What does servant leadership mean to you?
Sharpen the message and share with our teams. Servant leadership appears in a variety of messaging:
- Simon Sinek wrote, “Leaders eat last.”
- Nelson Mandela’s father listened to all and spoke last.
- Great teammates lead through sacrifice – shots and recognition.
- Servant leadership places community over self.
- Gregg Popovich told the Spurs, “Get over yourself.”
- Joe Mazzulla on selecting “Coach of the Year:” “I think it’s stupid.”
History shares many examples:
Spartan King Leonidas lived and fought with his men at Thermopylae. He led from the front. Abraham Lincoln created a cabinet with a “Team of Rivals” including Seward, Bates, and Chase…not for himself but to form a stronger leadership team. Arlene Blum led an all-woman team to climb Annapurna (one of 14 Himalayan peaks over 8000 meters), yet didn’t summit herself. Blum felt responsible for the team, not competing with it. She focused on team success not personal glory. She chose the standard over the spotlight.
What’s the unifying thread among the best leaders – administration, coaches, and players? They put the team’s welfare first.
Look at success from differing perspectives. Commonalities return to: character and competence.
Character defines how we treat others. The Golden Rule says, “Treat others as you would have them treat you.” As important, the Silver Rule of Nassim Taleb says, “Do not treat others as you would not have them treat you.”
Competence impacts how we develop others. Coach Ellis Lane shared three responsibilities in 1971:
1) Family comes first.
2) Academics comes next.
3) Basketball is third.
The light we shine on others reflects on us. Serve the team and legacy will serve you.
Lagniappe. Well-constructed set that relies on reading the help to create open chances.
One of our most efficient sets the last 3 years is Nail. A near guarantee advantage on the rejected ball screen, puts the help in a terribly tough spot.
– wide open layup vs. no help
– corner skip 3 on weak low man rotation
– quick pitch 3 on strong corner help pic.twitter.com/VEIsnW2S5Q— Jared Martinson (@JaredMartyMN) April 2, 2026