A Final Lesson from Coach Bennett

Last week had a sad ending here in Charlottesville. Tony Bennett, head coach of men’s basketball at the University of Virginia, announced suddenly that he was retiring, effective immediately. In his 15 years, Bennett was twice named coach of the year, his teams winning six conference titles and an NCAA championship. He is beloved for his impact with athletes on the court, and in their personal lives off the court.

When word first trickled out, but before the formal announcement, there was the typical speculation as to the variety of reasons Bennett had made this decision, just three weeks before the start of the season.

But when he sat for a press conference Friday morning, it became clear he was simply applying the same guiding principles to himself that he has always instilled in his players. He calls them The Five Pillars:

Humility - Know who you are.

Passion - Do not be lukewarm.

Unity – Do not divide our house.

Servanthood – Make teammates better.

Thankfulness – Learn from each circumstance.

He cited the first two specifically for helping him reach his decision.

• Humility: “I realized I’m no longer the best coach to lead this program in this current environment . . . ”

• Passion: “ . . . and if you’re going to do [this job], you’ve got to be all in.”

What are your pillars, your enduring principles that guide you? Your team? Maybe they are the same for you as for your team; maybe they are somewhat different.

I watched Bennett’s press conference as I traveled from Leon, Spain to Madrid, having spent the previous week walking 100+ miles of the Camino de Santiago – a pilgrimage path made famous by Martin Sheen in the movie, The Way. The walking provided an opportunity to reflect on my life and work up to now, and consider the next steps in my journey.

Prompted by Bennett, and the Camino, I asked myself two questions.

1. What are the different roles or activities I really want to do well in the next ten years? I came up with a list of six objectives, ranging from continuing to deepen my marriage to developing new ways of helping leaders.

   
   

2. What guiding principles or “pillars” are needed if I am to be successful in each of the areas above? I identified five, two of which I have used most of my life but need to be sure and continue; and the other three are new areas of emphasis necessary to accomplish new things.

I’ll continue to let these “marinate” – think them over to be sure I am really committed to them. But, five days later, I am feeling really good about them. They are providing energy and motivation to keep growing. After all, if I am growing, what has gotten me “here,” won’t be sufficient to get me “there.”

What are your big pillars? What guiding principles do you have that help you make everyday decisions . . . as well as the really big decisions in your life?