A Note From the Author
A coach shared with me what he felt drove his success. He said, “I feel like I’ve learned how to control my team in order to suppress other teams.” That’s a dark space to live in. Especially when that approach has been positively reinforced by so many wins and a celebrated Hall-of-Fame career. It can leave you asking a lot of questions about life.
Many coaches that I’ve observed have leveraged highly controlled environments to produce the consistent behavior necessary to win at a high level. But nobody really feels good about it. That’s why it took me so long to write this book. I didn’t want to study how people used their power to force control. I wanted to write a different book. Once I understood how to do that, I decided to take this journey.
I asked a successful coach, “What’s the best way to change undesired behavior?” He laughed, “The best? Or the fastest?” When there are clear power dynamics, you can use a set of tactics that work on a short-term basis to produce results. But if you choose that approach, that’s a miserable way to spend your time on Earth. It’s a hollow path toward empty W’s.
That’s why I love the NBA. That environment requires a higher form of management. If you strip the coach of his power, he has to rely on logic, listening, and learning how to meet people where they are. That job becomes about winning influence. The respect is earned, not given, in that league.
I think about the coaches who clearly have power over their team, but choose to win influence instead. That rare group is motivated to find their next level as leaders. Their example influences people to discover their best.
That’s why I love the NBA. That environment requires a higher form of management. If you strip the coach of his power, he has to rely on logic, listening, and learning how to meet people where they are. That job becomes about winning influence. The respect is earned, not given, in that league.
– Brett Ledbetter
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