In this episode, David sits down with Coach Jim Johnson, Speaker, Coach and Author, to discuss how leaders can effectively motivate others.
Coach Jim’s Bio:
Based on what transpired in 2006, Coach Jim Johnson is an authority on teamwork, leadership and realizing your dreams.
During what people call the “miracle game” Coach helped an autistic high school senior realize his dream of playing with the team. Hoping for just one basket, Coach, and the rest of the country, was amazed when Jason McElwain scored 20 points in 4 minutes.
In his keynote “Leadership Lessons from Half Court” Coach shares real-world tools attendees can implement right away. He has appeared on Oprah, Good Morning America, and ESPN and is the author of the book A Coach and a Miracle.
Coach Jim’s Links:
Website: https://coachjimjohnson.com
Book: https://coachjimjohnson.com/inspirational-motivational-book-products/
J-Mack Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmaIsE2nLZk&ab_channel=CMICK1275
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoachJimJohnson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachjimjohnson/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachJimJohnson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachjimjohnson/
Key Quotes:
1. “When you have a setback, you got to make it a comeback.”
2. “The closer I live to my personal mission, the better leader I became.”
3. “Who motivates the motivator?”
4. “The people that are successful are always learning.”
5. “The more that you can find ways to feed your mind is hugely beneficial.”
6. “If you don’t build trust with the people you’re working with, then you’re going to struggle trying to motivate them.”
7. “Do you actually have a plan to build trust with your team?”
8. “You have to have stories.”
9. “What kind of teammate are you?”
10. “Listen and ask more questions.”
11. “The more that you can develop leaders, the stronger your team is going to be.”
12. “Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?”
Links Mentioned In The Episode:
“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey: https://amzn.to/3pNXYD0
“Atomic Habits” by James Clear: https://amzn.to/3undE3F
“Season of Life” by Jeffrey Marx: https://amzn.to/3btPc85
Buy David’s NEW book Trusted Leader: https://www.trustedleaderbook.com/
David’s Links:
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David Horsager: Welcome to the trusted leader show it’s David Horsager and today I have a special guest coach Jim Johnson. Thanks for coming on the show author coach speaker friend, welcome.
Jim Johnson: Great to be here. Thanks David.
David Horsager: Hey, tell us three things we need to know about coach. Before I get into it.
Jim Johnson: Three things we know about coach. Well, I am a family man, I’ve been married for 38 years
Jim Johnson: To the same woman, which is always good. And we have one son. It’s been hard on us because he lives in California and we live in the east coast.
Jim Johnson: And I grew up in a family of educators, so I ended up being a teacher and coach, my, my father was actually my high school basketball coach. So I and I’m the oldest of six children. So I’ll give you a little quick background.
David Horsager: Well, you’re, you’re a coach turned kind of leadership expert resilience and all these kind of things.
David Horsager: Tell us about I want to get into this because they when I was, you know, I know you and I know some of the great we’re going to get into some of the principles that you share a little bit but
David Horsager: Tell us three times you took over programs basketball programs where you turn them around in a pretty short period of time.
David Horsager: Give us
David Horsager: Tell us, what did you do
Jim Johnson: Well, I’ll start with the bad news is my
Jim Johnson: Three, good ones was after the first one, where my first year as a head coach I lead this team to 17 consecutive losses and they fired me
David Horsager: That sounds like my high school, by the way.
David Horsager: High School. I think we were
David Horsager: Where we want about every game and football, I played for the winningest high school football coach in the state of Minnesota.
David Horsager: Okay, my senior year, I think we’re one in 19 in basketball.
Jim Johnson: Oh, wow.
David Horsager: Though, even though I was the captain. It’s not a proud place to be.
David Horsager: In basketball. So
Jim Johnson: Like you know what that did for me. And the reason I started with that is because
Jim Johnson: It really humbled me because I was, I got this job at 25 years old, I was pretty arrogant, because I had been successful as assistant coach and thought I knew everything about coaching and leadership and and after having that really difficult year. It really helped me
Jim Johnson: Ground me and realize that I had. And that’s when I started my study of leadership. And then I did one other break. I got is the next year. I worked for a college coach.
Jim Johnson: That ironically, I would have never known this. His name was building Gundy and his two sons have been head coaches in the NBA.
Jim Johnson: So coach Van Gundy took me under his wing. But then I really became a student of leadership. And the other thing is that I really learned
Jim Johnson: That when you have a setback, you got to make it a comeback and the one thing that I really drove me Dave was in my next 29 years as a head coach.
