Latest / Authentic Living / Think Bigger, Lead Better & Win More with Leadership Expert, Coach Jim Johnson

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Think Bigger, Lead Better & Win More with Leadership Expert, Coach Jim Johnson · Authentic Living

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Welcome to authentic living with Roxanne, a place where we conscious conversations about
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things that really matter in our lives.
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And now here's your host, Roxanne Durgesh.
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Derhodge, everyone.
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It's Roxanne Derhodge again, with authentic living, with Roxanne.
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Thanks so much, for tuning again.
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And, every week, we've been inspired by some really good, stories about authenticity.
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And this week, yet again, we have another, an amazing example of someone that has been doing
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that in the, in the world.
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And, that's called Jim Johnson.
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Thank thank for coming on, coach Jim.
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My pleasure, Roxanne.
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It's great to be with you.
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So, you're in, New York.
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Is that where you are?
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I'm in upstate New York and, suburb of Rochester, New York.
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Okay.
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So you're not too far from me because I'm right on the border with, Niagara Falls and Buffalo.
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Oh, okay.
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Yeah.
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We're not too far.
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Yeah.
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So I'm
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gonna tell the audience a little bit about your background, but, obviously, sometimes if I miss
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anything pertinent, please, let them know what you think you think they should know.
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So you've been, Coach Jim's been in, motivational speaking and leadership, for
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almost 30 years.
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So for quite a long time, and you've been coaching, winning basketball teams, high school
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basketball teams for that time.
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He's a powerful lesson came when he put a, autistic team manager, Jason, into the final
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game, in at Greece, Athena High School, And that's where 20, you know, they gained 20
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points in just about 4 minutes to go.
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Well, a valu valuable, valuable lesson and I'm gonna assume that that's a lot of the things
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that you speak about.
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So I'm curious to hear about that.
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He's written a book of coach and a miracle, he's gonna talk a little bit about where you
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can purchase that book.
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Life lessons from a man who's lived, believed in an autistic boy.
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Coach Jim speak to corporations, associations, conferences, and conventions, but, most
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recently, he shared that he's been doing a lot more with leadership.
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So we'd love to hear more about that.
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So thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you for coming on.
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And, I when I go out in the world and, when I started in, the field of psychotherapy years
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ago, you know, probably almost 30 years ago for me now, I was always, you know, wanting to help
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people, you know, obviously people just believe in themselves.
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And that sounds like that's been something that you've been doing Whether it's on a basketball
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court, basketball courts, or if you're on stage, or you're just dealing with the team.
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So I'm kind of wanting to hear kind of how you think about that and kind of what made you do
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what you did and, still do today?
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Yeah.
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Well, my evolution is that, I grew up in a sports family.
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In fact, my dad was my high school basketball coach.
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So, and I grew up as the oldest as 6.
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So sports was big in that family.
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And when I went on to college and originally, I thought it was a much better basketball player
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than I actually was.
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And I when I got cut from my college team, really humbled me, but I didn't realize that I
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still had a great passion for basketball.
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And and because my both my parents were educators, I I really thought that that would
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be a field that would be attractive to me.
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So after I graduated from college, I got an opportunity to get in to teach and coaching.
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And my number one welcome sports was basketball.
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And so it ended up being a great marriage for me because I was able to coach basketball and
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also through coaching and teaching, try to create, and help people win their lives.
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With life lessons.
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And, you know, it's a great microcosm.
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Sports is a great way to teach life lessons if done the right way.
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And, and I and I evolved.
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I I was very humbled early in my career.
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I became a varsity basketball coach at a local high school here at twenty five years old,
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which is pretty young in your profession.
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And after 1 year leading that team to 17 consecutive losses, I ended up leaving the job,
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the, administration just dismissed me.
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And I was, a really, difficult challenge it.
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My wife and I had just purchased a home.
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I lost my both my teaching job and my basketball position.
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But fortunately, I got an opportunity.
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I got a mentor, a local college coach called me and got me back on my feet erratically.
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His name was Bill Van Bundy, which, your audience may or may not have heard of, but
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ironically, both of his sons, have gone on and met head coaches in the NBA.
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So they wanna hope the Anthony really kinda got me back on my feet, but high school coaching
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was my real love, and I got back into that.
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And then, my next Tiffany was after 7 years in 3 different high school positions as a head
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coach.
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I looked at my record, and it was something like 50 something or 90 something, which of
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course isn't too good.
