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Almost everything in leadership comes back to relationships.

Mike Krzyzewski

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Mike Krzyzewski
Age: 77
Born: 1947
Born: February 13
Basketball Coach
Basketball Player
Chicago
Illinois
Michael William Krzyzewski
Coach K
Michael Krzyzewski
Krzyzewski
Coach Krzyzewski
Relationships
Leadership
Almost
Comes
Back
Everything

More quotes by Mike Krzyzewski

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Talent is important. But the single most important ingredient after you get the talent is internal leadership. It's not the coaches as much as one single person or people on the team who set higher standards than that team would normally set for itself. I really believe that that's been ultimately important for us.
Mike Krzyzewski
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In our program, the truth is the basis of all we do. There is nothing more important than the truth because there's nothing more powerful than the truth. Consequently, on our team, we always tell each other the truth. We must be honest with one another. There is no other way.
Mike Krzyzewski
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When I was growing up, there weren't any Little Leagues in the city. Parents worked all the time. They didn't have time to take their kids out to play baseball and football.
Mike Krzyzewski
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During critical periods, a leader is not allowed to feel sorry for himself, to be down, to be angry, or to be weak. Leaders must beat back these emotions
Mike Krzyzewski
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Always get back to your core principles.
Mike Krzyzewski
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Whatever a leader does now sets up what he does later. And there's always a later.
Mike Krzyzewski
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As teachers and coaches, we must remember that when mere winning is our only goal, we are doomed to disappointment and failure. But when our goal is to try to win, when our focus is on preparation and sacrifice and effort instead of on numbers on a scoreboard then we will never lose.
Mike Krzyzewski
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I'm looking for players who make their teammates better. You do that with enthusiasm and passion.
Mike Krzyzewski
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Confrontation simply means meeting the truth head-on.
Mike Krzyzewski
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The thing I loved the most - and still love the most about teaching - is that you can connect with an individual or a group, and see that individual or group exceed their limits.
Mike Krzyzewski
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I think coaching is confused at times as being an arrow that only goes to a player. Those players send arrows back to you, and that’s where a relationship is developed. I don’t make a player, and a player doesn’t make me a coach. We make each other.
Mike Krzyzewski
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In high school, in sport, I had a coach who told me I was much better than I thought I was, and would make me do more in a positive sense. He was the first person who taught me not to be afraid of failure.
Mike Krzyzewski
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When you cleanse yourself of a big victory, you may open yourself up to the opportunity for an even bigger victory
Mike Krzyzewski
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For a college basketball player or coach, to reach the Final Four is la-la land. You’ve achieved, you’ve got your stamp of approval. My first team to do that was in 1986. Then we did it in ’88, ’89 and ’90.
Mike Krzyzewski
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Basketball was not my main sport in grade school, or even the first year of high school.
Mike Krzyzewski
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I think you're not a human being unless you have doubts and fears.
Mike Krzyzewski
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When you are speaking to your team after a game, never talk about the kid who was the star of the game. Talk about what your other players did to help the team win. Be sure to spread the wealth... Then have individual meetings with one to three players to praise and reinforce. Make sure you touch them.
Mike Krzyzewski
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That's what I do now: I lead and I teach. If we win basketball games from doing that, then that's great, but I lead and teach. Those are the two things I concentrate on.
Mike Krzyzewski
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Players' attention spans get less and less as they progress.
Mike Krzyzewski
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A team is a fist-not five fingers.
Mike Krzyzewski