Jim Johnson: I never forgot that the fact that I always had to prove every day that I could do the job. So then the answer your question specifically I just was much more clear about my leadership principles in what I wanted to do and it started by being a better leader of me.
Jim Johnson: In number two is really getting clarity of the type of student athletes that I wanted to have on my team.
Jim Johnson: And those were. I mean, certainly we can get into more leadership principles, but those are where I started. And, and when I have more
Jim Johnson: more clarity. It really helped me and we were able to turn. I mean, I took over three programs that all hit losing teams before we got there.
Jim Johnson: In the latest we turned around and team and they have a winning record was the second year. So, so we were able to implement some things fairly quickly and got the ball rolling in the right direction.
David Horsager: All rolling. That’s all about you. That’s how you talk about, but let’s go to the what
David Horsager: Yeah. What you know we talked about this a lot. Trust is Leadership Institute and talking to, you know, our book my new book trusted leader but but we talked about that. Were you said you start by leading you haha what are you doing to lead you these days. And what did you do then.
Jim Johnson: Well, I definitely one of the first things is, is
Jim Johnson: You know, I started to read more. And one of the books that earlier. My career was I read seven habits from Dr covey. And one of the things he talked about
Jim Johnson: Was a your why what what’s your personal mission. And when I read the book, I will. I didn’t, I very little clarity about what I really wanted to be all about
Jim Johnson: And so I I really started in fact I this one things I teach people is how to discover your mission.
Jim Johnson: And when I get clarity about that is, is it my mission statement is to be an outstanding role model that makes a positive difference in the world by helping others make their dreams come true.
Jim Johnson: And when I get clarity about that my my players then really understood what I stood for.
Jim Johnson: There was no confusion. You know, I, that I was going to lead by example. I was gonna we were going to do things the right way we’re going to do things with integrity.
Jim Johnson: And we’re going to do that consistently day in and day out. Um, so that’s what I mean by leading by myself is, I think you have to have a foundation of what your why, why are you on this earth.
Jim Johnson: And then live it consistently and I’m not saying I’ve made my more my share of mistakes, but the closer I live to my personal mission, the better leader I became for others.
David Horsager: You know, this kind of gets to leading yourself. I think one thing i love that because I think you know it drives us this mission can drive us when we
David Horsager: You know, I often say your mission your goals can change that mission generally stays basically the same or you should change it. I mean, you know, everything comes under that. So if, if this goal doesn’t support that mission, you should change the goal always gotta change your mission right
David Horsager: Right, so
David Horsager: What about leading you from a, from a practical standpoint of of daily. I mean, what kind of, you know, a lot of times, great leaders like you. And certainly when you’re coaching and and as an athlete and I know you you’ve got an incredible marathon time still today but um
David Horsager: But what are you doing daily daily habits daily routine maybe to your morning routine or just habits. I know when you came in visit and stayed overnight. We had to make sure you worked out but but i but what what are some of the daily habits.
Jim Johnson: So I have a daily five that I do and they’re not necessarily all I do some things in the morning, but because of various because one of the things like I’m big on energy
Jim Johnson: So for me for energy. As you already mentioned, you know, I work out pretty much every single day in and, like, people say, you know, how do you have time to do that. I, I look at the other way. I
Jim Johnson: I need to do that because it just makes me such a stronger person because I have more energy by working out so you know one of the things I advise people is, is
Jim Johnson: It, you know, something like working out, is I make an appointment myself every day. Now I’m probably a little bit different.
Jim Johnson: Like I know my wife, when she was teaching, she would wake up at 430 in the morning, every day and work out before work. Now that’s not exactly my cup of tea. So I so like today, I worked out at six o’clock in the morning. So, and I did a workout and then
David Horsager: So very late riser. I mean, you were sleeping.
David Horsager: In I’ll tell you what.
Jim Johnson: So, but, you know, but there’s other days where I have like yesterday did a morning presentation. So I worked out in the afternoon, but what I do is I blacked out a time and say, Okay, this is what I’m going to work out when
David Horsager: You when you block that out. Like, when do you block that out in your calendar every week because you’re, you’re, you know, schedule changes like me. We got presentations runs virtual thing we’re getting interviewed by media or whatever it is.
David Horsager: Any book so you know what what do you do when do you schedule out your workouts.
Jim Johnson: I i do that every Sunday.
