​Jay Wright's Villanova program won the first of its two National Championships on April 4, 2016 when it defeated North Carolina 77-74 on a buzzer beating 3-point shot by Kris Jenkins who got a great pass from Ryan "Arch" Arcidiacono. Arch was humbleenough to pass the ball. Kris was assertive enough to shoot the ball with confidence. It is one of the most iconic plays in the history of a NCAA Championship game.
 
Not as widely recognized was the amazing leadership Coach Wright and senior co-captain Daniel Ochefu provided by being humble and assertive together at half time of the game.
 
A late spurt propelled North Carolina to a 39–34 lead half time lead. When Coach Wright arrived at the locker room to give his half time talk, he was greeted by an assertive Daniel Ochefu. In his book Attitude, Coach Wright described what happened:
 
"As I approached the assistant coaches on this night, I was startled at the sight of our senior captain, Daniel Ochefu, breaking away from the rest of the team to approach me. I could tell he had something on his mind. He looked at me directly, and with intensity in his eyes said: "Coach, I got this." With twenty minutes left to play in his four-year career, Daniel was pleading with me to let him address his teammates—without the coaches present—before I did. This was not a routine request."
 
Coach Wright had the humility to agree to Daniel's request. Daniel entered the locker room. The door closed behind him. He galvanized the team with some very direct communication finishing up on a positive note: "We aren't going down this way. We've come this far. Let's finish this playing together, our way!" He had been assertive.
 
Villanova played better but North Carolina rallied and tied the game with 4.7 seconds left. As Villanova came back on the court for the final play there was a delay. Coach Wright describes what followed:
 
"Arch noticed there was still moisture on the floor, and he asked the official to have a ball boy mop it up. Daniel was standing nearby as the young man began mopping. When he finished, Daniel asked to borrow the mop. For the next twenty seconds, the 6'11" Ochefu mopped the floor; painstakingly making sure every drop of sweat was dried. There was a good reason he wanted that area dry: It was exactly where he planned to set a screen to spring Arch loose from his defender."
 
The assertive Daniel also had the humility to perform thorough janitorial work in front of 74,340 anxious spectators. Daniel set the screen, Arch got free and passed, Kris made the shot and Villanova won the Championship.
 
Great leaders are humble enough to listen and assertive enough to act. Great people are humble enough to appreciate their blessings and assertive enough to help others less fortunate.

 Jay Wright guided Villanova Basketball to the National Championship in 2016 and 2018. An important part of Villanova Basketball's is the consistent practice of Team Chaplin Father Rob Hagan sharing Life Lessons with the team. In Coach Wright's fantastic book, "Attitude" he describes Father Hagan's role:
 
According to the staff directory, Rev. Rob Hagan is Villanova's Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student Welfare and oversees Sports Medicine and Strength and Conditioning. "To us, he is simply "Father Rob." Father Rob is our team chaplain—our go-to spiritual adviser—and as such he plays a key role in our pre- and post-game rituals. He is an integral, indispensable, and undeniable part of any success we have as a team."
 
Father Rob is critical to Villanova's Success because his teaching of Life Lessons is a cornerstone of their Team Culture. Culture drives Job Performance. Coach Wright puts it this way:
 
"A Caring Culture is how you live together as a unit. Any leader has an opportunity to set a tone for how her/his group or organization lives by being positive, energetic, and invested in team members."
 
Father Rob's: Teaching Life Lessons demonstrates an investment in the team members. From Jay Wright's book "Attitude" here is one of Father Rob's presentations at a pre-game meal: his own expanded version of the famous 'Wolf" story that powerfully delivered several key Life Lessons.
 
"A grandfather is teaching his grandson about human nature, and he says that within every human heart there are two wolves. Those two wolves are fighting it out each day in every decision we make.
 
One wolf says, 'Make sure you get yours. Take the shortcut, the pain-free route, and get as much pleasure out of life as you can.' The other wolf is in there fighting, saying, 'Do the right thing even if it costs you... time or money.... Make the sacrifice for someone else; it might be more difficult, but life can be more meaningful and fulfilling. Do what might be unpopular knowing it will make a positive difference in the long run.
 
