Going Pro

The 1992 Dream Team, coached by Chuck Daly, was arguably the greatest sports team ever assembled. As with all great things, stories—legends in some cases—abound about the team, its practices, and its members. One is the story that Daly let the team members set their own rules, including the “no one late to practice” rule, which led to no player ever being late. Whether those stories are true or not, what is true is that leading a team of the best in the world—pro players—is different from leading a college team.

Coach Daly was exceptional at managing the egos of superstar players. He understood when to step in and when to let players handle situations themselves. He treated the players as the highly developed athletes they were. Daly was remembered not only for his exceptional coaching but also for his “Chuckisms”—nuggets of wisdom that I find just as applicable to leading a team of business pros.

“I’m a dreamer — not always a doer.”

Daly was a visionary but knew the importance of relying on a strong team to execute. Pro leadership isn’t about control or direction as much as it is about inspiration and illumination. Star players will accomplish a lot on their own. To accomplish truly great things requires the motivation and inspiration to play well with others toward an even larger vision.

“You can’t treat everyone the same — but you can treat everyone fairly.”

He believed in adjusting his approach for each player while maintaining fairness. Everyone is intrinsically and equally valuable as a human being. Everyone is not the same. Each individual has strengths, experiences, and viewpoints that make them uniquely qualified for specific roles and responsibilities. Getting the right people into the right positions is the job of the leader.

“It’s a player’s league.”

Daly understood that success depended on managing talent and egos, not controlling them. Great leaders are not threatened by their team members being better at the “game” than they are. They recognize that their contribution is in leading the team, not playing the game. Obviously, great leaders (and coaches) know a lot about the game and are probably pretty savvy players themselves. However, they should be attracting players to the team who are much better at their part than the leader.

“Defense wins championships.”

Daly knew that consistent, disciplined, and tough defense is what separates good teams from championship teams. Offense can often be achieved through individual effort. While one guy going to the basket and outmaneuvering another to slam the ball home is entertaining, it’s the consistent teamwork and communication on the other end of the court that secures the victory. Leaders build a “team first” mentality that encourages and rewards cooperation and communication.

“Sometimes you have to let players discover the answers themselves.”

Coach Daly believed in allowing players to grow through experience rather than micromanaging. No matter how accomplished a team member may be, there is always more to learn. Great coaching is not just about giving directions but about empowering the players to think, adapt, and grow. Over-coaching stifles creativity and confidence, while allowing people to learn from their mistakes builds smarter, more resilient players.

Leading a team of highly talented and accomplished individuals—superstars—takes more than just an understanding of the game.  It takes humility to let the stars do what stars do best and to guide—not control—the play from the sidelines. Great leaders inspire with vision, capitalize on the diversity of the team, trust their players, encourage teamwork and communication, and empower their players. Going “Pro” isn’t an option, it’s how leaders build winning teams—the Bison Way.