A Historic Victory
On Wednesday, November 20th, the UConn women’s basketball soundly defeated Fairleigh Dickinson by a score of 85-41. The victory gave the team’s legendary head coach Geno Auriemma his 1,217th win passing Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer as college basketball’s all-time winningest coach.
An Unmatched Resume
In his 40th year as UConn’s coach, Auriemma’s resume is unmatched. The following are just a few of his most significant achievements:
- 11 national championships
- 6 of the 10 undefeated seasons in women’s college basketball history
- 23 Final Fours (including 15 of the last 16)
- a record 137 NCAA Tournament wins
- 8-time Naismith Coach of the Year awards
- 70, 90, and a record 111-game separate winning streaks
- 26 All-Americans (17 multi-time)
- 27 WNBA first-round picks (5 No. 1 overall selections)
VanDerveer said in a statement, “This is yet another outstanding milestone in a career filled with them for Geno Auriemma. The level of success he has maintained at UConn over four decades will never be duplicated. But his tremendous legacy extends far beyond any number of wins. It lives in the lives of the countless young women he has positively influenced throughout his career. Congratulations to Geno and Chris (asst. coach Dailey) on this incredible accomplishment.”
So the question begs, how exactly did Coach Auriemma positively influence his players?
Four of his top players paid tribute to him and Coach Dailey following the game and gave us insights into that question. Their thoughts provide a picture of the positive influence not only their coach, but all leaders can make as well.
6 Ways Leaders Can Positively Influence Their People
1. Leaders Can Help Their People Get Better Every Day
As you saw in the video, 2001-02 Player of the Year Sue Bird discussed how the program was about getting better every day.
2. Leaders Can Believe in Their People
Bird then added how he and assistant coach Chris Dailey never took anything for granted and built something on nothing but belief.
3. Leaders Can Properly Manage the Pressure Their People Feel
2009 and 2011 Player of the Year Maya Moore made note of their coaches’ “faithfulness to come and be fully-present, sometimes too present, and just giving them all that we have.” Moore also noted their ability to take pressure off but then add just enough when needed.
4. Leaders Can Teach the People Humility and the Importance of Celebrating the Accomplishments of Others
1995 Player of the Year Rebecca Lobo said, “This program has been built on celebrating team, celebrating one another, and never celebrating yourself.”
5. Leaders Can Have Hard but Necessary Conversations
2003 and 2004 Player of the Year Diana Taurasi said, “You told all the things I needed to hear to make me a better person, a better teammate, a better basketball player.”
6. Leaders Can Instill a Sense of Loyalty in Their People
Taurausi summarized the feelings of everyone by concluding, “We always come back because of you.”
Conclusion
If you want positively influence the people you lead, do the following:
- Help them get better every day.
- Believe in them.
- Help them manage pressure.
- Teach them humility by celebrating the accomplishments of others.
- Have hard but necessary conversations.
- Instill a sense of loyalty.
Do these six things and you could possibly have the impact of a record-breaking coach as well.
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