A Leadership Lesson From Tom Izzo

“A player-coached team is always better than a coach-coached team.” - Tom Izzo

Coach Izzo wouldn't remember me from Adam, but he's made a great impact on my life. I spent a few weeks for a couple summers in a row working in his basketball camps, got the chance to sit in a few film sessions, and even attend a few practices during college. It was an amazing experience, but something that's probably been fairly common in his 30+ years on the sideline at Michigan State.

Even from such a short window of time, I have lots of good stories and lessons. The quick lesson I'll share today is about creating an organization with strong culture. His famous quote above embodies part of the way he lives at MSU: A culture of accountability and toughness.

Coach Izzo is a very genuine person. He never beats around the bush. He says what he thinks, but tells you in a way that you can understand. Some people see the yelling and anger on the sideline and think, "what a tyrant!" but it couldn't be further from the truth. He tells you exactly what you need to hear. He is fiery and passionate, and he's like that every day. That's why his players love him so much. They feed off of that energy, and they also always know exactly what is expected. They recruit guys who are fiery like he is, and they create adversity every day in practice. Players with the same desire to win, the discipline to get better, and who want to be held accountable are what Michigan State basketball is all about.

Izzo's nickname around the locker room is "Chief" due to his nature, and it's a very fitting name. He cares about everyone who walks in the building and on campus. If he's yelling at you, it's for a reason you know about, and he's holding you accountable to the standard you have agreed on. Izzo's leadership has lasted so long because none of his persona and actions are fake. You don't have to question what is going on ever when you're around Chief. They have extreme clarity around what is expected, and so the players feel free to operate within the standard that's been set.

A great leader is critical to any organization's success. However, Chief points out a deeper truth: leadership becomes most powerful when it’s not just top-down, but shared and embodied by the people in the trenches. It's what makes the difference between average or good teams and transforms them into great teams or even champions.

The same applies beyond sports. A household, workplace, or community runs best when leadership isn’t only centralized in one person but spread among the people within it. When men step up to lead—whether they’re the “head coach” (a father, a manager, a mentor) or a “player” (a colleague, a husband, a friend)—they create strength, resilience, and accountability that can’t be manufactured from the top down.

So your goal today is this: Lead at your level. Determine what good leadership looks like in your role, how you can make the people around you 1% more successful, and take action. Stop dreaming about what you'd do "if" you got the promotion, and make the plays you need to make to ensure when the promotion comes around, you are the obvious choice!