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And my real Tiffany was that as much as I thought I was a good basketball coach,
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certainly my results not showing that.
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And that's when I really went head over heels in my early thirties in, studying leadership.
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And I I felt like about gonna be a better coach and be more successful as a coach.
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I had to become a better leader.
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And so I've really, been a student in leadership for really the last quarter century,
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And interesting enough, things started to change for the better.
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We started to have a lot of successful teams going to my final position, which was at Greece
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seen, a suburb of Rochester, New York, and coached there for my last 20 years.
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I retired 2 years ago to speak full time.
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But in those 20 years, we never had to lose any season.
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But we then I had another big stumbling black, and my stumbling black was that In coaching,
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you're often measured by how you re, re doing the post season.
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And there, we were stumbling.
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We kept losing our post season tournament.
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And we, we got to the semifinals and actually lost for the 5th time in the semifinals when a
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young man came into my program that touched my heart deeply and changed my life dramatically
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for the positive.
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His name was Jason Miguel Wayne.
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I tagged the name nicknamed Jay Matt because I couldn't pronounce his last name.
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And he, really, we became very close, and he became my team managed in my last 2 years.
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But his big dream was he wanted to play in a RC basketball game.
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We tried out for 15 3 consecutive years and didn't make it, which is very unique.
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I was a coach for over 3 decades, and I really would ever have a player that if you could make
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it the first time, we'd try again and get Jason and make it and try three times.
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So he touched my heart very closely.
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And the senior year, I told him I was gonna give him a gift.
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And the gift was I was gonna put him in uniform for our final home game, which we call senior
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night.
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And that's what I did.
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Just over 4 minutes to go, I put them in, and it was really neat because of the crowd big
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mistake innovation.
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And what Jason and I didn't know, one of our parents made these placards, these pictures of
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Jason's face, and put them on paint sticks.
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And they showed it.
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Normally, I'm a pretty macho guy, but I got a solo one with emotion.
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And I sat down and tears started to roll down my face just to see how he was walking in the
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game.
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Well, the game start, Jason's filing his first RC basketball game.
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First time he touches the ball, he shoots a three point of the crowd stands in anticipation
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This is by, like, 6 feet.
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And I I kid people that I know you're not supposed to pray in the public schools, but I
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was praying.
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If you're god, please help him get one basket.
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The next possession, he had a much shorter shot.
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And this time, it hit the backboard, hit the rim.
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There's a little drama to it, but it didn't go in, but I thought, myself, alright.
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God's starting to listen.
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We're getting closer.
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And then his third shot was a 3 point er, and he made it, and the place just exploded.
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And I thought, hey, god must be a vast ball fan.
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It can't get any better than this.
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But the interesting is, like, kid people that Jason turned into his boyhood idol, Kobe
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Bryant, for the next three minutes, He just started making shot after shot.
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And the two things I'll never forget with about a minute ago, he I'm still sitting on the
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bench.
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Cheers still rolling down my face.
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I get a tap on my shoulder.
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I look behind me and it's Jason's mother, and she's balling her eyes out, and she gives me
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big hog into whispers of my year.
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Coach, this is the best gift you could've ever given my son.
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Of course, I was so touched.
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I cried harder.
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And then the how the game and spent support or the other team that night, I wanna give kudos
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to their coaching and their players.
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They were great sports at night.
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We score with 10 seconds to go, and our player takes it out of bounds and normally throws it
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to our point guard.
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But this time, he threw it right to J.
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Mac and J.
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Mac ruling down the court and everybody's standing in this, you know, clock's counting
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down 5, 4, and with about 2 seconds ago, he pulls up like, 2 feet behind me.
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Yeah.
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3 point line, and I'm thinking myself, Jason, oh, shoot for that.
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It's way too far.
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He lets go this ring bow.
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Swish.
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And I look over.
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Our student body runs on the court.
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Our players run on the court.
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I'm thinking, oh my gosh.
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I'm living the movie Rudy.
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This is incredible.
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And then the other part I'll never forget is, Jason's parents have an interesting dynamic.
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His dad is six foot 6, and his mom is five foot two.
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And I see this little lady running through the crowd, his place's mother, and she gets to him
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and gives him a big hug.
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And then our player put them up on their shoulders is that the game ball over his head.
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And at that point, at the end of the game, I know he'd be how many points he hit.
