Hard Court Lesson #1

During the winter of 1891, Dr. James Naismith of Springfield, Massachusetts invented the indoor game of basketball using a tattered old peach basket as a hoop.

It was created for the purpose of providing a preoccupation to a group of youth that could be played indoors and serve as an "athletic distraction".

When Naismith developed the game, it originally had 13 rules however, as the "athletic distraction" evolved, the tattered peach basket was replaced with an orange rim and the rule book that contained the13 rules grew as thick as an old Yellow Pages phone book.

In keeping with the spirit of the game’s origin (13 original rules), I thought it fitting to share 13 Specatcular Hard Court Leadership Lessons with you in the coming weeks starting with this post.

These lessons are meant to increase your awareness and broaden your understanding of what the act of leadership is all about.

The hope is that you'll see beyond the basketball references and look to see how these lessons can be practically applied in your own life.

My desire is that they'll serve as the foundation to help you become a more reliable and effective leader and move you from the bench into the starting line-up!

I'd appreciate it if you took the time to comment, feedback is both welcomed and encouraged.

Check out the video below for Hard Court Lesson #1

Thanks!

You Don't Need To Be A Point Guard To Be A Leader



See you on the court!

The Elected Point Guard

Kevin Johnson was a fierce point guard during his 12 years in the NBA.


The guy known simply as KJ, joins Magic Johnson and Isaiah Thomas as the only players in NBA history to average at least 20 points and 12 assists in a single season.

This is a clear indication that Kevin knows a thing or two about teamwork and working collectively to achieve a common goal.

When his playing days ended, Kevin focused his attention on giving back to others and started at the place where he grew up, Oak Park, California.

He founded a not for profit organization called St. Hope and his work in the community eventually led to a political career.



Kevin Johnson would go on to become Sacramento’s first ever African American mayor in 2008.

On the court, Kevin played the point guard position and took on the role of floor general where he essentially was an extension of the coach.

He provided leadership and stability and would call plays for his teammates that would put them in the best situations to be successful.

During an interview, the Phoenix Suns all time leader in assists provided a quick simple comparison between being a politician and a point guard in the NBA.

If you ask the lightning quick point guard, he’ll tell you that his time on the court as a player helped get him ready him for a career in politics.

He said, “My days in the NBA have certainly prepared me for what I’m doing today”

Click here to listen to the entire interview.

Thanks for reading!

You Don't Need to be a Point Guard to be a Leader

The point guard position is often times considered to be the on-court general out on the basketball court.

They're seen naturally as the leader of the team because of the huge burden of responsibilities they have.

The point guard controls the pace of the game, takes care of the basketball and makes sure the right players are in the right spots just to name a few of their duties.

It's a tough job and in a lot of ways, it makes sense why many anoint the title of leader on their shoulders.

As true as all this may be, Hard Court Lessons Radio is here to say that You Don't Need To Be A Point Guard To Be A Leader.

At the end of the day, we establish ourselves as leaders through our actions as opposed to the titles we hold.

This week's special guest is leadership expert, best selling author and internationally acclaimed speaker, Mark Sanborn.

Mark will speak to the importance of titles, their significance to leadership and why anyone can be a leader.

Mark said, "the title that one gets in an organization should confirm their leadership ability but never bestow it.'

He'll also let us in on why we should always strive to deliver remarkable performances every opportunity we get.

Mark is the author of You Don't Need a Title to be a Leader and The Encore Effect plus several others.

It'll be a great show and I encourage you to join us on Monday July 27, @ 10pm.

Tune in live and you'll also have an opportunity to contribute to the chat room discusssion for this week's Hard Court Question.

Hard Court Lessons Radio - Where Leadership Development is More Than Just A Game.

Note: Free show reminders are available by visiting the show page and clicking on the "Remind Me" button.

Click here to listen to the episode.

Thanks for reading!

Audley

The Definition of a Leader

Leadership is both art and a science.

One of the keys to understanding leadership is realizing that we all can be leaders through our individual actions and behaviours.

You don't have to be in a designated "leader" role to be impactful and make a difference on the lives of others.

Listen to the link below and hear the similarities between leaders and basketball point guards.

Click here to listen to the podcast.


Audley