilize movement and screening.

Concentration - Players must be aware of: (1) Howthey are being defensed, (2) what their teammates aredoing.

SOME BASKETBALL THOUGHTS FROM KEVIN O'NEILL

Two things about offense. If you had two things, and only two things, you could have a decent offense. They are good shot selection and spacing. These are the two hardest things to teach in offense.

Start all your offensive drills on the far side of the center circle.

Our challenge as coaches is to make the players believe.

You must find one defense and make that your trademark, one that the kids really believe in. The first thing you must do defensively is don’t give up easy baskets. We put a real premium on not giving up an easy basket in transition.

We lift and run year round. We lift four times a week off-season and run twice a week for 45 minutes. If your muscles are in great shape, you don’t get hurt.

ZONE OFFENSE THOUGHTS FROM COACH BOB KNIGHT

To have a kid who thinks, and who asks you good questions that make you think as a coach, that kid is an invaluable player.

There are three things that are really important in playing against any type zone. The first of these three things is the dribble.

Let me mention passing for a second. The cross-court pass is not a pass the zone is really set to cover.

We spend much time preparing against a zone, working three people against four.

Let’s talk about passing against a zone. The most important thing is the pass fake.

The last thing is that when we throw the ball inside, let’s use the bounce pass.

Another thing that we try to do in ball reversal is reverse the ball to three people. That’s when we will dribble it off the top. If we only reverse it to two people, we don’t have enough options. Bring the zone one way, reverse the ball and make the zone recover.

THE LEGACY WE LEAVE IS OUR RELATIONSHIPS

I'm often asked what did I learn while working for Dale Brown and Sue Gunter and the lessons are far too many to post in a blog. There is one very strong common lesson I gained from both and that is in how we treat people. From both I learned that our relationships are far more important than a defensive stance or well drawn up play. I learned that their thoughts on how we treat people transcended just the players we coached. Both felt basketball was a simply a vehicle to be able to do a great job in our communities. I was reminded of both Coach Brown and Coach Gunter last night when reading the following by Chris Widner on, "The Legacy We Leave in Our Relationships."

Relationships are at the very core of our existence and something we deal with every day and on every level of our lives. We have very superficial relationships with many people, such as merchants we may meet, and relationships that we consider intimate, such as the ones we experience with our immediate family and our mates.

Relationships provide us with both the most positive as well as the most negative experiences we have in our lives. There are those who, though they may never achieve fame or fortune in this world, will be remembered very highly by all who came in contact with them. Their funerals will overflow with people they have touched.

The pain and joy that can come as children remember their deceased parents is determined by the lives those parents lived and how well they maintained the relationships with their children.

And what it all comes down to is the ability to maintain healthy relationships.
I want to share with you the key components of establishing relationships that will allow you to leave a fantastic relational legacy.

Be Purposeful.

People are busy and time flies. Put these two together and you have a recipe for disaster in the relationship department. Pretty soon you and your best friends have had months go by between times spent together. In order to have quality relationships we have to be purposeful.

This is especially true with couples and even more so for couples with small children. They need to be very purposeful in making sure they spend quality time together communicating and enjoying one another.

Be Proactive.

This is the opposite of reactive. Reactive is when your spouse says, “We never spend any time together,” and you respond by saying, “Okay, we will this week.” It would be to sit down at the beginning of each month or week and schedule the time, or better yet have a weekly “date night.” The key is to take control and schedule your relationships. Otherwise, they are going to get away from you.

Be Disciplined.

Yes, it takes discipline to maintain healthy relationships. The discipline is to make investments regularly. This means the monthly lunch with a friend. It means the yearly hunting trip with friends from high school. It means cutting out of work early to go to your child’s game. It means disciplining yourself to work harder during the day in order to leave at a set time so you can eat dinner with your family. All of these are acts of discipline. Just as we have to discipline ourselves in other areas of our lives, like exercising for health or investing for wealth, we have to discipline ourselves into actions that will produce strong and healthy relationships.

Value People Above Possessions, Schedules and Achievements.

The sooner we realize that we leave behind all of our stuff when we die, the sooner we will be able to focus on what matters most—relationships. Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that we shouldn’t do our best to become successful financially or that we shouldn’t enjoy material possessions. What I am saying is that should be secondary to healthy relationships. I can’t imagine someone on their deathbed who says, “I wish I would have left an estate of ten million dollars instead of five million.” No, people get to the ends of their lives and wish they would have invested more in their relationships.

Be Loving.

I don’t mean to be guided by emotional feelings of “love.” Feelings come and go. This is what I mean when I say loving: to always act in such a way as to do what is best for the other person. Love is not feelings, but actions. When we say that we love someone, we mean that we are committed to their best interests. If we are lucky, those commitments are coupled with strong emotional bonds as well.

Be Forgiving.

The fact is this: Where there are people, mistakes will be made. I don’t care if you are the nicest guy on earth (or married to him), you will have some breakdowns in your relationship on occasion. That is the nature of being human. Other people will fail you and you will fail people.