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Scored and our public address announcer comes on and says, the linear score for the trojes
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tonight, J.
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Mack with 20 points.
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I'm thinking, oh my gosh.
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This is crazy.
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Instead of being played the whole game, we had to go to 106160.
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It was just amazing.
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So, what an amazing
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story.
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Yeah.
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It's, and the interesting thing is I we had had a really difficult season that I wrote right
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about in my book of coach in a miracle.
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And as they've mentioned, he had, been that stumbling block of losing sectionals And that
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year, for the first time in my career, we went ahead and won our first sectional championship.
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So we kinda put the cherry on top and, So, that was an it actually thrust me into my second
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career.
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I started becoming a motivational speaker then for actually the last few years, I've started
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another keynote on leadership, which we could delve into a little bit deeper if you'd like.
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So
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So tell me.
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That experience, I mean, you have been working with people.
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Like you said, you started to you recognize if I'm gonna be an expert, as a in sports and then
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I'm gonna lead a team.
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I had to teach myself certain things to be able to have them gelen away that it would seem
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seamless, but that they would listen to themselves.
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I would think really, really deep and capitalize what what skill they were bringing
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to the court.
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So what kind of things that you learned that you started to apply that start to make a
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difference, on the basketball?
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Basket basketball court?
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Well, a few things.
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First of all, as a leader, when I figured out after, 30 something years of my life, is when I
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started to read a lot about leadership and talk to different leaders is I I really didn't I
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wasn't clear on what my purpose or my mission in life was.
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And when I devote that clarity about what I was all about and, I, I talked to people all the
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time about, and I asked people the first mission statement as most people look at me
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like I got 2 heads.
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I, I, you know, I said, but that really was a major, point in my leadership career was when I
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was clear about what I stood for, I understood my core values.
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I understood my personal statement.
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I have it in writing.
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I can say verbatim.
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It's to be an outstanding role model.
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It makes a positive difference in the world by helping others make their dreams come true.
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And what I share with people that helped me immensely now I help a lot of leaders is that
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when you're clear about what you're all about, and your people that you're working with your
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team or organization or business, whatever happens to be, they know what you stand for.
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They know, you know, what you believe in.
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If you live that, you know, and I talk about in my leadership talk of 7 Keith being an
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effective leader, but that was the huge thing from the leader standpoint.
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The second thing is is I think I became a much better coach when I realized that I had to
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build the team on a daily basis.
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And what I really found the most important thing is you get to build relationships with
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your players.
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And early in my career, I get a very poor job I was always thinking looking for the next play
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or whatever instead of really the foundation of a leader is building relationships and building
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that trust, which I talk about.
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And when I started to do a much better job and when I really, you know, one of my keys I've
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talked about is being an effective communicator is when I turned that around, instead of me
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doing all the talking, I was doing a lot more listening.
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And when I listened to my players, my staff, That was the other thing that train changed
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dramatically and helped us become much more successful.
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So that's a good point.
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Right?
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Because in my corporate con consulting situation, What would happen is I would go into
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different sectors as the, account executive that managed psychological services.
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And what we would find is that was a definite disconnect So, you know, whether it was, you
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know, they they had boards to report to or, you know, and particular targets that they had to
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hit So what would happen if there would be a definite disconnect with the leadership and the
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front line.
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So because the be it because of skill or inability to share the message like you said.
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If you don't know why you're doing what you're doing, But you also have to make money,
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understandably.
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Right.
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Right.
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What happens is the frontline or the frontline managers would try to communicate directly to
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the to the frontline staff who would say, well, they don't care.
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Then they don't care about me.
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What about me?
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Do they care about me?
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And that's often the one thing that I would hear, from employees as I would kind of go into
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these programs.
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So, and what we found in some organizations to your point is when the leaders are able to
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share or show in some way that they care that people are willing to do whatever it takes make
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that company successful.
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But there's a disconnection, that a lot of companies aren't, they maybe are figuring it
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up, but maybe it's the the of how to, share information by levels down to the front line is
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where I often saw the problem as being.
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I don't know if that's something that you see when you, speak to different companies.
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Yeah.
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I definitely think that is huge.
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And, you know, one of the things that I always when I started studying leaders but, you know,
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whether it was businesses or coaches with teams, is it, you know, they I you hear this a
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lot.
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You know, we're gonna build a family type atmosphere.
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And yet, you know, to me, a lot of times that's said, but not really followed through.
