Have you ever been at work when there’s a lot to be done and people are standing around asking way too many questions? Or maybe you’ve been in a meeting and it is the perfect time for discussion. But no one says a word. For business leaders to succeed, they need to understand when and where to ask questions.
If you’ve spent much time around young children, you’ve probably seen some version of this interaction play out when you hand a snack to a toddler:
Parent: “What do you say?”
Child (mouth full, all attention on remaining food): “Mmankoo”
You may or may not find this charming behavior in a three-year-old, but for adults—and especially for adults in leadership—gratitude is something worth taking very seriously. Few things motivate people better than feeling appreciated, and few things are more demoralizing than feeling unappreciated.
Even though the “usual” order of things is supposed to involve parents teaching their children, I’m surprised at how often the reverse is true.
When my 14-year-old son, Jaden, decided that he wanted to compete in the Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships (3000M) and be the #1 runner on the high school cross country team as a freshman, they didn’t feel like entirely impossible goals—he’s a talented runner who made the varsity track team as a seventh grader—but even for such a gifted athlete it was certainly ambitious.
If you follow college basketball, there’s no better time of year than March to see leadership characteristics. There are few sporting events that bring the excitement and drama of the NCAA tourney.
And if you’re someone who thinks about leadership, you may—as I often do—keep a particular eye on the coaching. It’s an area that always seems to draw legendary personalities, from Bobby Knight’s fiery temper to Pat Summitt’s icy stare, from Dean Smith’s fatherly attention to John Wooden’s philosophies.
In the days since the death of legendary University of North Carolina coach Dean Smith, countless stories have made their way into print, on the air, and in social media. We’ve heard about his extraordinary career, the 879 wins that gave him the Division I men’s record at the time. We’ve heard about his emphasis on loyalty and teamwork that has come to be known as the Carolina Way. We’ve heard from his former players—including his best-known protégé, Michael Jordan—how he inspired them to be better people, and from his colleagues and neighbors about his huge heart and spirit.
My own connection with Smith is secondhand: My father, who coached basketball for more than 20 years, occasionally attended coaching clinics taught by Smith. He always returned impressed by Smith’s expertise and leadership strength, and just as impressed with his demeanor. “Class” is the word I most remember hearing Dad use to describe him.