It’s been said that great leadership is knowing how to be persuasive.
Using humor in persuasion is risky, because humor is so subjective. Not everyone will think you’re funny, and you could potentially offend someone.
And so, against all conventional wisdom, I once wrote a 30-second TV script filled with sadistic glee and cruel humor, for a local non-profit organization, to be read by a well-known public figure.
My TV spokesperson? The late Pat Summitt, legendary coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team.
Pat’s demand for excellence was widely known around town, especially in matters of punctuality and preparation. So, it’s no exaggeration to say I made it a point to arrive 45 minutes ahead of schedule, just to be sure I had time to handle any last-minute surprises.
I diligently went to work setting up video, audio and lighting in her office inside Thompson-Boling Arena on the University of Tennessee campus. As I worked, I couldn’t help but notice the many books she had on her shelves.
John Maxwell. Another one by John Maxwell. Over there, more books by Maxwell.
Pat Summitt was a devoted student of leadership, and her appreciation of John Maxwell was quite evident in the number of his books she owned.
It was a privileged moment to find out whom this woman, who inspired and led so many young women, found inspirational. It was also eye-opening to understand that great leaders never cease learning.
Great leaders invest in people, and the first in line to pursue wisdom and growth is the leader herself.
My moment of private delight was interrupted when Pat and Assistant Coach Holly Warlick (now Lady Vol Head Coach) came bounding into the office. It was officially time to get to work.
It was also the moment I had been dreading. This would be the first time Pat Summitt read my script. I handed her the copy and waited.
“Dear God, please let her find it funny.”
I knew the thing by heart. I wrote it. I knew it only took 27 seconds to read aloud…maybe 20 seconds of silent reading. Those were the longest 20 seconds I’d ever endured.
“Dear God, what will I do if she doesn’t like it?”
And then, as if the Almighty had heard my prayer, the answer came.
“I loooooooove it!” Pat exclaimed in her southern drawl. “Let’s do this!”
She was magnanimous in her willingness to parody herself and play upon her tough-as-nails reputation by turning a community donation to the local food bank into an opportunity to make her team run extra conditioning drills. Two takes, because she thought she could do it better the second time, and we were done.
I am grateful to God that I did not have to endure “the glare” that Summitt famously wore whenever she was displeased.
As soon as my project was done, even before I could tear down the video gear, the office door opened again, and in came several players from Pat’s squad. Basketball players perched on every seat and horizontal surface, listening intently as their coach began to impart her wisdom to them.
That was nearly 20 years ago.
In June 2016, those women gathered again at Pat Summitt’s funeral. This time, they would remember their beloved coach and pour out wisdom, wit, and compassion on each other…the same gifts Pat had poured into their lives during her career as coach.
38 seasons, 1098 victories, 8 NCAA championship titles
Those are gaudy numbers, but Pat would probably tell you she’s more proud of the 161 student-athletes she coached or the 90 current coaches who are former players, coaches or assistants in Summitt’s program.
“In leadership, success is all about growing others.” – Jack Welch
Plaque outside the women’s basketball locker room at Univ. of Tennessee
Here are Pat Summitt’s Definite Dozen – maxims for winning in basketball and in life.
- Respect Yourself and Others. There is no such thing as self-respect without respect for others.
- Take Full Responsibility. There are no shortcuts to success.
- Develop and Demonstrate Loyalty. Loyalty is not unilateral. You give it to receive it.
- Learn to Be a Great Communicator. Communication eliminates mistakes.
- Discipline Yourself So No One Else Has To. Self-discipline helps you believe in yourself.
- Make Hard Work Your Passion. Do the things that aren’t fun first and do them well.
- Don’t Just Work Hard, Work Smart. Success is about having the right person in the right place at the right time.
- Put the Team Before Yourself. Teamwork doesn’t come naturally; it must be taught.
- Make Winning an Attitude. Combine practice with belief.
- Be a Competitor. Competition isn’t social; it separates achievers from the average.
- Change Is a Must. It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts the most.
- Handle Success Like You Handle Failure. You can’t always control what happens, but you can control how you handle it.
