What can we learn about learning and leadership from Michigan State basketball? I’m a huge MSU fan, and regardless of the outcome of any given game, I love the leadership principles that Tom Izzo teaches to his team. Today, I want to highlight some of those principles and challenge you to think about your endeavor and what you’re doing as you identify whether you’re a leader or a learner!
Tom Izzo has four seniors on his basketball team right now. That is his goal: to grow individuals through the four years they are with him, continually challenging them to get better. At the end of four years, their leadership has been well-developed!
We can learn that leadership skills don’t just happen; it takes a process. It’s not a one-and-done process at Michigan State. It’s common for players to leave their college team and go to the NBA after only one year. The problem for those players, of course, is that they still need to learn leadership, which cannot be learned in a day or even a season!
There are a lot of underclassman on Izzo’s team that are learning some amazing principles from the seniors. They are followers and learners who are continuing to get better! Early in the year, we had a player who was really struggling to play defense, but recently, because he is a learner and is engaging in a process, he is playing amazing defense right now!
The great season Michigan State is having right now can be attributed to leadership, great coaching, and learners. The players are engaging in and believing in a system of getting better! That’s what the Woohooing success community and coaching process is all about: leadership, learning, and growing to achieve the desired results!
This isn’t just about Michigan State — they are just a great example of these principles and an inspirational team. If you have questions about how you can adopt these principles to your team, your business, or your life, join our community today! We would love to have you!