And when this happens we must face a decision: Will we let the relationship remain broken or will we learn to forgive? An analogy might be in order. A relationship is like building a house. It has to have a strong foundation.

That is where you start. Then it must be built step by step until it is finished. During the building process there may be times when a beam falls or the two-by-fours break. The builder has a decision to make. Will he repair the building or let it go? If he chooses to let it go, the house will be weak and eventually fall into disrepair. Unfortunately, too many people let their relationships break and do not repair them by practicing forgiveness. People who leave successful relationships behind them practice the art of forgiveness.

Follow the Golden Rule.

The golden rule of life is, “Do to others what you would want them to do to you.” What is most interesting about this is that Christ was the first religious leader to say this in a positive way. Other leaders had said before to “Don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you.” Relationships are about being proactive and doing for others.

When we wake up each day with the goal to follow the golden rule and do good in people’s lives, we set ourselves on a course that will allow us to build a strong relational legacy.

Think of how you want to be remembered, and then live in such a way that you will be. If you want to be remembered as kind, then be kind. If you want to be remembered as strong, then be strong. If you want to be remembered as friendly, then be friendly. If you want to be remembered as forgiving and patient, then be forgiving and patient. What you do and how you act will add up to how you will be remembered.

It is possible to leave a wonderful relational legacy. If you follow the principles above, you will surely do so.

LARRY BROWN'S KEYS TO WINNING ON THE ROAD

Thanks to the Arizona men's basketball program and their monthly newsletter for this great road list. Ryan Reynolds does a great job of putting the newsletter together.

Back before the 2007-08 season begun, the Xavier basketball team under Sean Miller was set to have a great season. Know that they had many tough road games in the season ahead, Sean was looking to find ways to motivate his team to win games on the road. Sean contacted long time friend and Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown to pick his brain for his thoughts on what it takes to win on the road. Coach Brown gave 5 keys to a team winning on the road:

#1 BE A FAMILY

Develop trust in each other, the staff and the system. Work together to win as a team.

#2 BE A PLAYMAKER

Always play to win -- don't play not to lose. Be aggressive in your approach. What do you have to lose?

#3 WORK HARD AND CONCENTRATE

Be willing to prepare to win. Knowing the scouting report and your teams game plan. How can you win when you don't know what you're doing?

#4 SILENCE THE CROWD

Enjoy the atmosphere and the challenge of doing it. There is nothing more fun than winning on the road. Have fun doing it.

#5 BETTER THAN ANYONE

To win on the road you must defend

LARRY GIBSON'S MOTION PRIORITIES

Thanks to Coach Eric Musselman for this list of motion priorities from Larry Gibson.

1. Players must constantly be aware of:

... (1) reading thethe defense,

... (2) knowing what your teammates are doing,

... (3) moving with a purpose and

... (4) executing fundamentals.

2. Players must realize the importance of floor balanceand spacing.

3. Players must realize the importance of ball reversal.

4. Players mut know that the "screener is a scorer." andthe screener must be constantly reminded to be alert forscoring opportunities.

5. Players must know the proper use of the dribble.

6. Players must know the importance of "control of the ball).(Proper passing, catching and ballhandling fundamentals.)

7. Shot discipline.

8. Players mut be taught to move with a purpose.

9. Players must be patient. We like four passes before we shoot the ball.

Practice restrictions...Coach Gipson uses in teaching the offense:

No dribbling or shooting

Make a minimum # of passes before shooting

Get a specific kind of shot

Specific players shooting

Post man handles ball a specific # of times

THE BEST WAY TO LEARN IS TO TEACH

From "Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times" by Stephen Covey and Bob Whitman

The best way to learn is to teach. It’s a commonplace that the teacher learns far more than the student. If you really want to internalize the insights you’ve learned in this chapter, in the next day or so, find someone—a co-worker, a friend, a family member—and teach him or her those insights.

Ask the provocative question here or come up with your own.

What generally makes the difference between the first and second teams in any competitive situation?

Why do some teams and organizations perform so predictably well year after year, regardless of the conditions?

Every organization works hard at developing a strategy. Why do so many good strategies fail?
Which is more important—a good strategy, or good execution? Why?

Is it better to have many goals, a few goals, or no goals at all? Why?

It’s one thing to have a goal—it’s another to know how to achieve it. How do you decide what to do to achieve a goal?

What’s the difference between a lag measure and a lead measure? Which measure do you watch more closely if you want to achieve a goal? Why?

Which is better—to let the team run with a goal without input from the leader, or to check progress regularly and frequently? Why?

Which is likely to have more impact on your success—a grand new strategy, or doing better the things you already know how to do? Why?

Why is there so much variation in performance across an organization? What would you do to reduce the variation and get better results?

If you were a leader, what would you do to help people move beyond the mindset of doing just what’s required toward a mindset of making a real contribution?

3 TIPS FOR GIVING PRAISE THAT MOTIVATES

Few managers give enough praise, possibly because they're not sure how. Here are three tips for giving praise that reinforces the right behaviors and motivates people to keep succeeding:

1. Be specific.

When giving praise, a simple "thank you" is not nearly enough. Identify the specific accomplishment you are praising and describe the impact it had on you. Try: "Thank you for staying late and making sure the presentation was error-free; it really made the difference in winning that client."