The grandson thinks for a second and asks, 'Then which wolf wins?' And the grandfather replies, 'The one that we feed.'
 
"Keep feeding the good wolf," Father Rob said. "The good side of our hearts. So much of our lives and decisions are affected by our value system. What are we feeding our minds and hearts? What do we believe matters most? Our lives are a product of the decisions that we make, the small ones and the big ones. Those two wolves are often fed by the people, places, and things that we engage in and with daily. Who am I hanging around with? Who and what am I listening to? What voices are important in my life? Our answers will be revealing and help us to know which side of our hearts we are feeding."
 
Not all of us are fortunate enough to have someone like Father Rob on our staff but we should find a way to share Life Lessons with our team members on a consistent basis.
 
How do you consistently feed the good wolf of your team members?

Jay Wright guided Villanova Basketball to the National Championship in 2016 and 2018.In Coach Wright's fantastic book, "Attitude" he describes the foundation of Villanova Basketball:
 
"Attitude" is the most important of our Villanova values, and the very last word we say to one another before taking the court. We believe that a great attitude is a prerequisite for success—and that any success we achieve on the court is less about strategy and technique than it is about a team-first, can-do spirit."
 
Talking about what your values are is one thing; but "The Final Test of Teaching is Application" (closing the gap between knowing and doing). Coach said this about their "Attitude" approach:
 
"We work extra hard to ensure that everyone in our program—from the head coach through a freshman student office worker—understands that their contributions are valued. We even have a phrase for it, one of many we invoke often to remind ourselves of the core values that drive us: ‘Everyone's role is different, but their status is the same.'"
 
The application of what is being taught starts with the example of the teacher. Jay Wright is energetic, positive and humble. So are his teams. As Coach Wooden often said:
 
"No written word nor spoken plea
Can teach our youth what they should be
Nor all the books on all the shelves
It's what the teachers are themselves."
 
In addition to the example of the Teacher and the repeated use of key phrases or maxims Coach Wright has consistent group activities (team rituals) that reinforce and create the "Attitude" he wants from the team. In his book he describes the end of their "Night before the game team meeting":
 
"Capping off the video portion of the meeting is a two- to three-minute compilation of clips, accompanied by music, highlighting the work of the winner of what we call the "Attitude Club." The video consists of plays we track that are not on the standard box score—screen assists, extra passes, defensive deflections. The winner gets to select the music to accompany his piece. It's a feel-good video that fires the group up, and I'm as into it as anyone. The concept is to feature the unselfish hustle efforts by a single player and the entire team that we believe are so essential to success. When the video ends, we applaud and gather in a circle where we chant "1, 2, 3, Attitude!" before breaking for the night."
 
Coach Wright gets his teams from hearing him talk about "Attitude" to behaving with the proper "Attitude" by setting the proper example, consistent use of key maxims and consistent team activities (rituals).
 
"You haven't taught until they're doing it."

In 2016 and 2018 Coach Jay Wright guided Villanova Basketball to the National Championship. I think he will be a Hall of Fame Coach. He is already a Hall of Fame Human Being. In Coach Wright's fantastic book, "Attitude" it becomes clear that as a leader, Jay Wright executes a "Consistent Game Plan for Adversity". Whether it is a season ending injury, player illness or being upset in the NCAA Tournament, Coach Wright always responds (not reacts) the same way.
 
When a setback occurs, there is no drama or loss of self-control. Coach Wright stays calm. If there is a bright spot in the setback, he finds it and shares it with the team. In the face of adversity, he always manages to "count his blessings".
 
Then, whether it his him or Team Chaplin Father Rob Hagan, they talk to the team and put the setback in the proper perspective using a world view.
 
Next as a group they get to the specific controllable actions that caused the setback and get them fixed one at a time, one day at a time without wasting time by thinking or worrying about the "What Ifs" of the past or future. "Be here now" is a core value of Villanova Basketball.
 
In 2015 Villanova was the Number One Seed in the East for the NCAA Tournament but was upset by eight seed North Carolina State in the second round, ending their season. Here are some excerpts from his book Attitude that are examples of his Adversity Game Plan.
 
