A confident coach trusting his team.
The Golden State Warriors haven’t been blowing teams out at their normal lossless clip. After their 1995-96 Bulls-esque season in 2016, not to mention last year’s championship, we’ve come to expect constant and unwavering greatness from the Bay Area ballers. Heading into the All-Star break, however, Stephen Curry and crew lost 4 games in 8. Head coach, and former 96 Bull, Steve Kerr knew something wasn’t working. He responded with the unthinkable – he let his team coach themselves.
Player-coaching isn’t unheard of. Buddy Jeannette was the first player-coach to win a championship (in 1948 with the Baltimore Bullets). Bill Russell was the first black player-coach when he took over for Red Aeurbach (for the 1966 Celtics). Ok, maybe there aren’t too many modern references, but Lebron James has to be up for consideration in this category after taking over for David Blatt (see 2015-16 Cavaliers).
The Warriors didn’t employ a player-coach; Kerr merely ceded clipboard control to different players throughout their 129-83 romp over the Phoenix Suns. Was he right? Wrong? Disrespectful to the (clearly) outmatched Suns? I’ll leave that for you to decide. What’s important here is Kerr’s willingness to stare down that criticism, trust his team, and think outside of the box. His confidence and flexibility as a leader translate directly to sales leadership, and when implemented correctly can yield tangible results from your outside sales force.
Think Outside of the Box
Steve Kerr huffed and puffed and…nothing happened. The Warriors, boasting a roster with two players who have won three of the last four MVPs were losing to teams with less talent. What was Kerr supposed to do, coach harder? Instead of adding more pressure to an already heated situation, Kerr moved in a direction nobody saw coming. Kerr explained, “It had everything to do with me trying to reach my team. I haven’t been able to reach them the last month. They are tired of my voice and I’m tired of my voice. It’s been a long haul these last few years. I wasn’t reaching them and we just figured it was probably a good night to pull a trick out of the hat and do something different.”
Trying something different was just what Kerr’s team needed. Even champions and MVPs can find themselves in a rut. If your team finds itself struggling to produce consistently successful results, don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. Creative solutions do well to break the monotony that can come with any job, even as a professional basketball player. As business professionals, we shouldn’t take ourselves so seriously that we can’t take calculated risks to drive better results from our sales team. Don’t be afraid to think and act differently if it means shaking things up and reenergizing your squad. After all, the Warriors did win by 46.
Kerr is willing to stand up to criticism, trust his team, and think outside of the box.
Building Trust in Your Sales Team
When in a funk, even high caliber athletes like Kevin Durant and Draymond Green can lose confidence. Steve Kerr made a point of handing Durant, Green, Andre Iguodala, and other Warriors the reins during the game. His actions spoke volumes. He illustrated to his players that in spite of their recent stumbles, he trusted them to make decisions for themselves, and for their team, that put them in the best position to succeed.
Don’t hesitate to show your team that you trust them, their decision making, and the thought leadership generated from their time in the trenches. When micromanaging and oversight don’t produce the results you want, allow your team the space to succeed on their own. Provide them a platform with which your sales team can make decisions that instill confidence and successful habits. Building trust in your sales team enhances their ability to produce and win, while giving them the confidence to do so.
Stick to Your Guns
Not everybody loved Kerr’s quirky coaching move. Some (Suns fans) took his seemingly flippant attitude towards coaching his team as disrespect (the Warriors won 129-83). Others went so far as to question Kerr’s value to the team, asking, “Do the Golden State Warriors even need a coach?” Steve Kerr showed his confidence and prowess as a leader when didn’t flinch in the face of such criticism. He shook off the haters, saying, “As coaches, our job is to nudge them in the right direction, guide them, but we don’t control them.”
That confidence in his role as a coach and leader trickled down to his team. Kerr instilled the confidence they needed to do their jobs well. By building trust in his team, changing things up, and standing by his decisions, Steve Kerr gives the Warriors the tools they need to thrive. Want to inspire your sales team to a championship season? Take a page out of coach’s book.
