Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski now has most
NCAA career victories (903). Krzyzewski has been called “the modern-day John
Wooden” by Louisville coach Rick Pitino and “a coach’s coach … a guy I think
every coach in America looks to and respects,” by Kansas coach Bill Self. He
has led the Blue Devils to 11 Final Four appearances and four national titles. In
this extract from an interview with Jerry Kavanagh for Athlon Sports,
Krzyzewski showed an appreciation for literature in speaking about his coaching
style and leadership.
'In the book Absinthe and Flamethrowers, the author, William
Gurstelle, writes that managers who take the greatest risks are the most
successful. Do you agree with that?
I think you have to be careful when you say that. Somebody
might think that to be a leader or a manager, “I need to take a lot of risks,
or else I’m not good.” I think you can’t be afraid to do what’s necessary. Some
people would equate that to taking a risk because it goes against the grain or
it’s not something that is normally done. But my feeling is that a leader has
to take the course of action that’s necessary to produce a positive result
after doing an analysis and preparing himself to take a look at that situation.
The world might call that a risk; a leader would call that the appropriate
action that needed to be taken. I think when you just take that one statement
(by Gurstelle), you can make a mistake by saying, “I didn’t take a risk today.
I better take one.” I think you go boldly in the direction that’s necessary and
in the direction that you’re prepared to go in.
You often talk about leadership. Napoleon defined a leader
as “a dealer in hope.” I read where you said, “Leadership can be lonely.” Can
you explain that?
Well, leadership is lonely because you don’t discuss
everything. Part of it is that in your moments of doubt or in your moments of
being nervous or wondering if this is the right thing that you’re doing, you
never want to show weakness to your group. And you don’t share that because
it’s not the main feeling you have, but because you’re a human being these
feelings hit you. Leadership can be very lonely, but there’s a certain amount
of time that you have to be by yourself, it has to be yours as you’re looking
into it, before you present something to your group. I think that’s a price
that you pay.
Some of the statements you have made have an application
beyond basketball. For example, “Fear can change you.” What do you mean by
that?
Some people are afraid of fear, so they avoid it. They don’t
try to do anything. They’re very cautious. And when you get into new
situations, there’s an element of fear that can excite you. It can freeze you
or stop you from doing something, because it’s new. It can be exciting, but
there’s still some fear involved. And I don’t think that you have to face fear.
You know, part of being courageous is facing fear and doing what you’re
supposed to do. People have different fears — fear of speaking, fear of heights,
a bunch of fears — and when you face those fears, you can turn them into your
strengths. That’s how you evolve as a person and how a group evolves as a team.'
