Red and Me Book Study - A Win-WIn Situation for All

In this excerpt from the book Red and Me, by former basketball great Bill Russell, Bill talks about the psychology that legendary coach Red Auerbach used to get the best out of his players for the betterment of the team.

Red would talk to a guy by mainly listening.  That was how he got more information about his players and their agendas.  I saw him do that so often that when he was talking to me, I always knew what he was doing.  He wasn't assessing my needs - they didn't come into play.  He wasn't asking himself, "What's this person all about?"  He was asking, "How can I help his guy contribute to the team?"  I picked this up very early.  What he was doing was listening, motivating, and enabling us to play our best, which ultimately enhanced our careers.

Every player in an organization, whether its a team, a school, or a business, has their own agenda for being part of the organization.  A leader, instead of throwing his/her weight around dictating and micromanaging the everyday actions of everybody involved, should understand what the people in the organization want to get out of the group and find a way for everybody to gain from being together and grow as people.  While you can't please everybody, there are ways for everybody to benefit.