Via HBR Blog Network:
Picking the "right" coach depended on his understanding of how the players felt and what motivated them.
A very interesting entry about leadership. The search for a coach for Team USA in basketball for the Olympics that resulted in Coach K began with an effort to understand the players.
Notice it was a bottom up effort: understand those on the front lines because they’re the ones who have to do the work. Then you can determine who the right leader should be. That means leadership is a relationship between leader and led, with the led granting trust to the leader so the led can do their specific roles.