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And, like, one of the things I share with people is that, when I took over and really
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started to try to make my program more like a family.
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One of the things I did is I gave a birthday card to every kid in our program, not just my
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varsity team, but all the way through.
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And as because I'd say to him, you know what?
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Do you know how many other teachers or staff or anybody gave, a student a birthday card and it
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really ever happened.
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So it was a way just show that you care, that you care to them outside that you took the time
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to to realize when their birthday was and acknowledge and just things like that.
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People neglect.
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And, you know, the old adage, I think there's so much truth is is people don't care how much
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you know until they know how much you care.
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And I think there's so much truth for that.
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Absolutely.
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Because, in North America and, with the consulting job that I was doing, 65% of people
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that came to psychotherapy or psychologist psychologists to get help was generally around
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relationships, but the relationships weren't at work.
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The concerns weren't showing up at work, what was happening, it was happening at home.
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So they would go and they would what I quote unquote function like I would say, but were
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they giving, you know, that full capacity to function at a high level?
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They would show up.
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Right?
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Maybe they'd give you 55, 65% of that.
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We call that in in the field kind of presenteeism.
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I show up.
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I'm there.
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I clock in.
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I clock out, but I'm gonna I'm gonna coast and with other organizations when people are aware,
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like you said, and they really know, Hey, Roxanne's been going through a tough time.
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If someone had a loss, or someone's child been really sick.
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And and you and you show that kindness to the employees when time comes around where, you
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know, business objectives need to be met, those people that you've touched are the ones that
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are the 1st in line to do the best that they can for you.
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Absolutely.
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You know?
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Yeah.
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I I found a a little thing that we started to do is they just talk to individuals and ask
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them simple questions like you know, how are things going?
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How can I support you?
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You know, what a what what do you need to work on that I can support you with and, you know,
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just showing that you care and that you're willing to listen and by asking questions is a
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really powerful thing as a leader.
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And I think you have to be a conscious leader for that, right, to be able to recognize, look,
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I am, you know, the CEO.
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I'm the leader.
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So I'm kinda up there.
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And people are meant to filter things up to me, and I'm meant to filter it back down in a way,
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but sometimes there's a buffer zone that hits the CEO.
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And and
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he thinks he he or she thinks they're getting the information, but sometimes people might be
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scared not because they're gonna lose their jobs, but they're they don't wanna look like
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they're competence or capable of of doing their jobs.
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So sometimes the leader may not be getting the true information of what you know, they're
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middle managers who oftentimes struggle the most because they're kind of buffering from the
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top and they're trying to support the bottom a tough a tough, spot in organizations.
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So what's what kind of tips if people are leaders out there or if they're in
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organizations?
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What kind of tips would you give leaders?
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Like, you know, sometimes the pulse that they may be getting may be, hey, things are okay,
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but it's not showing in your numbers or it's not showing you your productivity.
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What kind of kind of guidance would you give to a leader if he would have come to you and say,
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hey, hey coach Jim, what kind of thing should I do to find going on?
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I I think the first thing is that you, you know, is you're setting, you know, objectives
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goals for your organization, your team, whatever it happens to be, is that you have to
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get a buy in for everybody.
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And the huge side thing that really was helpful for me is that we, you know, we would get
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together at my house when we talk about our team rules, our team objectives, our team
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goals.
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But then the other thing is is I would ask everyone individually to to set their own goals
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and then I would meet with them and find out how their goals align with the team goals and
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how we could support each other.
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And I think that's a real mistake And and that's that builds trust is when you really
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care that you're gonna meet with people individually and find out about their
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individual needs And then as the leader, you have to fill that in.
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I think the other thing that was huge that you had mentioned earlier that often, you know, is
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if you wanna be called the CEO, the it doesn't filtered you is that I really emphasize with my
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coaching staff that I wanted to know.
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The good news, the bad news, And because often, like, exactly what you said, you know, players
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would go to my assistance because of that fear factor of my position and share things.
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They wouldn't share with me.
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The good news for me is that I had built trust with my staff that they would come to me and
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share with the confidence that I wouldn't go in like Tantaltell that, you know, that, my
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assistant told me that, you know, whatever this, but I would use the knowledge to build a
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relationship with the player as well.
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And I think that's so hugely important that as a CEO, you can't sit up in your IV tower and,
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you know, just think that everything's hunky dory.
