Business, Sports & Gaming
Time-Out: Create a Legacy of Leadership
Lesson time 04:11 min
Coach K reflects on the environment that gave Shane Battier the confidence to step up as a leader of the Duke basketball team.
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Topics include: Time-Out: Create a Legacy of Leadership
Teaches Values-Driven Leadership
12x “Coach of the Year” Mike Krzyzewski teaches how to motivate a team. Discover your innate leadership skills with drills to prepare for success.
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[MUSIC PLAYING] - We've talked about a tiered approach to leadership. Now we're going to talk about giving your team's leaders the freedom to lead from their tier. So I'm the leader of everybody, my assistants, managers, and everybody. But you're the leader of the players. And so as the leader of the players, not just the player, how did you approach a practice like that? - I was so lucky to play for amazing leaders early in my career, guys like Trajan Langdon, Wojo. - And when you say amazing leaders, teammates-- - Teammates. - --older teammates. - Older teammates, my senior upperclassmen. - Right. - And they taught me what it meant to be an upperclassman and a Duke basketball player. Again, they set the standard. I mean, obviously, you set the culture, but it was Trajan, Wojo, and Rashan, the older guys, that said, these are expectations for our locker room. - So you know how important that is like for an organization. You don't have to bring somebody in for leadership or whatever. It was really happening-- - Yes. - --on a day-to-day. - Yes. - I think that's the best point, how strong an organization is, that an older player is not afraid to help a younger player be better. - Absolutely. [MUSIC PLAYING] And lucky, you never had to bring me aside and say, this is what Duke basketball is. I knew. By the time I was a junior and I was the captain, I knew because of the captains that I had. And I tried to teach the younger guys, Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy, what it meant to be a captain, so when I'm gone, they can carry on the tradition. - Yeah, and you felt like you had the freedom to lead-- - Yeah. - --like follow your instincts. - I never questioned if I needed permission to say something, as long as it was in the spirit of why we were here. - Yeah. Do you remember the first practice that year, where you guys warm up, we're getting ready to start the practice, and usually I would say something. And you said something. And then after practice, I didn't say anything because you were too good. And then I said, you should keep doing that. Do you even remember what you said then? - Usually it was about let's bring the energy. Let's bring the talk. Let's bring the defense. Guys-- - You just followed your heart. - --don't turn over the ball so you don't have to run. Let's focus in. - In my 47 years, that's one of my favorite moments because it was my leader having the freedom to lead and a different voice and the magnitude of that. - We had so much freedom to make plays. You wanted us to be basketball players. You always gave us the freedom. If there's a play to be made, make it. - Because then it went itself for you having the freedom to talk in the locker room, on the court. I thought that was the best talent that you had. Did that come naturally, or how did that come about? ...
About the Instructor
Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski is the winningest coach in men’s college basketball history. For the first time, he’s sharing the secrets to building an environment conducive to success. Learn how to read body language, deliver difficult feedback, and identify talent. Whether on the court or in the office, you’ll be confident exercising leadership strategies that influenced players like Kobe Bryant and Shane Battier.
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Coach K
12x “Coach of the Year” Mike Krzyzewski teaches how to motivate a team. Discover your innate leadership skills with drills to prepare for success.
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