Steve Kerr
Golden State Warriors, Head Coach
Unlock the Power of Team
Today's guest is Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Golden State Warriors. Earlier in his career as a player, Steve won three NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls alongside the one and only Michael Jordan. He then went on to win two more titles playing for the San Antonio Spurs, and then he became a coach and won three more titles for the Warriors. Needless to say, this guy knows how to win, and he knows how to build teams that win. What you may be surprised to learn, though, is how he does it. The way Steve leads is by understanding the power of the team, from superstars to bench and everything in between. You're going to hear all about this on today's episode, as well as how you too can apply Steve's insights to whatever team you happen to be leading.
In this episode you'll learn:
- Who Steve Kerr learned from in order to coach
- Why joy matters in casting the vision for a team
- What a great team player looks like
- How to coach superstars and the bench
- What it takes to rack up 300 passes a game
- How to work past mental barriers to perform with excellence
- How to motivate the team
- How to delegate areas of weakness with strength
- What Steve learned from playing with Lute Olson, Phil Jackson, and Gregg Popovich
- Why Steve wanted to let the Warriors coach themselves one game
- Who Steve would pick if Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant all came out in the draft in the same year
- What Steve thinks about The Last Dance documentary
- How Steve balances priorities at home and on the court
Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:
The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go
Daily Insight Emails: One small (but powerful!) leadership principle to focus on each day
Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.
More from Steve Kerr
Model your cultural behaviors
Core values have to come from the heart of the leader. And for a team to truly embody those core values, leaders must display them authentically.
In a new role, don’t disrespect your predecessor
Rather than speaking negatively about what has preceded you, look for ways to communicate how you'll use that as a foundation to take things to the next level. That approach is much more powerful than coming in and denigrating what has already been done.
Knowing your areas of weakness is a strength
Be open about where you need help. By saying you don't have all the answers, you’re empowering everyone around you to step up.
Shock the system to get people out of a rut
Even great teams hit a lull. When that happens, do something unexpected. It’ll snap people out of their comfort zone and get them motivated and focused again.
Model values first, then codify them
Writing down your values is important, but that’s not how they permeate your culture. People need to see them in action—and that starts with you!
Set specific goals and make them visible
Got a key metric? Elevate it so your team talks about it and keeps it top of mind every day. That’s how the Golden State Warriors improved their total passes per game!
Clips
| Clip | Leader | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Embody the cultural values you want your team to have | Steve Kerr | 1:25 |
| In a new role, don’t disrespect your predecessor | Steve Kerr | 1:15 |
| Model values first, then codify them | Steve Kerr | 1:16 |
| Set specific goals and make them visible | Steve Kerr | 1:30 |
| Build confidence in your team by prioritizing mindset | Steve Kerr | 1:42 |
| Communicate a larger story for your team | Steve Kerr | 1:13 |
| Knowing your areas of weakness is a strength | Steve Kerr | 0:59 |
| Shock the system to get people out of a rut | Steve Kerr | 1:07 |
| How to deal with a difficult team member | Steve Kerr | 1:47 |