On Exceeding Your Limits
I'm fortunate now that I coach at Duke University and we've won a lot. I have some kids who haven't failed that much. But when they get to college, they're going to fail some time. That's a thing that I can help them the most with.
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.
Each group and each youngster is different. As a leader or coach, you get to know what they need.
I think some parents now look at a youngster failing as the final thing. It's a process, and failure is part of the process. I would like it if the teacher and the parents would connect more. I think that used to be, but we're losing a little bit of that right now.
There are kids don't want to do something because they're afraid of looking stupid to their peers. There comes a time when they start protecting themselves, instead of extending. I want to make sure that they're always trying to extend themselves.
Imagination has a great deal to do with winning.
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.
I think you're not a human being unless you have doubts and fears.
Therefore, as a player, as a coach, even though we might have lost in a season or not won a championship, it was like a self-fulfilling prophecy that I'm going to win some time. I've never felt myself a loser.
I always won in my imagination. I always hit the game-winning shot, or I hit the free throw. Or if I missed, there was a lane violation, and I was given another one.
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.
On Making Decisions
The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions.
On Relationships
I have a rule on my team: when we talk to one another, we look each other right in the eye, because I think it's tough to lie to somebody. You give respect to somebody.
To me, teamwork is the beauty of our sport, where you have five acting as one. You become selfless.
The person who has inspired me my whole life is my Mom, because she taught me commitment. She sacrificed.
Throughout my life, my mom has been the person that I've always looked up to.
I had a really bad temper, when I was growing up. Sport helped me channel that temper into more positive acts.
The other thing I knew I had was a high level of competitiveness.
~ Mike Krzyzewski, American Basketball Coach, Duke University
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