The ‘single ingredient in leadership,’ according to legendary coach Pat Summitt; Washington Post, 6/28/16

Jena McGregor, Washington Post; The ‘single ingredient in leadership,’ according to legendary coach Pat Summitt:

"In one telling passage in the book, Summitt describes her decision to give Michelle Marciniak, who she called "a headlong, reckless player who needed curbing," the position of starting point guard after the 1994 NCAA tournament. It offers two powerful definitions of leadership and insight into how she thought about molding the elite players she led:

The point guard position in basketball is one of the great tutorials on leadership, and it ought to be taught in classrooms. Anyone can perfect a dribble with muscle memory; very few people are able to organize and direct followers, which is a far more subtle and multifaceted skill. Leadership is really a form of temporary authority that others grant you, and they only follow you if they find you consistently credible. It's all about perception -- and if teammates find you the least bit inconsistent, moody, unpredictable, indecisive or emotionally unreliable, then they balk and the whole team is destabilized.

Most young people are all the things I just listed, and Michelle was no different. If there is a single ingredient in leadership, it's emotional maturity.

Over the next two seasons, I intentionally did everything I could to break Michelle down. Why? Because until she completely surrendered herself and her ego, she wasn't going to become the reliable leader we needed. A willingness to do whatever it is that needs to be done regardless of self-interest is the hallmark of a mature leader."