Jim Johnson: So I look at my week
Jim Johnson: And I I schedule and in, you know, and then I black in is okay, this is what I’m going to do this. So this is what I’m going to do this and and so I’d make an appointment. And I do that for the whole week for workouts.
Jim Johnson: How long is your workout normal workout.
Jim Johnson: Well, it varies. It can go as short as
Jim Johnson: 45 minutes to as long as two hours, depending on what I’m doing and they’re kind of like when I play tennis, because I played a club because I like you were in the winter right now so we’re not playing outside
Jim Johnson: You know, I have to drive the club. So it’s like a two hour commandments, do that.
Jim Johnson: But then when I work out. I have a you know a little home gym that I work out at home, then it would be a shorter workout. But I also
Jim Johnson: Been doing a daily walk. And just to finish the question daily five that I do that, I bet in the last three years.
Jim Johnson: I probably haven’t missed one of these five more than once. One of the things that I read a great book. Recently, you may have heard of it. Atomic habits by James clear
Jim Johnson: And one of the things that really stuck out in my mind, is he said when you’re developing habits, good or bad is especially the good ones. You don’t want to miss ever two days in a row.
Jim Johnson: So that was my concept. So my daily five is I do a workout. I do a daily prayer I do a daily meditation session.
Jim Johnson: I do a goal setting cards, where I read cards of what my objectives that are for basically these are annual goals and then I do a daily Journal of goals. So those are five things that I rarely, rarely ever miss
David Horsager: What. Well, how long does that take, let’s just go run through the thing so workout was 45 to two hours daily prayer meditate, you put these other for together. Do you do
Jim Johnson: Sometimes, sometimes not. Okay. What
David Horsager: Time frame on those
David Horsager: So we give people a clue because for things here that are pretty cool that you can actually people could get done quicker than they think. And it could be right.
Jim Johnson: Powerful prayer 10 to 15 minutes meditation 15 to 20
Jim Johnson: The gold cards. Three minutes. The a goal journal 10 minutes
David Horsager: Okay, those gold cards. When you usually do those
Jim Johnson: I do those two sometimes three times a day. They’re always when I get up in the morning I get in front of a mirror. The first thing I always say to myself, is I am responsible because I take charge of my life. And then I
Jim Johnson: I also do some mantras, as well as gold. Like I shared to myself that I like myself, I share to myself that I have an infinite mindset.
Jim Johnson: You know, so those are just couple of few mantras that I do. I do that in the morning. I always do it right before I go to bed and sometimes I will do it in the middle of the day as well.
David Horsager: Give us it you know every everybody’s different on this and I just on the meditation time if you’re open to sharing it.
Jim Johnson: What’s your
David Horsager: What kind of thing do you do to read something to you, then, what’s that mean to you.
Jim Johnson: Okay. So meditation for me and I’ve been experimenting with different things. So I do
Jim Johnson: I start with a breathing exercise. So that takes between 30 and 45 seconds, then I do a mantra.
Jim Johnson: With one of my business goals right now, so I will actually repeat the mantra somewhere between 10 and 15 times where I’m also doing breathing.
Jim Johnson: Then I actually do. Because I’m an avid tennis player. I actually do some visualization and me playing tennis. So that’s another thing I do. And then I do a just a muscle relaxer and finish with another breathing exercise. Hmm.
David Horsager: That’s interesting. And if you’re willing to share it. What’s one of your big goals this year.
Jim Johnson: So the goal is now because I’ve been making the pivot is is I want to double my virtual presentations, which I say until the coven thing. I didn’t think I’d ever say
David Horsager: Yeah. And what’s that mean how many
Jim Johnson: I want to do 50 this year.
Jim Johnson: Okay, average for a month is what my goal is so
David Horsager: There you go. Yeah, it’s great. So, so what these days. How are you, are there any actually you think about HABITS AND ROUTINES any boundaries that you put out there and sake. You say, I say no to this so that I can do that.
Jim Johnson: Yeah, that’s a great question because of the, one of the things that I’ve started to do better is, I call it my big three and
Jim Johnson: When I when I write out my big three for the week and I write out what I try to do every single night as I put together a list and I tried to do my big three.
Jim Johnson: And making sure the other thing I’m starting to do much better as I do what I call time block. So for example, if I’m working on.
Jim Johnson: You know business emails or whatever. I will blackout a certain amount of time I do some social media. So I black out a certain period of time.
Jim Johnson: But what I tried to do like boundaries. For example, like I never bring my phone into my bedroom. Okay, so I know that goes stays downstairs.
