Listen Up, Leaders: A Record-Setting Coach’s Guide to Communication

Tara VanDerveer has more wins than any other coach in NCAA basketball history. But as she says, motivating and leading teams isn’t about barking orders. Communication, she says, “starts, number one, with listening.”

For VanDerveer, leadership isn’t about a power dynamic, but a collaboration between her and her team. “I can’t do it by myself, and they can’t do it by themselves. But as a team, we can,” she says. From seeking opinions from her assistant coaches to connecting with players about life outside the gym, VanDerveer recognizes that championships are won through communication. “The relationships that you have with your players, the communication that you have with them, will determine your success as a coach,” she says.

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, VanDerveer and host Matt Abrahams explore more communication insights from on and off the court — being clear and concise, giving praise and positive feedback, and letting go of perfectionism.