Pride Before The Ball

“When your man sets a pick, you’ve got to get over it and force the ball back the other way. Make sure he doesn’t sit behind there and get off a good shot, especially if he’s a good shooter. If he goes back the other way, stick to your man. If he comes around, pick him up,” said Craig.

It was a few weeks ago, and my first night playing in one of the men’s basketball pick-up leagues in town. My neighbor had been doing it for years, and finally convinced me it’d be good to get out there, and fun to hang out with some of the guys. As my waistline hasn’t been getting any slimmer with age, I decided to do it — to get back out on a basketball court in earnest like I hadn’t done in 20 years.

Now, as some background, though I played a lot of informal basketball with friends from childhood well into my 20s, I never participated in an organized form of the sport with coaching. And so, though I know how to dribble and take a shot, I wasn’t very familiar with the concepts and terminology that my new weekend-warrior friend — and apparent coach, Craig — were teaching.

So, I did what any proud male in such a situation would do: I faked it. I nodded my head in feigned understanding of what Craig wanted me to do and played like I’d normally play. Unfortunately, Craig takes his pickup games very seriously and, on more than one occasion, I would hear him yelling at me to do this or that during play.

Now, I could have taken this two ways — I could have gotten angry at Craig, telling him I was here for a friendly pickup game and didn’t need him acting like it was the NBA finals (congratulations Cleveland), or I could have tried to figure out what the heck he was talking about. Thinking that I was in this basketball thing for the long haul, and therefore wanted to get better and play well, I did what is tantamount of a walk of shame after the game — I went over to Craig and asked him to explain again what he wanted me to do.

Luckily, but perhaps not surprisingly, Craig was happy to instruct. In fact, he got two other guys, told them where to stand, and literally waked me through various plays.

“Oh,” I said. “I get it now. Thanks.”

Did some of the guys think I was a dope for not knowing basic basketball? Maybe. Was the whole coaching session in front of 15 guys a little embarrassing? Definitely. But what is the result? I will now be a better basketball player. So who wins? I win.

Perhaps before I’d become a student of leadership, I’d have tried to lay low, never revealing my lack of knowledge, but then I’d never have gotten better. But knowing what I know now about how to succeed, it’s clear one must never let ego get in the way of improvement.

When a leader asks a question whose answer he or she should probably know, what do those in the room think? I feel that anyone who thinks less of him or her is likely not very worthy of being led; on the other hand, those who take the question as a mark of bravery, curiosity, and willingness to show vulnerability will take away what is really important. Only the fool pretends to know everything, and that emperor will eventually be revealed to have no clothes.

So always be willing to trade your pride for good information, and encourage your reports to do the same. If up and down the chain, the folks who lead your organization strive to learn, there is nothing you can’t accomplish.

Even if it’s the old pick and roll.