Book Review: The Carolina Way by Dean Smith

The Carolina Way: Leadership Lessons from a Life in Coaching by Dean Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always dreaded basketball days in gym class.  It terrified me that someone might pass the ball to me and I would have to do something with it.  Running track was OK, until they introduced relays. The idea of letting down teammates was what I just couldn't stand.  Still can't, really.  So I truly admire athletes who want the ball - the ones with the confidence to know they can contribute when the hopes and dreams of others are riding on it.

Apparently, though, the skills and style that get one noticed by college basketball scouts - outstanding individual accomplishment and big numbers - have to be overcome to be successful at the college and pro levels.  According to the great coaches, including Dean Smith, basketball is a team game and success only comes to those who share.  In the chapter called "Breaking Bad Habits" he says "Many good high school players are taught to be selfish. They're used to being 'the Man.'  They're the best players on their teams, so sometimes the coaches encourage them to take the most shots and not too worry too much about playing defense."   They had a rigorous re-orientation program for North Carolina freshman. Play hard. Play together. Play smart. 

John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski, and Phil Jackson also wrote of this phenomenon in their books on leadership, but Smith stands out because he worked in conjunction with a business professor who put Smith's coaching principles into a business context. On breaking bad habits, Dr. Gerald Bell had this to say: "...the fact is that when recruits come to work, their knowledge is often very limited. They often have great intellectual ability and academic knowledge but little wisdom. They lack the people skills and the judgment to work with others to implement solutions to business problems. There's a large gap between where they are and where they need to be, but they can't see it." He then describes some on-boarding exercises to help young professionals grow into their roles.  This was a brilliant idea for a book executed with wisdom and care.

Dean Smith died last weekend and will be well remembered by many grateful people, including some of the world's most successful basketball superstars (Michael Jordan) and also by at least one random Ohio woman who grew up afraid of the ball.

My two-page summary is posted and ready for downloading.

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