Leadership Lessons from World Class Coaches

"I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball." Mike Krzyzewski


Each college basketball season draws millions of Americans into a compelling drama that culminates in March Madness. At the center of the drama are the coaches striving for a championship season. Pat Summitt and Mike Krzyzewski are both expected to field highly competitive teams year after year. Retired icons, such as Dean Smith and John Wooden, are remembered for their lifetime achievements in winning championships. Each of these coaches has written books describing how they apply their craft as leaders of student-athletes.

Emerging leaders in all fields can reflect on the ideas and instructive examples in these books to develop their own philosophy of practice. People interested in leadership are intrigued by two basic questions: How do these great coaches amass winning records year after year? What does their leadership philosophy teach us about how to build high-performing teams?

This article shares and interprets important leadership lessons culled from the books of two of these extraordinary coaches, Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) of Duke University and Pat Summitt of the University of Tennessee. Although their personalities and styles differ in many respects, each has a philosophy of practice that generates overall team resilience and exceptional results--a philosophy that can be applied to your leadership needs, as well.

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Leadership Lessons from World Class Coaches