Lou, like a lot of coaches, moved between jobs frequently and always said his very first task was getting his new players, whom he’d never met, to buy into all the changes he’d be making as the new coach. He said players want to know three things from a new coach: 1) Can I trust you?, 2) Do you love me?, 3) are you committed to excellence in all things?

Those are the exact same questions new employees are asking from their new bosses. Having been a new boss myself many times, those are the exact same three principles I have applied in all of my new leadership positions. I need to make sure my direct reports can answer all three questions with a resounding “Yes!” I didn’t learn this myself - I learned it from Lou and recognizing from my own experiences that he was right, every time.

He’s a brilliant leader and that’s why his players love him.