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If it's not, and that you, that's where you really have to have the confidence that your
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staff that they will trust that when they tell you bad news that you're gonna use it in an
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effective way and not come back at them, you know, like killing the messenger type thing.
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You know?
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So So
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you have to have a pretty, you know, you have to have your ego intact
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because you have
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to recognize that, actually, if you're getting the bad news along with the good news that in
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fact, you're being you're being a conscious leader at that point because you're you're
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saying to your, you know, your senior executive team or to your senior, coaching team, like you
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said, staff.
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Look, we wanna be able to cope with this.
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I you I give you my trust and I'm not gonna tell you that it was, you know, Roxanne that
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told xyz about such and such.
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But in fact, you're gonna use that information.
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You're gonna go back to the team and and maybe deliver it and say, you know, I understand
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that, you know, we've been not giving enough practice time, and it's come to my attention.
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I'd and and I'd like to figure out some ways to better facilitate that need for you.
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Help me understand what I can do, or maybe do you have suggestions?
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But I think it's a collaborative end that oftentimes happens with with performance
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evaluations, in companies and, you know, I think at the time it's gotten better.
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It's normally, you know, okay, the company's gonna tell the individual how they need to get
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better, but they don't allow the the individual to to talk to the company and but what things
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they can do to improve as a company?
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Absolutely.
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You know, so that 100%.
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Yeah.
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That back and forth says, you know, you know, and they talk skills and subsets, but to your
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points.
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You know, when I, I ran a a treatment center, and I was quite young like you.
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I was I was twenty four years old, and it was an addiction treatment center.
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So everybody, I often joke around, I'm five foot 1, and, I was twenty four years old.
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And I walked into the unit, and everybody I swear the men at least were over 6 feet 2.
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So there was 8 of them and then a couple of others.
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So the main thing was they had their leadership was tough prior to me coming in.
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And I was this young person, you know, just getting my first management job and, they had,
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you know, reason to believe that I was gonna fail them because they had had leadership that
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had failed them.
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And then what I did intuitively, I just Like you said, I got to know each one of them.
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Like, what is it that I need to know about you that would help our relationship flourish with
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time because I'm new.
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Yes.
23:19
I'm new.
23:19
I'm new to this position.
23:21
I don't have the answers.
23:22
You probably have a lot of the answers about what's gonna work, but help me help you and
23:27
help the team.
23:28
And that's kinda how I engage them.
23:30
And it took about two and a half, three years, I think, for them eventually kind of churning
23:36
out and getting mad at me and getting mad at management and the whole thing.
23:40
But eventually with time when I there were a self working team at the end where I was able
23:45
to, consult with them for 2 2 days and be able to have them self run the the unit.
23:50
So that's a good, indication like you said, right?
23:53
It's about don't come to speak to me when I am doing something wrong, and that's oftentimes
23:58
what happens to employees, that's the only engagement they have performance evaluation
24:03
time, bonus time, those types of things and kind of what can you do better.
24:07
Would you agree with that?
24:08
That time.
24:08
Yeah.
24:09
Absolutely.
24:09
You know, one of the things I talk about, you know, with my keys to leadership is building
24:14
trust in your organization And, I talk about 3 principles about building trust.
24:19
And the one that I really emphasize is changing as a mindset of a leader, because as a leader,
24:25
I know when I was a young leader, your mindset is, you know, I gotta critique.
24:29
I always gotta correct.
24:31
And I when I changed that mindset and and said, you know, certainly that's still part of the
24:36
job as a leader that you do have to make corrections and critique at times.
24:40
But when I started to share with people that I was gonna try to catch my players doing white
24:45
more times than trying to critique them, and praise them and and reward them for doing
24:52
things right.
24:53
Boy, that changed dramatically the trust factor, how the team was built, you know, that,
24:59
this guy wasn't trying to to support you when you did things well because often I hear this a
25:04
lot when I talk to companies, you know, they don't trust us.
25:07
They they don't ever praise us and You know, there's a lot to be said about that, and it's
25:12
finding different ways that you can catch people doing white.
25:16
And praise them.
25:17
You know, whether it's verbal praise or sending them a a text or an email or even even though
25:23
it's slower, I mean, I still have a big envelope of, positive notes I received from the
25:29
years that you keep you cherish those positive words.
25:32
So, you know, some people know it's just something I try to do a lot, you know, is when
25:36
they do something well, send them a note, recognize that that, you know, they'll greatly
25:40
appreciate that.
