(editor’s note: originally published on December 5, 2012)
With the recent death of Rick Majerus (25 years as a head coach at Marquette, Ball State, Utah, St. Louis and only had one losing season), story after story was devoted to retelling his life story and what kind of impact he had on others. It certainly got me thinking again about what kind of influence we have on those around us.
It has been said that “Leadership is influence”. That is probably true. It is difficult to be a leader if you can’t influence anyone. But we must be careful not to seek influence so that we can receive glory or gain something out of it. Being a true leader means influencing people’s lives for the better. Former coach of the Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, Tony Dungy, calls this “Mentor Leadership.” He says that the mentor leader:
“looks at how he or she can benefit others—which ultimately benefits the individual and the organization…so, when it comes to effective leadership, it’s not about you and what makes you comfortable or helps you get ahead. It’s about other people.”
This type of win-win solution should be every leader’s goal. From what I know of Coach Majerus, he had the same idea.
Coach Majerus rarely had the best talent. Even when he had a star player, the rest of the team was normally comprised of overlooked and under-appreciated players. Everyone that talks about Coach Majerus said he was such a great coach because he won with lesser talent. How do you think he did this? He had significant influence on his players. His players would run through a wall for him. They bought what he was selling…and what he was selling was a true belief in each of his kids.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch had a touching profile of Majerus entitled “Majerus lived his life to help others”. The following is a great story from that article that sums up Majerus and the impact he had on his players.
Majerus was there for Keith Van Horn, his brightest star at Utah. The coach received a late-night call in 1993. It was Van Horn’s mother. She had shocking news: Keith’s father was dead. A sudden heart attack took his life. And Van Horn’s mom didn’t know how to tell her son. She asked Coach Majerus to do it.
Majerus, of course, was there. At 2 a.m., he took Van Horn to a diner. They sat down. The coach told the freshman the worst words imaginable: Your father has died. Van Horn broke down in tears. Majerus consoled him. They sat there all night, telling happy stories about their late fathers, eating breakfast, and handling the pain. They cried together. They shared bagels. They hugged. They talked some more.
When Van Horn finally walked into the morning light of Salt Lake City, he was ready to face the tragedy. Van Horn said he entered that diner as a kid, and by the time he left, he’d become a man. Majerus pulled him through.
Do your players, your employees, your students or your subordinates believe in you? If so, it is probably not because of your resume, your published works or the way you dress. It’s probably because you believe in them and made the kind of impact on them that will last long after your current relationship with them is past.
To read more about Coach Majerus’ influence and life, I highly recommend the following:
- ‘Rick Majerus gave his heart and help” by Gene Wojciechowski (ESPN)
- “Explaining a complex man: Majerus just wanted to talk ball” by Doug Gottlieb (CBS Sports)
- “Basketball world responds to Rick Majerus’ death” by Scott M. Gleeson (USA Today)
- “Coach Rick Majerus led with his heart on and off the court” by Dan McGrath (Sports Illustrated)
- “Unconventional Rick Majerus made lasting impact on college hoops” by Andy Glockner (Sports Illustrated)
- “Majerus lived his life to help others” by Bernie Miklasz (St. Louis Dispatch)