Ubuntu

Ubuntu, Vulnerability and Pressure as a Privilege

Having four small children means one thing… tons of laundry. Usually, I watch “The Office” while folding clothes, but last week I switched it up. I stumbled upon a Netflix documentary: “The Playbook: A Coach’s Rules for Life.” Episode 1 featured the NBA’s Doc Rivers. The program is brilliant. I’ve watched it three times since. Here are my takeaways:

1.    Vulnerability Can Be a Superpower: I could feel Doc’s authenticity from the beginning- he’s comfortable with himself. Vulnerability is tricky. Having the courage to open up is hard for many leaders. When executed properly, however, it can galvanize a team. Rivers shared three examples:

• He starts the first meeting with a new team like this, “Hi. I’m Doc Rivers. I’m human, and I’m going to make mistakes.” This statement tells the team, I’m a messy human filled with flaws just like you.
• While coaching the LA Clippers tapes leaked of owner, Donald Sterling, making disturbing racial comments. Doc prepared a speech for the team, but quickly he could tell his words were not landing effectively. He decided to pivot and speak from this heart. He shared his life story which included overcoming hatred. By speaking as a person, and not the coach, the players felt united with their leader. 
• During the 2008 season Rivers’ dad passed away. Before leaving for the funeral, he shared stories with the team about his father. He told them he had a simple but beautiful life philosophy: work hard, stay out of trouble, don’t quit, and never be a victim. With Rivers at the funeral, the team played an uncommonly spirited regular season game. After the win, they celebrated like they won a championship. They wanted to win for their grieving coach. Star Kevin Garnett said, “Coach, when you’re sad, I’m sad.” 

2.    Ubuntu: The Boston Celtics were rebuilding at the beginning of his tenure. However, they were aggressive in free agency and assembled three stars: Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett; all alpha leaders. While at a charity event, a person who was a big fan approached Doc excited about the team. She said the team is going to need Ubuntu to succeed. She told him to look up the meaning of the word; however, it is more than a word, it’s actually a way of life. Ubuntu became the guiding force of the 2008 Celtics team who ended up winning the NBA championship.

• Rivers described Ubuntu like this: “I can’t be all I can be unless you are all you can be. I can never be threatened by you because you are good. The better you are the better I am.”
•  Doc received this wisdom from an “everyday person.” It wasn’t a guru or someone with high positional power. Special things occur when we have the humility and curiosity to learn from anyone, at any time. 
• I’ve found words like Ubuntu capture the imagination and are more impactful than your typical mission statement values such as: integrity, hard work, commitment, etc. 
• In order for any group to maximize potential, individuals will have to sacrifice personal accolades. Being a part of something larger than yourself requires losing a bit of your individuality. As coach Bill Belichick said, “Stats are for losers.”

3.    Pressure is a Privilege: Coaching the Boston Celtics comes with high expectations. As Rivers said, they only hang NBA championship banners- winning the division or conference isn’t enough. 

• Most people go through life without knowing what real pressure feels like. It’s tough and challenging but it is a reward for the hard work and sacrifice. We need to embrace it.
• While others may run away from a challenge, our goal should be to run toward it. 
• While pressure is a privilege, that doesn’t mean it is going to be easy. Rivers points out, “People think champs don’t get hit; actually this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Champions get hit over and over. They just keep moving forward.”

“The Playbook” was terrific. I laughed. I cried (Doc reflecting on his father got me). I’m looking forward to watching the other four episodes. It’ll make folding clothes more enjoyable. 
Rivers delivered one take that greatly impacted me. He mentioned the sacrifice it takes to be a great coach and the impact it has on his family. “I missed a lot of stuff because I was working. I missed their stuff and I was there but I was thinking about work.”
I can relate. Can you?

Reflection, Ask, and Research:

I’d like to share one idea to reflect on, one ask, and one thing to research. 

I.              Reflection: How can you make the necessary sacrifices to achieve high performance while honoring the importance of nourishing the critical relationships in your life? 

II.             Ask: Be an encourager. Rivers said General Manager Danny Ainge: “Thought I was a great coach and he never wavered from that.” Be a champion for someone you believe in!

III.           Research: Do a search on the meaning of Ubuntu- I think you’ll like it!