So much was written when Dean Smith passed
away recently about his coaching record at North Carolina and the superstar
players he coached and mentored. What was even more significant to me was the
words about him as a person—and not as a famous person—but comments about his
character and how he treated people around him.
I am sure he wasn’t perfect but when coaches
who competed against him for years had glowing things to say about it, it made
me think there was a lot more to him than being a legend in the basketball
world
.
One of the most interesting comments was
from Mike Krzyzewski, longtime coach of Duke University—UNC’s in-state
rival. Mike said, “Of course he
will live forever. Not because of what he did but because of what he
taught.” This quote was in an
article in the Washington Post on Dean Smith’s death written by John Feinstein
on February 9, 2015.
Feinstein goes on to say that yes, Smith
taught the mechanics of basketball but that he also “taught loyalty.” And he taught it to his players long
after they left UNC by being loyal to them. He also “taught passion—not just about winning games but
about doing the right things in life.”
It is well known that Smith considered
players, no matter how long ago they’d played at North Carolina, as family and
he helped them in many, many ways.
He never let them forget that he cared about each on personally and that
they could come to him with problems and issues they were facing.
What kind of a leader are you? What are you teaching your
employees? What will they say
about you when the time comes for you to move on in life or in death? I hope they will talk about the lessons
you taught them by your character and loyalty, and that you treated everyone
with respect and dignity. That is
the kind of legacy I know I want to leave and hope you do too!
No comments:
Post a Comment