Men’s Head Basketball Coach at Duke
Duke University, 2016
In 2016, Duke University had the privilege of celebrating the legendary basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski. Widely known as "Coach K," . Coach K's insights into the world of basketball, leadership, and his remarkable coaching career. His legacy as one of the most successful and respected coaches in the history of college basketball is a testament to the power of dedication, teamwork, and excellence in the world of sports.
10 top life lessons by Mike Krzyzewski
- Choose the Right Bus: Surround yourself with positive influences and make intentional choices about the people you let into your life’s journey. The right company can significantly impact your growth.
- Embrace New Journeys: Be open to new experiences and opportunities that come your way. Growth often happens outside of your comfort zone.
- Prioritize Good Company: Surround yourself with individuals who uplift and inspire you. Positive influences contribute to personal and collective success.
- No Rules, Only Standards: Establish high standards for yourself and others. Focus on principles like communication, honesty, teamwork, and enthusiasm rather than rigid rules.
- Communication is Key: Foster open and honest communication in your relationships. Looking each other in the eye and telling the truth builds trust and understanding.
- Have Each Other’s Back: Support and stand by your peers in both triumph and defeat. Collective effort and loyalty contribute to shared success.
- Enthusiasm Matters: Approach challenges with enthusiasm and a positive mindset. Maintaining a positive attitude can make a significant difference in overcoming obstacles.
- Unity in Victory and Defeat: Embrace the idea of winning and losing together. Success and setbacks are part of life, and facing them collectively fosters resilience and a sense of camaraderie.
- Failure is not the End: Understand that setbacks and failures are not permanent destinations. Learn from them and use them as stepping stones towards future success.
- Choose the Right Bus: Surround yourself with positive influences and make intentional choices about the people you let into your life’s journey. The right company can significantly impact your growth.
Best quotes of Mike Krzyzewski‘s speech
"Make sure the bus you drive is the right one. Let only good people on it. Good people will make you better.""We have no rules, only standards: communication, truth, support, enthusiasm, and to win and lose together."
Commencement speech transcript
Choose people. Good people will make you better.
Tomorrow you’re going to meet new people. You’re going to get on a different journey. And the bus that you drive, make sure it’s the right one. Make sure you let only good people on it. … Good people will make you better.
Here is an excerpt from Duke Today: https://today.duke.edu/2016/05/commence16story
“Coach K often mixed humor with personal anecdotes to layout the successful formula he’s followed in his life. He spoke about his mother who advised him on the day before he started high school to get on the right bus. He told her he knew how to get to school, but she responded, “Tomorrow you’re going to meet new people. You’re going to get on a different journey. And the bus that you drive, make sure it’s the right one. Make sure you let only good people on it. … Good people will make you better.”
As an extension of that advice, Krzyzewski said he has no rules for his basketball teams, only standards, which include “communication, we’re going to look each other in the eye, we’re going to tell each other the truth, we’re going to have each other’s back, … we’re going to be enthusiastic, we’re going to win and lose together.”
He reminded the graduates that they will be knocked down from time to time, “but failure or any kind of setback is not a destination. … There was something good about being knocked down as long as it wasn’t your destination.
Video of ‘s Commencement speech at Duke University
”The video recording is working although it seems it does not: