Three Leadership Lessons from Coach Dawn Staley
Khalia Braswell, Ph.D.
Lead UX Researcher | TEDx Speaker | Award-Winning Computer Science Education Leader
On the last day of Women's History Month, I had the pleasure of watching the South Carolina Gamecocks win the Albany regional and punch their ticket to the Final Four of the Women's College Basketball Tournament. I also had the honor of meeting Coach Dawn Staley (and players Raven Johnson, Sania Feagin, and Bree Hall). As a Charlotte Native who grew up a Charlotte Sting fan (#BringBackTheSting) and a recent Temple Grad who lived in North Philly, meeting Coach Staley was high on my bucket list.
While I am proud of Coach Staley and her team for having a PERFECT season and winning the National Championship a year after their entire starting lineup went to the WNBA Draft, what I love most about Coach Staley is her constant display of leadership.
Below, I list three ways she has demonstrated her leadership and how we can all learn to be more like Coach Staley:
1. Dawn Staley cares for and about her players and their families:
In her press conference interview after winning the National Championship, Dawn Staley talks about how it is imperative to have buy-in from the parents and the people who are important to her players. This season alone, she worked with S.C. Rep. James Clyburn to get the family of star center Kamilla Cardoso, who is from Brazil to the states because they never saw her play in the U.S. Star guard, Te-Hina Paopao is Polynesian, a culture she describes as being close-knit. When recruiting Te-Hina, Coach Staley promised her dad and her family that Te-Hina would have another family in South Carolina to look out for her. Te-Hina's dad goes on record to say that Coach Staley made good on her promise and reignited his daughter's love for the game. Coach Staley intentionally creates a family environment that shows on and off the court. If you ask me, this is the secret sauce to Coach Staley's coaching.
2. Dawn Staley praises her team and staff publicly for their contribution to the team's success:
After yesterday's win, Coach Staley publicly praised the scouting efforts of Assistant Coach Winston Gandy, not one but three times - twice on ESPN and also during her post-game press interview. "Scouting" is when you study the other team and establish a game plan for winning against them. Coach Gandy lost hours of sleep throughout the week, planning the team's game plan against Iowa and their star guard, Caitlin Clark. Her players mirror Coach Staley's unselfishness when shouting out Coach Gandy, as they constantly promote and shout out each other when asked about their individual performance. Ta-Hina even stated during their press interview that they may sound like a "broken record" when consistently shouting out their team and coaches as to why they're successful.
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3. Dawn Staley respects others in the league:
Coach Staley consistently gives praise and credit to other teams during interviews. There is much debate about this approach, as many question whether other coaches would do the same for her and whether or not she should have to have this level of "class" as a Black woman with her track record. Related to point two, Coach Staley is modeling for her players how to conduct themselves. In her press interview after their win, she talked about ensuring her players respect their opponents, as they will receive success in return. Coach Staley knows this is bigger than her, with so many players going on to play in the WNBA. This mindset will be imperative for her players beyond their time in South Carolina.?
I could go on and on, as Coach Dawn Staley is a force and someone we could all learn from. I am excited to see her continue to dominate Women's College Basketball and add to her accolades. She is now the only Black coach, male or female, to win three D-1 National Championships and has a 109-3 record over the last?three seasons.?I know her peers look to her as their North Star and all leaders should. The crown she wears is heavy, and she wears it well. She is authentic. She is transparent. She is transformational.
Salute to Coach "Louis Vuitton" Dawn Staley. Keep shining!
I Leverage My Corporate Success to Boost Yours??SVP, Technology Risk @ Truist??Ex-Hewlett Packard??Ex-General Electric??Ex Bank of America??Go Blue??UNC MBA??Mom / Bonus Mom??Leaving a Legacy Outside of My Children ???
7 个月Awesome article Khalia Braswell, Ph.D.! Number 3 is especially important for those working in corporate. It’s important to respect individuals on other teams or employees working for other companies. Similar to the ladies going on to play in the NBA, we typically take on various opportunities within other teams/companies. Respect all around is critical! …hey Janel Monroe! I thought that was you! lol
Inclusion Speaker, Author, Futurist & Strategist | Future-Ready Inclusion?
7 个月I agree ?? ! Her leadership is something to marvel and be inspired by ????
Programs and Projects Leader
7 个月Great post! You’re spot on the Leadership Lessons in all of this could go on for pages, maybe volumes! And what a year for Women’s College Basketball!!! What an exciting final 4! I’ll confess this was the first time I watched a Women’s Final Four, but it definitely won’t be my last! Coach Dawn Staley is a class act, demonstrated over and over before, during, and after the final Championship game was won! So easy would it have been for Coach Staley and her team to gloat after that game citing all the reasons they are the best women’s team in all of college basketball after an undefeated season. On the contrary, by the post game interviews you might have thought the Gamecocks were the underdog that pulled off an upset, by how humble and respectful she was, and how she even gave props to her opponent, by name (Caitlin 22) during the post game interview, which by the way was well deserved. Just spectacular all the way around!