Hello, and welcome to the Leadership Done Right Podcast, Episode 38: Everyone Needs a Leadership Coach and So Do You!
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The Man Who Cut Michael Jordan
Have you ever heard the story of Michael Jordan getting cut from his high school basketball team? Well, there is definitely more to the story. When I think of getting cut, I think of not playing at all… instead, Jordan didn’t make the varsity team but made the JV team. I am going to share some insights from the Sports Illustrated article, “Did This Man Really Cut MICHAEL JORDAN?” by Thomas Lake.
JV Was Not an Oversight
“The decision to leave Jordan on JV as a sophomore was not an oversight. His coach, Clifton (Pop) Herring, and Pop’s assistants knew Jordan would ride the bench on varsity, so they put him on JV, and it worked out perfectly. When he got to varsity, he was ready to lead the team. Pop gave Michael his time but made him earn everything else. They would play Around the World after practice, and Pop was nearly unbeatable. Jordan hated to lose, of course, so he kept improving until the day he finally won.”
Michael’s Development
“Some people, including Pop’s friend Jimmy Hebron, the coach at New Hanover, believe Herring could have won a state championship if he had put the explosive and fast-growing Jordan at forward and let him “play volleyball” with the towering Leroy Smith. Hebron says this as a compliment to Pop for putting Jordan’s development ahead of Pop’s own desire for trophies. It’s true that Jordan was better served by playing point guard than he would have been banging on the blocks, but Pop’s assistant and friend Ron Coley says the move was designed to make the team better. They knew Jordan was their best player, and they figured the surest way to get him the ball was to put it in his hands at the start of every play.”
Let Him Learn, Play, and Grow
“The Great Cutting Myth suggests that Pop was unworthy of being Jordan’s coach, or that he failed to appreciate the divine gift he’d been given. But the numbers show otherwise. Pop was a winner before Jordan arrived and a winner after Jordan left. He took Laney to the divisional semifinals in 1978 and ’79. But in ’79–80, when Jordan led the Bucs, in one game scoring 51 of their 55 points, Laney won fewer games than it had the year before, and the Bucs again lost in the divisional semifinals. Pop let Jordan carry the team again as a senior, and what happened? The Bucs lost yet again in the divisional semis, even though they entered with a 19–3 record. Jordan scored 26 points but shot “poorly” against New Hanover in that final loss, according to the Wilmington Morning Star. With 33 seconds remaining he missed two free throws that would have given the Bucs a four-point lead. Seconds later he missed a long jumper and then committed an offensive foul, his fifth, and the resulting free throws gave New Hanover a lead it never relinquished.”
Jordan’s Reflection on Coach Herring
In November 1994, Michael Jordan retired for the first time from basketball. At the celebration of his career he said, “There wasn’t one coach that I didn’t listen and try to learn from,” Jordan said. “They all knew more about the game than I knew, and probably still know about the game, more about the game now, than even I know at this point. But I respect them for taking the time to teach me the game of basketball. Goes all the way back to Clifton Herring, who was the first guy to ever cut me.”
“But I think what people never knew, and I never had the opportunity to express, and my mother knew, and my brothers and sister knew, the next year, he picked me up every day at six o’clock and took me to the gym to help me work on my abilities. Thank you, Coach Herring.”
Michael Jordan’s coaches were extremely important to his development as a player, leader amongst his teammates, and eventual businessman in society. Not to mention the leader that he has been for countless young through his example and mentorship.
What is Coaching?
People often confuse coaching with therapy, mentoring, or consulting, but coaching is different from each of these. You may be asking, “Why isn’t coaching mentoring, or therapy, or consulting?” Smith Leadership explained it best. What is Coaching YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFx6yKZrzco
As you can see, coaching is similar but different from mentorship, therapy, or consulting. Coaches focus on you, and helping you to grow and develop. They do a lot more listening and guide you on your journey. They are also empathetic, creative, intuitive, and curious.
What Do You Talk About With Your Coach?
So, what do you talk about with your coach? When you go into a coaching session, be prepared to discuss the most important topics on your mind as they relate to your progress and development. Your coach will listen to you and ask you lots of questions to fully understand your situation. They will work with you so you can develop your path forward.
On a broader level, here are some great topics you can discuss with your coach:
- Your wins and setbacks
- Problems or obstacles you are facing
- Challenges and frustrations you have experienced
- New knowledge or insights you’ve gained
- Your feelings and fears
- Interactions you’ve had with others
- Ideas or thoughts
The main goal with your coach is to become better, learn, and progress on your leadership journey.
Everyone Needs a Coach
Whether you are seasoned at what you are doing or brand new, it doesn’t matter. Everyone needs a coach!
Michael Jordan said, “A coach is someone that sees beyond your limits and guides you to greatness!” http://www.azquotes.com/quote/846681
Bill Gates also said that everyone needs a coach. Shared on YouTube by Jim Jubelirer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLF90uwII1k Explain the bridge coach comment.
Steve Bennett, former CEO of Intuit said, “At the end of the day, people who are high achievers—who want to continue to learn and grow and be effective—need coaching.”
Who Else?
As all these quotes indicate, everyone needs a coach. In addition to the people we have already discussed, here’s some additional examples of famous people that had coaches.
- Michael Phelps – U.S. Olympic swimmer. He has 28 olympic medals and 23 gold medals.
- Halle Berry – Famous American Actress
- Steve Jobs – Founder and CEO of Apple
- Jeff Bezos – CEO of amazon.com
- Charlize Theron – Famous American Actress
- Tom Brady – Super Bowl quarterback for 8 Super Bowls and won 5
All these people need coaches to develop their talents, improve their skills, and become their best self.
Get Your Coaching Today with Leadership Done Right Coaching
I am excited to announce that I am starting a new coaching program at Leadership Done Right! If you are looking to improve and push yourself to become better and want to become your best self, the Leadership Done Right Coaching program is right for you. I will help YOU become a great leader TODAY through one-on-one leadership coaching.
What’s In The Session?
During these coaching sessions, I will help you accelerate your career, leadership, and life by helping you take steps today to become the leader you are meant to be. I will help you develop practical skills to improve your leadership. Additionally, I will coach you in your personal development through goal setting strategies, helping you create your personal development plan, and life planning. But that’s not all, I will guide you through leadership training to refine your communication, time management, teamwork and other leadership skills.
Take Action Today!
So why now? Now is the best time to invest in yourself! If you are interested in this valuable coaching, I am offering you a free half hour introductory coaching session. My goal is to help you with your specific situation and goals because I believe that one-on-one time with you is the best way I can help you!
If I could go back in time and give myself advice, it would be to get a coach to help me through my career. That would’ve helped me avoid some of the challenges I’ve experienced and enabled me to progress faster on my journey. If you would like this free introductory coaching session, just shoot me a quick email to BrandonWJones@LeadershipDoneRight.com and let him know that you are ready to start your journey!
If you know someone that could also benefit from this coaching, please tell them about this special offer!
Wrap-up
If you would like to listen to the next episode of this podcast, please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or whatever other podcast platform you use. You can also check out the full list of episodes and platforms with this podcast at LeadershipDoneRight.com/LDRPodcast.
Thanks again for listening! My goal is to help you become a great leader, now go be the best leader you can be!
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