Mike Krzyzewski Quotes

44 Sourced Quotes

The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions.

Mike Krzyzewski
Leaders have to give time for relationships. But more demands will be placed on their time as they become more successful. So if a person's success is based on developing relationships, then they have to continually find new ways of getting it done

Mike Krzyzewski
In leadership, there are no words more important than trust. In any organization, trust must be developed among every member of the team if success is going to be achieved

Mike Krzyzewski
A leader has to be positive about all things that happen to his team. Look at nothing in the past as failure.

Mike Krzyzewski
I love practice. It is when a coach exercises the most control over the improvement of his or her team.

Mike Krzyzewski
There is always a way to win. Never say you cannot do it.

Mike Krzyzewski
One of the worst things anybody can do is assume. I think fools assume. If people have really got it together, they never assume anything. They believe, they work hard, and they prepare- but they don't assume.

Mike Krzyzewski
You develop a team to achieve what one person cannot accomplish alone. All of us alone are weaker, by far, than if all of us are together.

Mike Krzyzewski
When you are passionate, you always have your destination in sight and you are not distracted by obstacles. Because you love what you are pursuing, things like rejection and setbacks will not hinder you in your pursuit. You believe that nothing can stop you!

Mike Krzyzewski
During critical periods, a leader is not allowed to feel sorry for himself, to be down, to be angry, or to be weak. Leaders must beat back these emotions

Mike Krzyzewski
A common mistake among those who work in sport is spending a disproportional amount of time on "x's and o's" as compared to time spent learning about people.

Mike Krzyzewski
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

Mike Krzyzewski
When a leader takes responsibility for his own actions and mistakes, he not only sets a good example, he shows a healthy respect for people on his team

Mike Krzyzewski
Are you going to show integrity only when someone is watching you - or are you going to show it all the time?

Mike Krzyzewski
In our program, the truth is the basis of all we do. There is nothing more important than the truth because there's nothing more powerful than the truth. Consequently, on our team, we always tell each other the truth. We must be honest with one another. There is no other way.

Mike Krzyzewski
Encourage members of your team to take the initiative and act on their own.

Mike Krzyzewski
Throughout the season, I look into my players eyes to gauge feelings, confidence levels, and to establish instant trust.

Mike Krzyzewski
Making shots counts, but not as much as the people who make them.

Mike Krzyzewski
In all forms of leadership, whether you are a coach, a CEO, or a parent, there are four words that, when said, can bring out the best in your team, your employees, and your family. I BELIEVE IN YOU. Those four words can mean the difference between a fear of failure and the courage to try.

Mike Krzyzewski
You cannot merely expect culture to be a natural occurrence; it has to be taught and made a part of your everyday routine.

Mike Krzyzewski
Visualize a wagon wheel as a complete team. A leader might be the hub of the wheel at the center. Now suppose the spokes are the connecting relationships the leader is building with people on the outer rim of the wheel. If the hub is removed, then the entire wheel collapses. In a situation like that, if a team loses the leader, the entire team collapses.

Mike Krzyzewski
During the season, your team should be led with exuberance and excitement. You should live the journey. You should live it right. You should live it together. You should live it shared. You should try to make one another better. You should get on one another if somebody's not doing their part. You should hug one another when they are. You should be disappointed in a loss and exhilarated in a win. It's all about the journey.

Mike Krzyzewski
In putting together your standards, remember that it is essential to involve your entire team. Standards are not rules issued by the boss; they are a collective identity. Remember, standards are the things that you do all the time and the things for which you hold one another accountable.

Mike Krzyzewski
Leaders should be reliable without being predictable. They should be consistent without being anticipated

Mike Krzyzewski
It takes courage not only to make decisions, but to live with those decisions afterward

Mike Krzyzewski
If a team cannot perform with excellence at a moment's notice, they probably will fail in the long run.

Mike Krzyzewski
A leader may be the most knowledgeable person in the world, but if the players on his team cannot translate that knowledge into action, it means nothing.

Mike Krzyzewski
Mutual commitment helps overcome the fear of failure—especially when people are part of a team sharing and achieving goals. It also sets the stage for open dialogue and honest conversation.

Mike Krzyzewski
Communication does not always occur naturally, even among a tight-knit group of individuals. Communication must be taught and practiced in order to bring everyone together as one

Mike Krzyzewski
Courage gives a leader the ability to stand straight and not sway, no matter which way the wind blows.

Mike Krzyzewski