After the loss, the first thing Coach Wright did was "count his blessings" by sharing with his players his appreciation for their efforts:
 
"The message I delivered to them was all about how much we had accomplished: "We slipped up, but we didn't give up," I told them. I wanted them to appreciate that as much as I did."
 
The day after the game, Father Rob spoke to the team and "put the setback in the proper perspective":
 
"‘Do not be a stiff-necked people. When you have a stiff neck, you are kind of stuck, fixated in one direction. When we allow ourselves to move that neck and look around a bit, we can see the larger picture. If all we did was come to Villanova to win a national championship, then I guess you would consider the 2014–2015 season a failure. However, if we remember that we came to this university to grow in mind and spirit, to build relationships and life-lasting friendships, we will see the larger picture. When we give more than we receive, we may not win every game, but we will see a sunrise after every sunset and always see light through the darkness."
 
The team then moved forward and improved "one day at a time."Father Rob says: "The word crisis in Greek means opportunity. So, during a crisis in life we can ask ourselves, 'Where is the opportunity to grow stronger?''" Where's the advantage in the disadvantage? In his book, Coach Wright described their approach:
 
"Our goal is to have the guys treat each day with as much importance as any other. We borrow from the great John Wooden, the coaching legend from UCLA, who once said, "Make each day your masterpiece." We supplement that unforgettable (and poetic) piece of advice with a maxim of our own, "Be here now." Stay in the moment, from the first summer workout through whenever the final horn ends our season. "Don't look at what's ahead in a week or a month," we tell our guys. "Stay away from getting caught up in the ‘what may come' of the Big East or NCAA Tournaments."
 
The next season, Villanova won the National Championship.
 
What is your "Consistent Game Plan for Adversity"?
 

​Hall of Fame Basketball coach Denny Crum guided Louisville Basketball to six NCAA Final Four appearances (1972, 1975, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1986) and the 1980 and 1986 National Championships. Coach Crum was not given privileges on his journey to coaching fame.
 
Crum, a 1955 graduate of San Fernando High, played at Pierce Junior College (1955-57) before playing for John Wooden at UCLA (1957-59). He then worked as the Bruins' Graduate Assistant from 1959-61 and then spent six years as an Assistant coach and Head coach at Pierce Junior College before returning to UCLA as an Assistant Coach (1967-71), helping them win three National Championships. Upon becoming the Head Coach at Louisville in 1971, he built teams based on giving the players: "Responsibilities not Privileges".
 
The Introduction page of the notebook he gave his players stated:
 
"It is our responsibility to provide an opportunity for you to improve to your fullest potential. It is your responsibility to make the necessary sacrifices if you are to achieve what we feel you can"
 
You don't always have control over every situation. but you do have control of your own effort and your own mind. We can only achieve what you want to - so, let's be the best."
 
The second page of the players notebook had an extra-large bold-faced title set off from the body to the right at the very top: Responsibilities. The notebook then listed the specifics:
 
"Class Attendance: You are here to obtain an Education, therefore we place great emphasis on class attendance. You are required to attend all classes- we will not accept excuses for missed classes.
 
General Conduct: As a member of our basketball program you are a select person in the eyes of the community, faculty, and other students. It is your responsibility to conduct yourself in such a way that will keep the University of Louisville image what it has traditionally been. Be courteous and honest at all times. Dress neatly and keep yourself well groomed.
 
Equipment and Books: Turn in practice equipment after showering and pick up clean equipment for the next day. You are responsible for your equipment and books just as you are for your own personal items.
 
Additional Responsibilities: Pray and attend church regularly. You are here to get an education first and play basketball for the University of Louisville; but in each of your lives you should put your faith first.
 
Write to your parents at least once a week.
 
Sit up front in your classes.
 
Report all injuries and illnesses to one of the coaches and one of the trainers.
 
No Profanity is Allowed - Resorting to use of profanity is admission of restricted vocabulary and lack of self-control. Broaden your vocabulary and learn to control your thoughts and speech."
 
"If you treat players like adults, there's a better chance they'll act like adults," Crum says. "Part of an education is learning to make decisions and accepting the consequences."
 
A great team is built with people who want responsibilities, not people who need rules.
 
Who’s on your team?
 
What are their responsibilities?