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Leadership Lessons from Steve Kerr

“I think it’s imperative to follow your heart and choose a profession you’re passionate about, and if you haven’t found that ‘spark’ yet, if you’re not sure what you want to do with your lives – be persistent until you do,” says coach Steve Kerr. One of the greatest coaches in NBA history is Steve Kerr due to his in-depth leadership qualities. He’s able to find ways to bring out the best in the best basketball players in the world. Here are the critical leadership and coaching lessons from Steve Kerr: 

  1. Self-Awareness: The first key leadership lesson is to develop self-awareness and an understanding of ourselves. Some of the best leaders in the world understand first who they are as individuals, so they’re better able to lead others to high levels of success. They consistently focus on continuous improvement of their skills. How well do you understand yourself as a person and a leader?
  2. Collaboration: The second key leadership lesson is to collaborate with others in order to improve the team. Collaboration as a leader is important for success as no one leader understands everything. Collaboration with others helps find areas for improvement and allows varying perspectives around solving problems. How effectively do you collaborate with others as a leader?
  3. Core Values: The third key leadership lesson is to develop very clear core values that align with who you are as a person and how you want your team to compete. Kerr talks about spending time with Pete Carrol who helped him develop his values. Those values may change and evolve over time, but it’s important to start with a core foundation. How clearly defined are your core values?
  4. Empathy: The fourth key leadership lesson is to develop empathy for others. Coach Kerr is really effective at understanding how other people are feeling or what they’re thinking. Being able to understand others at a deeper level allows us to get them to perform at their best. How well do you empathize with others? 
  5. People Win: The fifth key leadership lesson is that great people are the foundation for winning and success. Coach Kerr talks a lot about the impact that Steph Curry has on the team, and he gives full credit to all his players for their impact. Leaders know that it’s always the people who make the greatest impact. How well do you recognize the impact of great people?

Listening to Coach Steve Kerr discuss coaching provides valuable insights to leadership. Great leaders and coaches begin with self-awareness and their own core values. They implement those skills in order to guide others to high-performance. Many of these characteristics can be learned and developed over time through reflection and continuous improvement. 

How consistently do you learn from other great leaders in order to improve your skills?