PLAYBOOKfor A DYNAMIC TEAM

…of great coaches in sports history. John Wooden, Bill Belichick, Phil Jackson, Urban Meyer and Gregg Popovich are some names that come to mind. Why are they great? What sets them apart?

For one, they all produced more than just great players, they had record-breaking, “greatest of all-time” players. Wooden coached Walton and Alcindor, Belichick led Brady, Jackson coached Jordan and Meyer mentored Tebow. Great coaches take a collection of great players and make them a great team.

It isn’t just the incredibly talented players that make a team. It’s the coach’s acute ability to recruit players with different skills and coach them to work as a unit. That’s what these coaches have done, and that’s what makes them special. It takes more than just great players to win every year at their level. It’s all about the culture the coach sets.

Here is the secret for a winning team culture from San Antonio Spurs coach, Gregg Popovich. “Play the right way means play unselfishly, respect each other’s achievements, play hard, fulfill your role.”- Gregg Popovich

PLAY UNSELFISHLYCoach Urban Meyer borrows much of his culture development from the military. When asking what causes men and women in our military to fight with bravery and resilience on the battlefield, he was told, “they fight for the person to their left and right.” When great players play for the person to the left and right of them, the unit is unstoppable.

RESPECT EACH OTHER’S ACHIEVEMENTSThe most successful people celebrate others and their successes the most. Truly successful people know what they’re bringing to the table and are comfortable in their own skin. They don’t need to continue to prove this to themselves, and this allows them to create space for everyone to achieve. An incredibly dynamic team consists of talented players who collectively celebrate each other in their achievements.

PLAY HARDGreat teams don’t go through the motions, and great coaches don’t let them. “I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle victorious,” - Vince Lombardi.

FULFILL YOUR ROLEAt radius, we like to say, “play big.” “Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone, and as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Author, Marianne Williamson

Don’t shrink back in an effort to make someone more comfortable. A great coach understands the team will only be at peak performance when each player is committed on and off the field by showing up to the field, gym or boardroom. It’s the coach’s job to unlock this in each player by creating an environment where they feel safe and challenged to do so.

This is written with my greatest coach in mind. I’m thankful he demanded that I “play the right way.” I hope he understands how significantly he impacted me and my teammates. If you have had a great coach/mentor/leader in your life you haven’t thanked, do it now!

“THE BULL”Dustin is the Director of Marketing Communications at radius financial group inc. He’s passionate about elevating the company’s overall marketing initiatives and creating growth strategies for identified sectors while continuing to fuel radius’s explosive growth.

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