What Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors Can Teach Us about Leadership

I’ve been told my book The Savage Leader includes too many sports stories. Given that, why not double down and write an entire article about sports?! In all seriousness, I believe there are leaders in all walks of life and sports offers so many great examples of leadership, both good and bad. Strip away the unrelenting obsession with highlight clips and you’ll see leadership in action. You don’t need a deep understanding of sports to see and learn lessons from both the coaches and players.

As a childhood Warriors fan who felt out of love with the NBA for several years, I’ve been captivated by this year’s run by the Golden State Warriors. For the first time in a while, they were underdogs at the outset of the season. An aging core of players and unproven rookies dotted the roster. Many talking heads and experts alike doubted their ability to go on a deep playoff run. Regardless of how this season ends, the 2022 Golden State Warriors provide a number of important leadership lessons.

Aim for Collective Greatness over Individual Accolades

One of the hallmarks of the Warriors dynasty is the focus on collective greatness over individual achievement. In other words, world championships over individual awards and honors. Coach Steve Kerr and his staff have done a remarkable job of gaining buy-in to the goal of winning over a selfish focus on individual stats and awards. Think all-world player Kevin Durant’s decision to join the big three of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green that netted two championships. Skeptics might think, I could coach that team to multiple championships. Yet, consider the multiple recent attempts to create a roster stacked with all-stars only to see those teams crater. You only have to look down the road from the Bay Area to see the Los Angeles Lakers’ implosion in 2021-2022 as a vivid example of this. The Los Angeles Clippers are another great case study. Sorry Los Angeles.

Outside of sports, the best organizations seek out the best talent in search of “winning” – driving record profits, seeking an “exit” via an IPO or acquisition, or being included in acronyms like FAANG (Facebook (Now Meta), Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google). The same rules apply in sports and in business. Gain buy-in to a bigger vision, nurture strong team dynamics, and allow individuals to succeed in their own way by defining the “what” but providing flexibility with the “how.”

Empower Your Team to Lead

Watch closely and you’ll see Warriors veterans providing in-game coaching to their fellow teammates. Defensive stalwart Draymond Green provides guidance to his less experienced teammates about positioning and what to expect from opponents coming out of a timeout. Longtime player Andre Iguodola, though currently hurt and sitting on the bench in street clothes, can also be seen providing tips to his fellow Warriors teammates. This isn’t something that just happens on every team. It takes humility and self-confidence on behalf of the coach to clear the way for his players to share the mantle of leadership and develop them to do so.

Regardless of context, it’s critical to empower team members. Empower to make important decisions, speak up when they see an opportunity or uncover a latent issue, or to resolve a customer complaint. Doing so requires a sense of leadership humility paired with time spent developing your team to have both the confidence and skill (both hard and soft skills) to execute. Creating guidelines (e.g. cost is between $x and $y) as to when your team has the authority to proceed can also be helpful.

Flex Your Style based on Personality

Warriors players are well known to have big, bold personalities. Think the Curry Shimmy, Draymond flexing, or Klay Thompson taking his sailboat to the “office.” The varied styles and personalities of the Warriors stars as well as the role players clinging to a roster spot requires a nuanced approach by Coach Kerr. Megastar Steph Curry is well known to enjoy tough coaching while others require a more hands-off approach. Yet others may require support and a focus on building and sustaining their confidence.

 In sports and in life, each of us has a unique style and personality. The best leaders recognize that. In place of a one-size-fits-all approach, great leaders adapt their communication style and approach based on who they are interacting with. They provide regular acknowledgement to those seeking it. They provide space and independence to team members wanting autonomy and less hand holding. They push their competitive colleagues to do more and be more. The best leaders know when to push and when to pull. And when to do nothing.

Find Something Bigger

Sports fans couldn’t miss Steve Kerr’s powerful press conference that avoided talk of the Warriors and the NBA Playoffs to focus on the tragedy at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. Regardless of politics, Kerr takes aim at a matter that to him is bigger than basketball.

In business, companies and their leaders have been increasingly focused on creating a greater sense of purpose. The reason for doing so is multi-faceted. First, companies are a force for economic progress and change in the world. But, companies with a sense of purpose also attract top talent, retain customers more effectively, and can better weather the ups and downs of the business and economy overall.

So, What Does it All Mean?

I believe there are leaders in all walks of life. Sports, both amateur and professional, offer a number of powerful examples of leadership in action - both the do’s and don’ts. If you look beyond the highlight clips and player antics, you can learn a lot about leadership and life. The 2022 Golden State Warriors are a case study in applied leadership.

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