At some point, every leader runs out of tricks. Even the best coaches and managers admit that teams eventually tune them out and need a fresh voice. Take Phil Jackson and the early 2000s Lakers. After leading them to three straight championships and four NBA Finals, his message stopped landing. The team unraveled, the culture fell apart, and leadership decided to make a change. But instead of a quick fix, the Lakers fell into mediocrity, facing losing seasons and early playoff exits. Yet, as any Laker fan will tell you, that wasn’t the end of the story.
The opportunity in a crisis
When things are at their worst, teams are often the most open to a clear, steady voice—even one they’ve heard before. Is your team stuck in mediocrity or struggling with challenges of their own making? Have you tried everything, only to see the same patterns repeat? If this sounds familiar, your team may be ready for a turnaround. Maybe the problem isn’t the voice they hear, but the message itself.
Bring the outside in.
Have you ever tried to help someone who didn’t seem ready to accept it? The most frustrating part isn’t your inability to help—it’s knowing you could if only they recognized the trouble they’re in. As leaders, we can’t assume our teams will grasp the urgency of a situation on their own. It’s our job to wake them up to reality.
In A Sense of Urgency, John Kotter offers a powerful approach: bringing the outside in. This means using data, impact stories, and hard truths to provide a clear, unfiltered view of the situation. Teams often don’t know what they don’t know—or may be avoiding the facts. As leaders, we must step back, gain perspective, and help them see where they truly stand in the bigger picture.
Provide the right tools.
Without a clear compass or roadmap, teams struggle to find direction. It’s up to managers to provide both. Dysfunctional team behaviors often stem from a lack of shared values to guide decision-making, while stalled progress or declining results usually signal the absence of a clear path forward. Like great coaches, effective managers equip their teams with the tools they need to navigate challenges and succeed.
Think like a coach.
Returning to Phil Jackson’s story, the Lakers eventually realized they needed him back. But as he shared in 11 Rings: The Soul of Success, he didn’t return with the same old message—he adapted it to fit his team. One key lesson he offers to coaches is that you can’t simply impose your will on people. Real change happens when you inspire others to change themselves. The best managers understand this—they don’t just give orders; they coach, guide, and empower their teams to grow.
We’re building a movement to change how we work, and we believe managers are the key lever. The most successful managers find their voice and ultimately help their teams thrive by thinking like a coach. To learn more about our work and get involved, connect with us at www.managereq.com.