25:41
So and I think it's a little things.
25:42
Right?
25:43
Like you said, it's and then, you know, with the rapidness of our world, you know, in in,
25:48
you know, corporate America, corporate Canada, we're on to the next thing, and there's such
25:53
massive shifts, like, at any given point within my portfolio that was 35 to 45 percent of flock
25:59
of, you know, mergers acquisitions, you know, right sizing, all that kind of stuff.
26:03
So it's been more rapid.
26:06
And and people are always feeling like, it's what the next thing.
26:09
So a lot of companies would be on to, you know, okay, we need to get to this.
26:13
We need to get and people don't stop or did not stop.
26:16
I don't know if this is your, experience to to relish in what they've actually achieved.
26:21
Like, actually having a bit of a you know, a little stop gap where you're grateful and you
26:26
look at all the phenomenal things that had been achieved in that game or in that last month or
26:32
in that project and kind of, you know, highlight that for people while, you know, Jim,
26:37
you were able to do this so beautifully.
26:39
I learned something from you by you do this or that because then, you know, we got connected.
26:45
And what we know as human beings is as a, you know, a psychotherapist is that we we marry
26:51
each other and with with mirror neurons in our body.
26:55
So if I feel positive to what's you, or if I feel negative towards you, that really kind of
27:00
impacts that deep core, space within myself.
27:04
So, you know, when you develop trust and you're feeling cared for, your mirror neurons start to
27:09
kind of wait, go in the same direction as myself.
27:11
And then eventually, as a team, it's gonna grow outwards from there.
27:17
I I totally concur.
27:18
You know, in fact, I I know we used to I'd have a meeting with my staff before practice, and
27:23
I'd say, you know what?
27:24
Today is just gonna be a beep positive day.
27:26
We're not gonna really tell the players that we're just gonna go with the mindset as be as
27:29
positively can show, you know, show our gratitude for their efforts and their ability
27:34
to and really focus on the positive.
27:37
Anyway, because I I, again, I think, you can really beat a group of people down if you're
27:43
always negative, always on them.
27:45
Mean, certainly, Leah, you know, as a leader, you gotta have high expectations and, you know,
27:49
find different methods to, you know, have positive outcomes.
27:53
But I'll tell you, there's nothing like, some positive feedback and being consistent with it.
27:58
Absolutely, Anna.
27:58
You know, to speak to, theory, like, in my field, what we talk about is really at the end
28:04
of the day, we all wanna feel kind of warm and fuzzy on the inside.
28:07
Right?
28:08
You know, it's like kinda like, that I often say it's like that one warm fuzzy blanket you
28:12
have when you were a kid.
28:14
So what happened?
28:15
We all wanna feel that, but we also all wanna achieve in some way.
28:19
So you never know where you're gonna get that that kind of inoculation of positive, right,
28:25
from it maybe the guy the door for you, or it may be, you know, the person sitting at the
28:30
senior executive table, but I think it's re that and it sounds simple.
28:35
But it's not easy when things are not going well and you're busy and you're stressed and
28:40
all those things, but the gentleness of small little bits daily to your point.
28:45
And you said that, and that's that's what I think is very, very important is small little
28:49
steps often instead of even giving them a lot once in a while.
28:54
Would you agree with that?
28:56
Absolutely.
28:57
And, you know, I think you gotta be very careful when you're the leader that you don't
29:01
create you said it earlier, and I'll I'll emphasize where your ego gets on that, you
29:07
know, you you forget about people and how to treat them.
29:11
And, you know, one of the things I really try to focus on is I felt like I became a better
29:15
leader is I was gonna treat every person I came across with respect.
29:20
And, and often that's something, you know, when I see people with power that you forget that.
29:25
And, boy, that alert usually it leads to a detrimental situation.
29:30
So you'll be very careful, you know, that you always wanna treat people with great respect.
29:35
You know, even if things aren't going well, and that you always have those years open, and be
29:39
willing to listen.
29:41
Another thing that I see or I often hear about is that companies that are still doing well
29:47
They're still making, you know, their targets and they're superseding their targets and
29:51
they're getting acquisitions and but people around them are, you know, dying on the line
29:57
and they slowly leave and they don't do the exit interviews and they don't really, you
30:01
know, because the CEO or the senior management's still being told how great they
30:04
are.
30:05
Mhmm.
30:06
Have you had conversations with leaders about that?