Jim Johnson: When I get up in the morning. I never unless it’s rare exception where I think something that I might have to deal with right in the morning. I never looked at my email.
Jim Johnson: My email is always done usually late morning 30 minutes and then I usually try to go back and do the one other 15 to 20 minute block a time so I try never to look at my new Mel’s morn twice a day.
David Horsager: Great. So let me, let me ask you this, on the big three. Is that a weekly or a daily thing. We call those at our office, we call DMA is difference making actions.
David Horsager: Yeah, um, you know, like Collins, who we agree with you, said if you have more than three push forward priorities, you don’t have any right
David Horsager: Right, so
David Horsager: But what are your big three. What’s that look like is that a weekly or daily
Jim Johnson: So I do a weekly where I go big three. And then I usually will look at and say, Okay, one of the big threes. I want to really focus on today. So I have three objectives for that.
David Horsager: Okay, good. Love it. What keeps you motivated
Jim Johnson: Well, you know, I heard somebody say this once i think is great, who motivates the motivator. Because, you know, that’s kind of what I am right. I’m a motivator. So
Jim Johnson: I think the best thing that that has been helpful for me is I’m a student of learning. I’m curious.
Jim Johnson: In there for like, you know what, like I have a one little talk. I don’t do that much, but it’s it really helped me in foundation life I caught the 10 questions all effective leaders should be able to answer.
Jim Johnson: And like one of them is what is your personal growth plan so like I. One of the things that because a feeding my mind in my curiosity helps me immensely to for my motivation and then
Jim Johnson: Because one of my major goals is to inspire other people. So like learning and trying to share ideas of things I’ve learned. I’ve tried you know
Jim Johnson: I mean I’ve stolen a lot of ideas. As for sure, but, you know, the thing is, is I think the people that are are successful are always learning, they’re always trying to gain ideas and then they go to use it, how it benefits them.
Jim Johnson: You know, not necessarily the exact same way that Dave, you would do it, or someone else to do it. You know, it’s got to fit my style. You know what I’m doing.
Jim Johnson: But, you know, like, again I caught the two for one, I think in feeding your mind, you can really be cognizant like like I do have a goal every to goal of my goal is to read a book, a week. Okay.
Jim Johnson: Okay, so I like the first thing I do in the morning tomorrow morning routine first 10 minutes when I get up as a read for 10 minutes. Okay, before I do anything else.
Jim Johnson: So, and then periodically during the day, if I have a short little break. I may just read for another 510 minutes. You know, I always have my book ready for me.
Jim Johnson: But then, you know, things that people here, but I don’t think they really, for example, I go for a walk. When I go for a walk. I listen to podcasts.
Jim Johnson: Okay, when I exercise where I’m home now. I wouldn’t do this playing tennis because I’m playing somebody else.
Jim Johnson: But if I’m, you know, going out for a jog or writing my exercise bike, I put on and listen to podcasts or or I might put a video on while I’m watching TV, you know, something like that.
Jim Johnson: And then the other simple one is when I drive my car, you know, I’m listening to audio program. I mean, it was it sometimes I’ll listen to music. Because once a while. It’s good to listen to
Jim Johnson: Music You enjoy, but I think, you know, the more that you can find ways to feed your mind is just hugely beneficial.
David Horsager: Absolutely input equals output right
David Horsager: Absolutely. So tell it, you know, give us as long as we’re on the topic. Can you give us one or two more of the 10 questions that you talked about from the the
David Horsager: Student What was the 10 questions.
Jim Johnson: 10 questions all effective leader should be able to answer.
David Horsager: A couple more of those.
Jim Johnson: You’re okay. So, uh, what is your why your personal mission statement, do you have in a writing. Another one is, what are your top three values. Okay, which does connect with your personal mission. Another one is what is your personal wellness plan I talked about your personal growth plan.
Jim Johnson: What is your financial independence plan.
Jim Johnson: You know, which right now. I mean, you know, and that’s saying this is a because if I would have been hit 25 years ago by coven
Jim Johnson: I would have met in dire straits. Because when I was in like around 30 my financial independence plan was to get to Friday so I could pay my bills. Okay.
Jim Johnson: Then all of a sudden I started to read. And I go, this is not how I want to live. Now fortunately I mean coven really hurt my my speaking business. There’s no question about it. I took a nosedive plus
Jim Johnson: I was apprehensive about going into virtual events. So I took me a while to pivot. I didn’t. And that was something I didn’t do well in the fact I really had a lot of reflection myself, do I want to stay in this business.
