Chapter 3Why (Discover the Purpose and Motivating Factors That Drive High‐Performing Teams)
“As a leader, I feel my job is to set the vision and the goals for the company, and then to work with everyone to empower them to dream big and crazy. I want to set them up to do the best work of their lives and to achieve those crazy, big goals.”
—Melanie Perkins
The man we know today as “Coach K” wasn't exactly a legend in the early spring of 1980. Before the national championships, 1,200+ wins, bestselling books, countless All‐American players, and icon status as a champion leader, Mike Krzyzewski was at the start of a long journey. He was trying to guide Duke University's men's basketball team to a winning season.
Coach K's first three years in Durham, North Carolina, were up and down, but there was more down than up. Toward the end of his third season at the helm (Duke's second consecutive losing season), things weren't looking good. And they were about to get worse.
Duke faced Virginia in the quarterfinals of the 1983 ACC Tournament. They were outplayed, outcoached, and embarrassed. Virginia annihilated the Blue Devils, 109‐66. It was a crushing end to the season—one that didn't provide optimism heading into a long off season. And for Coach K, the future was uncertain. Rumors swirled, creating speculation that he could be fired only three seasons after taking the job.
Following the loss at The Omni in Atlanta, a group of Duke basketball staffers went out to dinner at a nearby ...
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