30:09
Like, where well, how to kind of, approach those situations?
30:14
Yeah.
30:14
I I, again, you know, when I talk to a leadership team of a business, you know, I
30:19
always talk to him about that, You know, if you're losing people and you're not figuring
30:25
out why, then that's something that's really oh, you gotta start changing your mindset, you
30:31
know, and that, thinking, because you're right, you know, the things can go well on the surface
30:36
but underlying, it can be really struggling.
30:39
And and if you're, you know, if you start a cancer situation, whereas you know, if it's one
30:46
person, and now it's a few people and then it starts to grow and you're not finding out the
30:51
reasons why and and trying to make adjustments to correct that, that that will lead to,
30:59
travesty down the road.
31:01
Know?
31:01
And so and it's funny because you see it all the time, you know, great businesses that were
31:05
at once, you know, icons in the business and all of a sudden there's their ship is sunk and
31:11
And then those are the types of things that happen as they forget.
31:13
Their ego gets in the way.
31:15
And they, they don't treat people with respect.
31:18
They cut corners and all of a sudden, they had things happen.
31:23
So so in reference to going back to team, I think that's important.
31:27
If so, so let's say there's managers on there or people are working with teams.
31:31
What it calls a couple of tips that you would give them, to really kind of at the beginning
31:37
point to gel a team, to kind of feel like they have unity.
31:42
What what are some things that they could do?
31:44
Well, I think the the first thing that you gotta be really conscious is the leader.
31:49
It's a simple concept, and certainly I've observed.
31:52
It has no practice for the holidays.
31:53
You gotta lead by example.
31:55
Alright.
31:55
So if your expectations are one thing, but you're as I always tell our players, you're
32:01
always on stage as a leader.
32:04
And and, you know, our staff, we always talk about how we conduct ourselves on a day to day
32:09
basis is either gonna enhance what we're doing or gonna hinder what we're doing.
32:14
And I think that's a really important thing is number 1 is a leader that you are leading by
32:19
example.
32:19
If you expect great workouts that go to your team and yet, you know, you you get there late
32:25
or you leave early, you're sending a really bad message.
32:29
So I think most of the things.
32:30
The second thing I think with the team as trust as your foundation.
32:35
So the, you know, and I always talked about I brought up lead by example because is the
32:41
people are going to respect you more because of what they see as opposed to what you say to
32:47
them.
32:47
And and if you're saying to them and what they see, are working together and that against each
32:54
other, then I think that really helps build the trust.
32:57
And I always talk to leaders about his The scary thing about trust is trust is such a
33:02
significant part of a successful team is it takes time to build trust but you can shatter
33:09
it with one really bad choice.
33:11
I'll give you an illustration.
33:12
Like, I always told our players the last 5 years I coached that I wanted to be a great
33:17
mobile model for.
33:17
And the one of the things I told our players and parents is during a basketball season is I
33:22
wouldn't break alcohol, which of course I could because I was a legal adult, but I felt that
33:28
strongly as a role model that I was gonna do that.
33:31
And for fortunately, I kept my word and I helped immensely, but I I share this.
33:35
What happens if I were to share that to my whole group?
33:39
And 2 weeks later, I get pulled over for DWI.
33:42
Do you think I trust the account would have been broken?
33:44
I mean, it would have been shared.
33:45
I probably would have never gotten it back.
33:47
So when you make a bold statement and then you don't follow-up your words or that crosses that
33:54
prosthesis such a huge problem.
33:56
Absolutely.
33:57
Absolutely.
33:58
So trust is already the core determinant, and it's so funny when I think about what I do as a
34:04
psychotherapist or a speaker or a coach.
34:06
It's the same thing.
34:07
So I often say to people, you know, it doesn't matter where you came from.
34:10
Right?
34:10
It doesn't matter.
34:12
You know, you can you can develop that internal muscle, within yourself because it may have
34:18
kind of been quick to prorate along the way.
34:20
But once you kind of get centered and start to work on yourself, you fill yourself up and then
34:25
you really kind of can achieve anything.
34:27
Right?
34:28
And it's really recognizing that.
34:30
But oftentimes what happens is I I think of, you know, sometimes when you think about a
34:34
dysfunctional team, it's kinda like, when we were kids and we were in the sandbox and we
34:38
were, you know, throwing sand each other's eyes.
34:41
You know, everybody kinda, you know, get the last kinda, you know, thing in.
