On my flight from Nice to Dubai yesterday — on the plane, I sat next to an old NBA player and coach who is speaking at a private function in abu dhabi…
As I might share interesting stories he told me about certain players - I will not name the coach, but he is someone who is famous enough that all american readers would know his name.
My new friend and I talked nearly the whole 5 hour flight.
We talked in great detail about how now a days, compared to 10+ years ago …. how much more difficult it is to manage players…
he said something like: “players today… they don’t want it, like we wanted it…”
He expanded on his idea by adding, “Often times the coaches want the players to be great more than the players want to be great…”
We had a long discussion over the idea of the coach wanting to win more than the team wants to win (he was refering to his friend Isiah Thomas who recently got fired and he clearly blamed the players and not Isiah)
We also discussed in great detail the idea of that one teacher in all our lives, surely everyone has had one….. a teacher who challenges us to achieve, and wants success for us more than we want it…
Our conversation got me to reflect on myself and my past 20 years….and several demanding role models, coaches, bosses, friends, that I have had in my life that hammered me into shape; people who did not allow me to be just ok….but instead they challenged/challenge me to step up and seize my talents. Coach Troy; Coach Shofe; Konno sensei; Tokito sensei; PN; JG; SLR…..
Would they have had/have the same life changing impact on me … had they been soft and sweet …. instead of tough and expecting?
NO F….ING WAY.
As our plane was landing … we came back to what started our conversation in the beginning ….
….the role of a boss/manager and how the role is nearly the exact same role as a coach: to get the best out of his players/employees and to challenge them to be the best they can be.
But in the end, the players/employees must want to be as successful and live up to their potential as much as their boss/coach wants them to be.
for certain…..there are a few readers who can relate to the above thought…
just f…ing sell.
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