Coach Popovich Leadership

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Leaders are found throughout society; intertwined within the history of every nation. Without leaders, important decisions would not be made and progress would not occur. It can be something as trivial as entertaining the masses through the presentation of athletic skills and talents. Someone has to do it, and a select few excel beyond everyone's expectations. Since 1996, Gregg Popovich has been the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs and has achieved great success. Coach Popovich has had 17 consecutive winning seasons, won 5 world championships and has been named NBA Coach of the Year 3 times. Most might think he’s just had great talent and been fortunate to be put into a winning system, but a true fan of basketball knows that Coach Popovich…show more content…
Pop and the rest of the team strive towards the same common goal and that is a world championship. He makes clear with the organization that this is a socialized vision and everyone needs to be onboard to meet this goal. It is clearly shown that the Spurs organization are all onboard in winning a NBA championship that no one wants to leave. Quality of life and a winning record is more important to these players then leaving for a bigger salary or more court time. They believe in what Popovich does and they will stay loyal to him until the…show more content…
Popovich has always been known for being passive in critical situations or when his team didn’t convert on an easy basket. In timeouts, Popovich has said before, “I’ve got nothing for you. What do you want me to do? We just turned it over six times. Everybody’s holding the ball. What else do you want me to do here? Figure it out.'” While most coaches in the NBA would instantly go to a set play that they have drawn up, Popovich puts the action on his players. He knows each one of them well enough to know that they will act accordingly and develop a plan that is best for them and the team. Popovich’s use of empowerment is seen in these critical situations. He gives his players the freedom to choose what they think is best. Popovich puts the success of the team in the player’s hands. This tactic is actually rare in the NBA. Most coaches are essentially dictators in that they tell what everyone what to do to be successful. Genuine Leaders, like Popovich, know that they are not the only ones with the answers. In critical situations in the game of basketball it all comes down to execution and Popovich gives the power to the players who are the ones with the ball in their

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