Learning from a hoops legend

Following the death last month of basketball coach Bobby Knight, remembrances from a legion of coaching peers and writers reminded us that leaders are an amalgam of styles and personalities. And, in the case of Knight, they sometimes come embodied in the same complicated, profoundly human soul.

In more than four decades as a head coach, Knight was boorish, abusive and obnoxious. He could be equally gracious, charming and charitable. In the paradoxical body of work from the coach known as the General, we see the good, the bad and sometimes the ugly sides of leadership. On reflection, we see traits to emulate and ones to avoid.

Staff development

Knight sought out top performers and encouraged never-ending hustle and discipline. He also criticized players to the point of abuse.

As we enter a new year, the war for talent continues. Unemployment rates of less than 4 percent, the lowest level in two decades, suggest that the war will be hard fought on two fronts: hiring and retaining.

As has been the case in a post-pandemic labor market, superintendents are challenged to recruit and retain the best talent their budgets can support. Exacerbating the challenge, most course management professionals have previously tapped their traditional sources of capable workers.

The first step is identifying and hiring top people. If you are one of those managers with a nose for talent, you are among the blessed few. Most management professionals consider finding capable people one of their biggest challenges. The most skilled managers are known for assembling talented staffs. Managers who are weak at talent recruitment are often overly rigid in their hiring process; even less effective managers have no hiring process at all.

Stability

Knight was committed to an unwavering style of hard-nosed defense and ever-moving offense. But that consistency was undermined by his volatile demeanor.

Despite a tough labor market, where job movement might be less challenging, stability is a key concern, especially for entry-level workers. According to Handshake, a networking platform serving more than 10 million college students, a survey of recent college grads shows a shift from jobs offering status to ones offering stability. In fact, 73 percent ranked stability as a top priority while fewer than half said a priority was to work for a known brand.

Managers also must offer talent an environment where they feel respected and rewarded, as well as the opportunity to add to their knowledge and experience.  

People-building

Knight was a master teacher and relentless motivator who drove players to the height of their potential. He also caused many to feel underappreciated.

Leaders who are most admired as coaches and developers of talent share a handful of skills. They are known as people-builders because they consistently:

• Provide challenging tasks and assignments that stretch their people beyond the job description.
• Conduct frequent training and feet-on-the-ground teaching and learning sessions.
• Are aware of each staff member’s career goals and work needs.
• Construct personal and compelling development plans for each worker.
• Remind team members that they believe in their potential.

On the other hand, poor people-builders:

• Seldom find time for one-on-one discussions and coaching, which can undermine a great start to the job.
• Are insincere in their compliments and encouragement, leading workers to feel manipulated and unappreciated.
• Play favorites and encourage quick learners at the expense of those who need more personal coaching.
• Don’t express confidence that team members can meet the challenges of the job.
• Lack a systematic approach to follow-up coaching opportunities.

Those who accept the challenge of being top talent developers:

• Develop and use an intentional method of talent development with regularly scheduled coaching and follow-up meetings.
• Celebrate key milestones and achievements.
• Honestly evaluate workers, using constructive, on-point criticism that helps them learn and advance.
• Do not give up on team members. Instead, they keep coaching, encouraging and expecting great performances.

Despite his flaws, of which there were many, Knight will be remembered as a brilliant coach who sought the best from his team. As leaders who want the best from our team, we can learn a lot from the way he went about that goal.