Principles from Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski, Legendary NCAA Coach
Value-driven Mindset: How to Create a Legendary Culture
Estimated reading time (5 minutes)
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On Principles Friday, I share one principle that can help you in your life or business, one thought-provoking question, and one call to action toward that principle.
Principle of the Week
“Make sure you get on the right bus.” — Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski, Legendary NCAA Coach
Coach K, a true basketball legend, is known for leading Duke University to greatness, and even guiding Team USA to Olympic gold multiple times. This guy's a coaching titan, with a whopping 1202 career wins, more than anyone else in NCAA history. He's got an impressive track record, and he's got a whole lot to teach us about leadership.
So, let's dial it back to 2015, a year Duke clinched the National Championship. Now, what's remarkable about this victory isn't just the trophy or the celebration. It's the fact that Duke did it with just eight players on their team. Yeah, eight! And during the final game against Wisconsin, they found themselves in a tough spot.
But here's where the Coach K magic comes in. He decided to put in the eighth man, Grayson Allen. And you know what Grayson did? He didn't just fill a spot; he made buckets, hustled for loose balls, and, most importantly, he pumped up his teammates. He started shouting, 'Let's go, let's go,' rallying the squad for a legendary comeback. And they did it! They clinched that championship.
Now, here's the real beauty of the story. When Coach K got home, he told his wife that this was the best championship of all his championships. And she, being the wise partner, dropped a truth bomb. She said, 'That wasn't the best thing.' Wait for it... 'The best thing was that everybody listened.'
Yup, you heard it right. Grayson was the eighth man on the team, but his teammates respected him, they listened to him. That's the kind of value-driven culture that Coach K had built. It's about recognizing and embracing leadership from anywhere within the team. It's not just about having the best players; it's about having the best team.
And that, my friends, is the essence of Coach K's philosophy. It's not just about the stars; it's about every single player, every voice, every contribution. It's about being the kind of leader that can win a championship with just eight players and a whole lot of heart."
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Question to Ponder
Take a deep look at the current bus that you are riding. Is it heading in the right direction? Does it have the right people on? Do they share the same values that you have?
Call to Action
Recruiting a group of talented individuals isn’t enough to guarantee success. To help your organization reach its goals, Coach K emphasizes the importance of instilling values that define its character. Coach K has coached the United States national team, to gold medals at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics. He was the head coach of the U.S. team that won gold medals at the 2010 and the 2014 FIBA World Cup. He did this by creating a value-driven team.
To create a value-based culture that stands the test of time, follow these steps inspired by Coach K's principles:
1. Embrace Your Values: Draw inspiration from your personal experiences and education to define the core values that matter most to you and your organization. Understand that values form the bedrock of your culture and are the pillars upon which your success will rest.
2. Inclusivity and Input: Involve everyone in your organization in the process of defining these values. Solicit input from your team members, empowering them to contribute to the values that will guide your collective journey. Encourage these principles to become a way of life, not just words on paper. The US Olympics did an exercise where they imagined they were 16 years old for 1 minute while looking at their Olympic Jersey, and each one of them came back with a childhood value that resonates with their collective responsibility towards their country.
3. Come with a set of Standards: A standard is a way that you do things all the time. The goal is to create easily understood and internalized standards that every member of your organization can live by. They are not rules, because a rule is something externally forced on you that you can obey or disobey. But, a standard is yours. Lebron James contributed the first standard to the US Olympic team and it was “No Excuses”.
Culture = Values + Standards.
“Values are your guiding principles that drive your team and Standards are the way you live your values. Taken together you create a culture of collaboration and collective responsibility” — Coach K.
Here are the Five Values that Coach K instilled in every Duke player:
Communication: Foster open, honest, and direct communication within your organization. Ensure that every team member knows their voice is valued, and they can speak up without fear.
Trust: Develop a culture of trust, where your team members can rely on each other's word without hesitation. This trust builds integrity, honesty, and a clearer understanding of collective goals.
Care: Encourage empathy and support among your team members. When everyone feels cared for, they're more likely to give their best, admit when they need help, and persevere together through challenges.
Collective Responsibility: Emphasize that your organization's success relies on the contributions of every individual. This promotes teamwork, ego management, resilience in the face of failure, and a focus on continual improvement.
Pride: Channel individual pride into a collective identity. Encourage your team to take pride in belonging to your organization, fostering unity and commitment.
By building a value-based organization, you'll not only get the right people on the bus but also create a culture that drives long-term success and stands the test of time.
Video of the Week
Coach K’s wins his 5th and final National Championship with Duke
If you want to learn more principles, I interview founders on my podcast, The First 100, where they share how they acquired their first 100 paying customers. This week:
Episode 103 - The First 100 with Miguel Fernandez Larrea, the Co-founder of CapChase
Episode 104 - The First 100 with Antton Pena, Founder of Flock
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