Learn From The Best Sports Coaches

Former University of Kansas head basketball coach Roy Williams recently told U.S. News & World Report magazine that there are three things that coaches as leaders must do to drive success:

"Have everyone on the team focus on the same goal." And, the leader must effectively communicate that goal to the team.
"Emphasize those goals every day."
"Understand that although everyone has a common goal, individuals also have goals, needs and dreams that must be cared for."

According to Williams, in a commentary he wrote for the magazine, the third point is the most challenging to address and where leadership may be the most critical. And, I totally agree.

Therefore, if you lead a team at work or within an organization, one of the best ways to work with each of your team players is to tailor your motivation techniques for each individual, and then be prepared to tweak those techniques if necessary as each person grows.

Williams was the head coach at the University of Kansas from 1988 to 2003 and is now the head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame on April 1, 2007 and has won the Associated Press Coach of the Year award twice.

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