Dean Smith: A Posthumous Interview

Welcome to the Great Coaches: Leadership & Life newsletter!

There’s no algorithm for leadership, which is why we interview Great Coaches from across the world of sport in the hopes of uncovering new ideas, philosophies and insights that can help us all to become better leaders.

I think many of us will have a list of ‘legends’ that we wish we could speak to or interview but, unfortunately, are no longer with us; great leaders and figures that would no doubt have an interesting perspective on the way that things are today.

As frequent listeners will know, we sometimes like to produce special episodes of the Great Coaches podcast featuring ‘posthumous interviews’ with inspirational figures. We spend a lot of time preparing for these interviews, scouring through books, articles and recordings and attempting to explore the success and careers of these Great Coaches through their very own words.

Our latest ‘posthumous interview’ episode was released earlier today, featuring the American Basketball coach Dean Smith. I hope you’ll enjoy it.

Playing Hard, Together & Smart With Dean Smith

American basketball coach Dean Smith was 83 years old when he died in early 2015. Prior to his death, Dean had suffered from ailing health related to a neurological disorder which - according to articles published at the time - had forced him to step away from the world of basketball, where he had been an influential figure for more than 4 decades.

From 1961 to 1997, Dean acted as the coach of the University of North Carolina basketball team, the Tar Heels. During his career, he racked up an outstanding 879 career victories; he retired as the NCAA’s most successful Division I men’s collegiate basketball coach, and held that record until Bob Knight eventually broke it a decade later.

During Dean’s tenure, he led North Carolina to win two national championships and appear in 11 Final Fours. As a coach he encouraged his players to be unselfish on the court, and during all of his time with them, the North Carolina program was never once investigated or sanctioned for NCAA rules violations.

In recognition of his success, Dean was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983. In 2013 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and his contribution to the Tar Heels has been memorialised through the construction of the Dean E. Smith Center, which the team now calls home.

While the term ‘legendary’ does get thrown around a lot nowadays, Dean is definitely one coach truly deserving of the title. From the impact he made on the career of Michael Jordan to the way he placed ‘care’ as a central element of his leadership, we delve into a number of Dean’s successes, victories and philosophies in our latest podcast episode, available now.

Listen Now: Apple | Spotify

The Coach’s Mood

At some point in your life, you’ve possibly worked or trained under a leader who made you feel as though you were always ‘treading on eggshells’, never really sure what to expect. A leader who, through their body language and actions, left you feeling uncertain or wondering if you had done something ‘wrong’.

In this clip from our interview with American volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield, he shares some of the ways that implementing consistency into your leadership or coaching approach can help to alleviate and avoid feelings of uncertainty or tension forming amongst your team, letting them know what to expect from meetings, feedback sessions, and other difficult situations.

If you enjoyed this clip, then make sure to head over to our website. For an annual cost of just $4.50 USD, Great Coaches members can access more than 1,200 clips, 30 special lessons, and more great content designed to help them become better, more effective leaders.

In Case You Missed It…

The Story Of Sven

As I expect a lot of you will be aware, Swedish footballer-turned-manager Sven-Göran Eriksson passed away in August after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

A highly successful coach who had led an array of international teams to European and World Cup success, Sven quickly made a name for himself as a charismatic, unpredictable and sometimes even controversial sports figure.

Earlier this year, an in-depth documentary looking into Sven’s life and career debuted on Amazon Prime. Described as sharing the “stranger-than-fiction story about England’s most unpredictable manager”, the film has been highly reviewed and provides an uplifting-yet-emotional insight into what it takes to become a football legend.

Highly recommended if you’re looking for something to watch this weekend.

Elevate Your Leadership

You are a product of your personality, background, and values, and your leadership style should be as unique as you are.

The team at Elevated Leadership will identify and coach you towards becoming the leader that you aspire to be, using a variety of techniques that include self-reflection and goal setting.

If you would like to know more, contact us at [email protected]

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