34:46
And really once we start to like to learn to be gentle and kind, which is really our capacity
34:51
as human beings, then before you know it, you know, the inside and the outside kind of start
34:57
to match and it becomes it it's kinda hard.
35:00
It's like, it's like walking by somebody, on the street.
35:02
And I grew up in Trinidad and everybody smiles at everybody on the street.
35:06
Right?
35:07
Uh-huh.
35:07
North America, and I was quite young.
35:09
I was 17, and I would get on the elevator and nobody would smile.
35:12
So I would smile and say, good morning.
35:14
How are you?
35:14
And they were and then after a while, guess what happened to me?
35:18
After a while, I went, Oh, I I'm bothering them.
35:22
So then I quit smiling.
35:23
Right?
35:24
So it's
35:24
like anything else.
35:25
It's an infectious element or you know, they say that a smile is like a warm hug, right, to
35:30
to be able to show up, be nice, be kind, or even if you're having a bad day to say, you
35:35
know what?
35:36
I'm having a tough day today.
35:37
I didn't sleep or X Y Z.
35:39
That people could respect that much more versus you just kinda cutting them down.
35:44
Because you're having a tough time.
35:46
So I think that that's conscious, communication and authenticity kind of translates one into
35:52
the other.
35:52
If you if you're able to trust, if you're able to act as a role model and say, this is who I
35:58
am, I'm gonna lead you, but I expect really good things of you.
36:02
I think you're right.
36:02
People eventually kind of fall in line.
36:05
Yeah.
36:05
You know, I have a I have a big quote guy.
36:07
I used to give my team quote and couple quotes I love that I share was you can never be too
36:12
kind or too fair.
36:14
Another one is too jar contagious is yours worth catching.
36:19
And I I think that that was
36:20
a real problem.
36:21
Yep.
36:21
So
36:22
That's an odd attitude is
36:24
Attitudes are contagious is yours worth catching.
36:27
I love that.
36:28
I love that.
36:29
That's amazing.
36:30
That's amazing.
36:31
So, I know, you have a book.
36:34
Your book has just recently been updated, so I'd like you to, share with the viewers where
36:39
they can find that and where they can find you because I'm sure there's people out there,
36:43
maybe organizations or even leaders listening on, or, that would may want to, you know, reach
36:50
out to you and to use you for your services.
36:51
So please let them know or just for the average person that's listening and loved some of the
36:56
stuff that you're talking about.
36:58
Just leadership because we lead we lead in our homes, we lead in our friendships, we lead
37:02
everywhere where we go, and we can all truly be a better leader regardless of where we are in
37:07
our lives.
37:07
Where could they find your book?
37:08
So my book is, it's called a coach in a miracle.
37:12
And it you can find it as well as a lot of information at my website, coach
37:17
jimjohnson.com.
37:19
That way I wouldn't forget the website.
37:21
Coachievejohnson.com.
37:23
And on that, we do a weekly blog that you can sign up for.
37:26
We do a monthly newsletter.
37:27
Those are all free.
37:29
I also have a YouTube channel where we do a lot of videos on all the different content that
37:34
I've talked about leadership and building a team and all that good stuff.
37:39
So and, you know, I I really try to connect.
37:42
I, I have a big LinkedIn following as well as, following on Twitter and Facebook so you can
37:48
connect with me that all that is on the website.
37:51
And if I can ever help anybody with my services, I'm predominantly keenote.
37:56
I do a keynote called dreams really do come true, which is a inspirational keynote.
38:01
And then I do another note on leadership, leadership lessons from half court.
38:05
And the other thing I do a breakout session because we spent so much time over the years
38:09
working with our team on goal setting that I do a goal setting workshop that I've done a number
38:15
of times as well.
38:16
So.
38:17
Fantastic.
38:18
Well, I hope everybody out there I've enjoyed this immensely.
38:22
You know, the translation from the court, to the company is, it's it's the same dynamic, but
38:28
just in different arenas.
38:30
So thank you so much.
38:31
I know this has helped me a lot think through things, as I go out there into into companies
38:36
and also speak.
38:37
Thanks for tuning in to authentic living with Roxanne, creating the space for positive,
38:43
healthy change.
38:44
Roxanne is a keynote speaker psychotherapist, and coach to work with Roxanne, visit
38:50
rocksandurhaj.com/blue print.
38:54
We'll see you next time on authentic living with Roxanne.