Leadership Profile: Coach Mike Krzyzewski

One of the most successful and well-known NCAA basketball coaches of all time, "Coach K" has led the Duke University Blue Devils from the sidelines for the past 27 years. In that time, his results are staggering--680 victories, winning 78% of his games; 22 trips to the NCAA tournament; 10 Final Four Appearances; 7 NCAA Finals; 3 National Championships. His former players include such NBA notables as Grant Hill, Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Shane Battier, Elton Brand, and Carlos Boozer.

Yet, through it all, Coach K recognizes his unique role on the sidelines at Duke--"I don't look at myself as a basketball coach," he says. "I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball."

Few people realize that Coach K was once Cadet K--the product of service academy education, graduating from West Point in 1969. He served five years in the US Army, retiring with the rank of Captain in 1974. After coaching for five years at his alma mater, Krzyzewski accepted the head coach position at Duke in 1980.

What sets Coach K apart from his peers is his selfless dedication to improving the lives of others through basketball and his own innate gifts. On top of coaching both collegiate and world-championship teams, Krzyzewski also hosts a conference on leadership for business professionals, holds camps for both younger students and nostalgic older individuals, and helps those disadvantaged in society to dream big through the Emily Krzyzewski Family LIFE Center. You can find out more about Coach K, and how to get involved with these and more programs, from his official website.

Coach K is in the news right now as the head coach of the USA Basketball team headed to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Marred by "lack of effort" and the image of greedy, selfish superstars, USA Basketball struggled to win the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Coach K will try to lead an upstart US team with much potential to their first gold medal since 2000.

Words of wisdom from the man himself:

"When you first assemble a group, it’s not a team right off the bat. It’s only a collection of individuals."
"Too many rules get in the way of leadership. They just put you in a box . . . . People set rules to keep from making decisions."
"There are five fundamental qualities that make every team great: communication, trust, collective responsibility, caring and pride. I like to think of each as a separate finger on the fist. Any one individually is important. But all of them together are unbeatable."