Leadership Lessons from an NBA Champion Coach: Podcast #57
Today, I’m excited to share with you a conversation with Brendan Suhr. Brendan is a former NBA basketball coach with several teams—including the Detroit Pistons—where he won two NBA Championships. He was also a coach at the University of Central Florida, Louisiana State University and more. Currently, he is the founder of Coaching U —a coaching, mentoring and leadership company.
One Secret to Bringing Out the Best in Students
I recently met with my friend, Zach Thomas, to talk about his story. Not long ago, he released a book called, Leader Farming. He compares good leaders to farmers who constantly cultivate the people under their care as potential leaders. He reminded me that much of what he does he learned at West Point. You see, Zach is a graduate of the
Eight Reasons Why Now’s the Right Time to Develop Young Leaders
When I was in high school and college, I don’t remember anyone talking about leadership. It was not a topic of conversation; it was not a course I could attend; it was not even a challenge that adults (teachers or coaches) gave me on campus. It is safe to say—leadership wasn’t even a category in my mind. The first mention of
What Generation Z Is Looking for in Leaders
Have you heard the terms, “Finsta” and “Rinsta?” They represent a fresh vocabulary for a new generation that wants more privacy on-line than previous generations: Finsta is a term for fake or friendly Instagram accounts. They allow a teen to have an unreal platform to post but not get caught up in real interaction. Rinsta is a term for real
How to Teach Students Passion—Not Teach for the Test
Last month, I got to speak to the Cobb Education Consortium. It was filled with educators and administrators (from K-12 and higher education) who were chosen from Cobb County to be a part of a leader development process over a year’s time. That day, I met Monica Alicea, a leader with a PhD, who has chosen to remain in the classroom,
A Game Plan to Prepare Yourself and Your Child to Head Off to College
Over the next six months, some of your kids will be on a path from childhood to adulthood. They’ll be graduating from high school and entering either college or a career. It is often difficult for both the student and the parent. Here are some “travel metaphors” to guide your conversations and some new helpful habits, in preparation for this
What If You Let Players Coach Themselves?
Did you hear what head coach Steve Kerr decided to do a few weeks ago? I had not seen a professional coach do this in decades. His Golden State Warriors were struggling to win, and Kerr felt he was struggling to reach his young players. So, did he bear down on them? Did he get louder? Did he try some new
Marches & Elections: Gen Z Isn’t Waiting for Permission to Change the World
Sophie is a high school junior. I met her a few weeks ago during an invigorating conversation with several of her peers. When the topic of social change came up, she chimed in with a memorable line: “We’re not waiting for adults to make the changes we need in our world.” She then smiled and said, “It’s up to us.” Apparently,
Parent’s Guide to Social Media Use for Kids
Even though they’re no longer a couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie both recently confirmed they put safety measures on the Internet to provide boundaries for their children. They definitely plan to keep watch on their social media use as they age. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently suggested he wouldn’t want his nephew on a social network. Years ago, Apple Founder
Yale’s Most Popular Class Ever and What We Can Learn from It
A few years ago, psychology professor, Laurie Santos, proposed a new elective class at Yale University. She believed it would be a helpful and relevant course for students. No one had any idea how popular it would become. Are you ready to hear the subject? It’s a class on happiness. She tries to teach students how to lead a happier, more satisfying
The Research on What Creates Satisfied and Successful Kids
I’ve been a Type 1 diabetic since 1980. When I was first diagnosed, the technology for patients like me was average at best. Insulin was available, but I had to take multiple injections every day; we measured glucose levels instead of total carbs and I had to test my blood sugar levels with a urine sample. They told me I
The A,B,C’s of Building Coping Skills in Your Students
I recently returned from a leadership training event that included both students and staff/faculty at Texas Tech. This campus is full of incredibly smart individuals and high performing coaches and athletes. Like other universities, however, it’s a place of high pressure to make the grade, make the team and make the most of opportunities. It was while I was there I
Six Metaphors for Effective Mentorship: Podcast #56
Today I’m excited to share with you a conversation with Andrew McPeak. Andrew is a next gen researcher, speaker, and writer for Growing Leaders. He also is the coauthor of our newest book, Marching Off the Map. Here are some highlights from our conversation. Tim Elmore: Mentorship is one of Growing Leaders values. A leader can’t be developed in a group