While with the San Antonio Spurs, Avery Johnson was known for his fierce leadership on the court. Nicknamed the “Little General,” Johnson helped the Spurs win their first title in franchise history in 1999.
Since then, Johnson was the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks and currently the head coach of the New Jersey Nets. Not to mention he also had his Spurs’ jersey retired.
But did you know former Spurs player Steve Kerr was influential on Johnson’s career and helped him become a better leader?
In an article from inc.com, here is what Johnson had to say about Kerr’s impact and Johnson shares his C-plan to being a great leader:
I saw it in Steve Kerr when we were teammates in San Antonio. He was really impactful on my career and in actually helping me to become a better leader. He always talked about the different voices you have to have in order to be an effective leader. What voices do you need? You need a teaching voice, a disciplinary voice, an angry voice, a loving voice, and an incensed voice. So having those different voices that you have to have and knowing when to apply which one at what time, and with which employee, is so important. Players respond to those different voices.
Johnson’s C-plan to be a great leader:
Really good leaders are more consistent in their approach both on and off the court. For me, I believe that what you do on the court (or in the office) parallels what you do off it, but it also parallels any business. In any business situation, if you’re a CEO of a company or leading any group of people, you need to follow what I call the C-plan:
• Great communication
• Strong character
• Competitive drive
• Consistency in the way you lead
• Compassion
• Confidence
Those are the skills that a lot of successful leaders have in common.
Who would have thought one of the more perceived quite players on the court would have such an impact on one of the most loudest Spurs player ever.