2. Praise with action, not just words.

After you've praised someone specifically, follow up with an important gesture of confidence. Let him lead the next presentation, send an email to the company acknowledging his hard work, or ask him to train others in what he did so well.

3. Don't praise as a preface to critique.

Token praise uttered before criticism sounds empty. It will only undermine the value of the praise you give in other settings.

From The Harvard Business School

ROY WILLIAMS FOUR POWERFUL LEADERSHIP LESSONS

Thanks to Jeff Janssen and the Janssen Sports Leadership Center for the following post. I've said before on this blog as well as at clinics I speak at, if you aren't reading Jeff Janssen's books or following his website (including his premium package) then you are missing out on making yourself a better coach and your team a better team. Check out Jeff's resources: http://bit.ly/8rI87S

Here are four powerful Leadership Lessons from Coach Williams book Hard Work that can be used by all coaches to build and maintain an elite program.

1. Character Counts
Coach Williams: When I decide that a kid has the talent I am looking for, then I try to find out about his character. I once had an elementary school principal in Wichita, Kansas tell me, "Coach, I wish you'd say academics is the second priority."

"No ma'am," I said. "because if he's a great player and a 4.0 student but he's going to be a pain in the rear end, I want it to be somebody else's rear end."

Too many coaches (and athletic directors) lower their program's standards and take talented players (and coaches) with questionable or poor character. They knowingly accept talented people who have a history of not doing the right thing. It's a big gamble that sometimes pays off in the short-term, but usually has negative consequences in the long-term.

Just as Coach Williams heavily weighs character in the recruiting process, so too should you consider character when selecting your team. (Or if you are an AD, when hiring your coaching staff.) Having people of character makes it much easier to build and maintain a team that is focused on a common goal, not their own selfish desires. Coach Williams writes, "If you have one guy looking out for himself, you're in big trouble. If you have more than one, you have no chance."

Plus, choosing people of character preserves the kind of positive culture and reputation you want for your program. Your athletes will represent you and your school with pride and class. As Coach Williams reminds us - Let the talented yet turbulent individuals be a pain in somebody else's rear end, not yours.

2. Choose to work hard every day.
Coach Williams: I tell every prospect I recruit that I'm going to try to outwork every other coach... I like to ask prospects, "Who is recruiting you the hardest?" If they don't say me, I'm mad and I'll go back to my staff and tell them we've got to do more.

The more I learn from highly successful coaches and athletes, the more I am convinced that having a compelled work ethic is one of the biggest keys to success. Look at most anyone who is consistently at the top of their profession and you will see an individual and a team that is absolutely committed to being the best. They are highly passionate about what they do, invest themselves fully, and willingly put in the necessary hard work.

The great thing about hard work and commitment is that it is a choice. You get to choose at what level you bring it every day. The tough thing about hard work and commitment is that it is also a choice - you must consistently choose to bring it at a high level each and every day - despite distractions, disappointments, and human nature telling you to give up and give in. Roy Williams has chosen to bring it every single day for the last 50 some years of his life - and is a big reason why he, his team, and the Tar Heel faithful are enjoying the fruits of his labors.

3. Be a Fierce Competitor
Coach Williams: I love playing road games. I love that atmosphere. I encourage my players to treat games away from home as a wonderful challenge. I like to tell my team, "Let's go into their living room and steal their brownies." It's all about having the confidence and attitude that I can beat your butt anytime, anywhere, anyplace, anyhow... The bottom line is that I want my players to understand that at some point in every game, somebody's going to give in, and I don't ever want it to be us. We want to be the last team standing.

Underneath Coach Williams folksy and cordial outward demeanor beats the heart of a fierce competitor. He is driven to be the best and enjoys the continual challenge of taking every opponent's best shot - whether at home or on the road. He relates several stories in the book about how his competitiveness has been an edge throughout his career.

If you want to compete with the big boys and girls, you too are going to need to become a fierce competitor. More importantly, you will need to instill your own competitive will in your team as you develop them into competitors. Highly successful programs look to dictate the tempo of the competition and impose their will on their opponents. They force opponents to react to them rather than the other way around. You too can get to this level. But you must remember that having a competitive team is a big key - and it begins with you modeling it, developing it, demanding it, and rewarding it as coach.

4. Win on and off the court.
Coach Williams: Winning still drives me. But I also enjoy putting a team together. Every year presents a different challenge for me. What I will miss the most is building relationships with players. Those bonds are always going to be there and they are personal. They are not based on wins and losses but on something you gave them, something you tried to do for them, something you tried to establish in those kids that would affect their lives.

Even though Coach Williams is highly committed to winning on the court, he also cares about his players' futures off the court. He is just as demanding of his guys when it comes to their performance in the classroom and in the community. He sees himself as a mentor who is privileged to prepare young men for the game of life - whether they are future NBA Superstars or productive members of society.