The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot.
Bill RussellRead
The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I’d made my teammates play.
Interpretation
True success in sports is defined by how much one can uplift their teammates.
Bill Russell emphasizes that individual performance in a game is secondary to the impact one has on their teammates' performance. He suggests that the true measure of greatness in a player is their ability to enhance the skills and effectiveness of those around them, highlighting the importance of collaboration and teamwork in achieving success.
In practice
In a sports team meeting to motivate players before a big game.
The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot.
My father once told me that anyone who worked for three dollars an hour owed it to himself to put in four dollars' worth of work.
Commitment separates those who live their dreams from those who live their lives regretting the opportunities they have squandered.
People say it was the greatest individual rivalry they've ever seen. I agree with that. Let me assure you that if either Wilt's or Russ' coach had ever told one of them he couldn't guard the other guy, he would have lost that player forever.
To me, the most important part of winning is joy. You can win without joy, but winning that’s joyless is like eating in a four-star restaurant when you’re not hungry. Joy is a current of energy in your body, like chlorophyll or sunlight, that fills you up and makes you naturally want to do your best.
Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.
A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.
If we want girls to receive positive reinforcement for early acts of leadership, let's discourage bossy behavior along with banning bossy labels. That means teaching girls to engage in behaviors that earn admiration before they assert their authority.
That was one of the big problems in the [Black Panther] Party. Criticism and self-criticism were not encouraged, and the little that was given often wasn’t taken seriously. Constructive criticism and self-criticism are extremely important for any revolutionary organization. Without them, people tend to drown in their mistakes, not learn from them.
Many leaders are tempted to lead like a chess master, striving to control every move, when they should be leading like gardeners, creating and maintaining a viable ecosystem in which the organization operates.
It's not my job to motivate players. They bring extraordinary motivation to our program. It's my job not to de-motivate them.
Nelson Mandela, a better man, not a bitter man, made our world a better place in which to live. His life and leadership exemplify the highest courage, dignity, and dedication to human liberation.
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