An NBA coach—who most would consider one of the greatest— asked himself, “Does my way work?” After pausing, he answered, “Who knows? It’s won championships, but it’s also cost me the greatest player in the world because I held the standard.” There’s so much experience that’s laced with humility in that line. The reason you win can also be the reason you lose.

Questions from the Episode: 

1. When have you knowingly or unknowingly created a double-standard?

2. What situation have you been most fearful to hold the line with? Why? 

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→ Coaching Lab: https://whatdriveswinning.com/lab 

Have you ever been around a coach that overwhelms their team with information? When you prioritize everything, you prioritize nothing. Brett Ledbetter and Doug Lemov will show you how to create a team identity by highlighting the importance of a glossary, a different way to approach video analysis and how effective cold-calling can create an inclusive team. 

Questions from the Episode: 

1. Why do you think when coaches use film, 75% of the time they show what it’s not supposed to look like as opposed to what it is supposed to look like? 

2. What situation have you seen where a coach was short-term productive versus long-term productive due to their own ego and not what’s best for the athlete’s development? 

3. What has been your philosophy on cold-calling team members to answer questions in group settings? After listening to this conversation, have you changed your mind on anything? Or, will you double down on something about your approach? 

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→ Speaking: https://whatdriveswinning.com/about-brett-ledbetter/#speaker 

→ Books: https://whatdriveswinning.com/shop 

→ Coaching Lab: https://whatdriveswinning.com/lab 

What nobody tells you about endings in coaching: In this episode, Mary Wise and Becky Burleigh discuss the emotional weight of resignations, the effect on player relationships, and the struggle to maintain authenticity while navigating institutional expectations. Through personal stories, they share the hidden challenges of necessary endings and finding peace after coaching.

Reflections from the Episode: 

1. You’ve worked 2 decades at a place. You’ve poured your heart and soul into it. You see memorabilia in the trash can after the new regime has taken over as you walk by after being asked to visit them. What symbolism would you draw from that personally? 

2. Fast forward to 55 years old. Imagine a family member saying to you, “I’ve never seen you so detached from your phone.” Then, your partner adding to the conversation, “You’ve lived with a perpetual worry face.” What would you think to yourself if that was said to you, about you, that night right before you went to bed?

3. Imagine witnessing a coach who played for that school and then coached at that school, take all of the gear that they’ve received over the years that had the school logo on it to a local Goodwill. What would be going through your mind as you watch that scene? 

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→ Coaching Lab: https://whatdriveswinning.com/lab 

In a world where every decision is scrutinized, how do athletic directors stay true to their values? This episode explores the tough calls, high-pressure decisions, and the long-term impact of leadership choices in college athletics.  

Questions from the Episode: 

1. What are two things you could tactically improve to make you a better listener?

2. When have you ‘fell in love’ with a first impression that turned out to be wrong?

3. Who triggers you most on your staff? Why? And what can you learn about you from that person? 

4. What’s your best ‘misplaced anxiety’ story? 

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→ Coaching Lab: https://whatdriveswinning.com/lab 

It’s amazing what a minute can do. One minute can change everything, about everything. This episode will not only warm your heart but it will create an understanding on how to find peace within uncertainty (even when it feels like everything is being taken from you).

For more on how to find perspective inside of high performance.

What's Really Important📘: https://bit.ly/4aLNuNa 

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→ Coaching Lab: https://whatdriveswinning.com/lab 

Brett Ledbetter interviews Diana Taurasi in front of the 2019-20 Oregon Women’s basketball team who entered that season ranked #1 before COVID ended that team’s journey. 

Ask your team these two questions: 

1. What are the top three things that could get in the way of your team maximizing its ability?
2. What’s your biggest personal struggle that not many people know about? 

Download Exercise to Use with Your Team

What Drives Winning Teams📘: https://bit.ly/48qtdLy 

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→ Coaching Lab: https://whatdriveswinning.com/lab 

This two-part episode is for the LEADERS on your team. 

Part I: Unlocking the strength behind vulnerability. 

The first part is an interview that we did in our class with Blake Hinson, former Pittsburgh basketball player. Blake was first team all ACC and an unbelievable leader who had to lead underclassmen if that team was going to reach its potential. And he goes through that along with his G League journey to the NBA. 

Part 1 Listening Guide HERE

Part II: Training Camp: Brett Ledbetter facilitates a live session with a football team.

(Starts at: 24:21)

The second part of the episode is a live presentation with a team. So we're going to take you back to last August, two weeks into training camp with a football team, a coach challenged the leadership council to bring three questions. The three questions asked are questions that every team can relate to. They asked me those three questions in front of the team and I facilitated a discussion based on that. 

Question 1: 25:05

Question 2: 30:10

Question 3: 39:12

Part II Listening Guide HERE

Books Mentioned in the Episode: 

365 Questions To Get to Know Your and Your Team Better

Question Based Leadership

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→ Coaching Lab: https://whatdriveswinning.com/lab 

How do you maintain integrity when the world is watching? SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Brett Ledbetter explore the challenges of leading under public scrutiny, decision-making in gray areas, and the ongoing challenge of making sure you’re spending your life on things that matter. 

Questions from the Episode: 

1. When has your integrity been questioned the most? What did you learn from that experience? 

2. When have you been around someone that cared more about what the external perception was as opposed to the internal reality? 

3. When have you had to publicly support something that you didn’t privately align with? How did you make peace with that inner conflict?

4. There’s ‘doable’ hard and there’s ‘destructive’ hard. How do you know when you have crossed that line? What example comes to mind from your life?  

5. Greg said his biggest internal conflict was, “Am I spending my life on the right things?” When have you asked yourself that question? 

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→ Coaching Lab: https://whatdriveswinning.com/lab 

Do your habits match your goals? What about your team’s? How do you manage a teammate when their habits don’t? Dillon Gabriel had one year to win the influence of a team that he led to a 13-0 start at Oregon. He covers all of that and more with his thinking partner, Brett Ledbetter.

Questions From the Episode:

1. When has the environment needed your voice and you didn’t speak up? What prevented you from doing that? 

2. What’s validated an incorrect belief that you’ve had in your life?

 3. Who’s been the most hard-to-reach teammate you’ve encountered? What made it difficult? 

4. How can you improve your relationship with uncertainty?

 5. What are five things you could do to guarantee an unhappy life? 

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→ Coaching Lab: https://whatdriveswinning.com/lab 

The head coach experience: the room softens when you walk in and turns up as you leave. Why is that? And, what seconds matter most to your team? Brett Ledbetter and Mike Brey dive in deep to an enjoyable conversation that will set you up for some self-reflection. 

Questions from the Episode:

1. When have you blown the roof off with your team and it was effective? When have you and it wasn’t? What’s the lesson with each of those answers? 

2. Why do you think Mike said, “Game days are lonely for head coaches”? How do you personally relate to that? 

3. There’s a coaching line. “He doesn’t get ulcers. He gives them.” Which would your team say you were? 

4. What percent of the time are you performing versus being authentic inside your job? 

5. How does Mike’s retirement speech compare to other’s that you’ve heard? What can you take from that? 

Download Questions HERE

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MORE of What Drives Winning: 

→ Website: http://whatdriveswinning.com 

→ Speaking: https://whatdriveswinning.com/about-brett-ledbetter/#speaker 

→ Books: https://whatdriveswinning.com/shop 

→ Coaching Lab: https://whatdriveswinning.com/lab