With the men's "final four" of the NCAA basketball tournament fast approaching, Wednesday Charlie Rose interviewed their successful coach Mike Krzyzewski [promounced Sha-shef-ski] who is better known as just "Coach K." When asked about some of the things he tells players to prepare them for a tournament game, Coach K said something about competitive people that I have always known when it comes to management & leadership but could never quite put into words. He likened a competitive mind to a glass that a leader, manager, or as in his case, a coach can only fill so far. Basically he believes that it is important to allow enough room for the individual's natural skills, abilities, & instincts to then take over in order to bring out their best. While it's worked for him as a basketball coach, it is also true in the business world. Over-managing &/or micro-managing happens precisely when leaders fail to understand this. A common symptom of this problem is the leader who talks too much & listens too little. Aside from crystalizing what I think is a very important concept in leadership, Coach K also provided a very useful optic for a key tool for successful managers.
In the interest of full disclosure: Ellen Gunty is a graduate of Duke University. Go Blue Devils!
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