Jim Johnson: But the, the other side of that coin is is that i i’m financially independent. I mean, I’m not Bill Gates, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t have to work to live. Okay. So I work because I love it. And that’s a nice place to be for sure.
David Horsager: So certainly good questions. Let’s let let’s let’s jump into motivation and another way because you’ve been like you said you’re a motivator and you motivated, a lot of basketball players and you had you
David Horsager: Know you become known with the the J Mac and sp and all those kind of things. Meet
David Horsager: President and whatnot but
David Horsager: How do you, how did you motivate those players. How do you motivate. How do you motivate anyone else.
Jim Johnson: Well, I think the huge thing is is you have to get to know them, you have to build personal relationships because if you don’t build relationships, we’re going back and you’ll like this word, I think you’ve heard of it called trust.
Jim Johnson: Right, if you don’t build trust with the people you’re working with, and you’re, you’re going to struggle trying to motivate them because they won’t
Jim Johnson: respect you. They won’t count on you. So I think just it starts by by that daily, you know, and debut, you know, this is what you’re famous for.
Jim Johnson: But, like, one of the things I talked to leaders about is do you actually have a plan to build trust with your team, like we did you know we we broke it down into
Jim Johnson: things we want to do. We wanted to tell each other the truth, we wanted to be vulnerable with each other.
Jim Johnson: And we wanted to try to do more positive reinforcement by catching people doing right as Ken Blanchard famously put
Jim Johnson: So, you know, those are things that we tried to do consistently to build trust because once you start to build trust and you get to know your people.
Jim Johnson: Because you don’t treat everybody the same. And that’s where we get into is
Jim Johnson: What motivates you Dave may not motivate me or vice versa, or what motivates Sally might not motivate Mary. So what are the things is, yes, there’s are some general things like we had a quote of the day every day.
Jim Johnson: Now, but some people are going to take that quote in much stronger than others, but I think it’s, it’s just constantly. And the other thing that I found
Jim Johnson: In motivation is you have to have stories, you have to have illustrations, where people can embrace, you know, and for me with, you know, with basketball. I was always telling stories you know of maybe players that played before them.
Jim Johnson: You know, professional players and trying to point out both good examples and bad examples they go to always bring up. How come you know basketball.
Jim Johnson: How come the bronze teams, teams always win and Carmelo Anthony’s team has done.
Jim Johnson: Okay, and not to pick on either one of those guys I probably have a little both Carmelo Anthony, but there is something to do, you know, right now in basketball Kyrie Irving
Jim Johnson: One of the most talented guys in the NBA. He’s in it. He’s on a wall. He can’t trust him. You can count on him, you know,
Jim Johnson: And when you get into that thing, it goes back to what we were talking about, you know, you asked me how we turned our programs around. You got to get the right people on the bus. You know, I’m still on the Jim Collins thing but it’s so true. If you don’t have the right people.
Jim Johnson: You know, because talent is important. Don’t get me wrong, but you guys, I was talking to somebody the other day like about picking a team.
Jim Johnson: And we’re not going to pick GUYS, THEY CAN’T DRIBBLE, you know, to play basketball. I mean, that doesn’t make sense. But at the same time.
Jim Johnson: If one guy’s a little bit more talent than the other but one guy’s attitude in ability to accept the rule is so much better that guy that a little more talent, we’re probably going to cut and keep the other guy because that’s important and building that team.
David Horsager: How did you pick them like you got a little bit of time get spring training and you got this, you know, you know, you got this little bit of time that you get a
David Horsager: To be with them. See these number of players. You got to cut it down to five. Or maybe you get 10 or whatever, you know, in basketball. You don’t get so many players like
David Horsager: Football, you can fill it with 50 or whatever you need all these people want to play. How did you pick. I mean, especially when you start turning those teams around
David Horsager: How did you pick. And I think you pick differently than some people probably would have the year before wanted to and there was probably a lot of frustration, but how are you choosing people
Jim Johnson: Well, I will say, and this is, you know, I mean, we were targeting. So we spent a lot of time with our team in the offseason
Jim Johnson: Okay, so we weren’t going into the three day trial or five day trial with no background of the guys that were trying out for the team. Okay.
Jim Johnson: But once in a while, they give me an example is somebody may transfer into our school and I don’t get to know him very well. He tries out for the team.
Jim Johnson: Then, you know, just like people going for a job. I’m checking their references. I’m going to go to his teachers. I’m going to
Jim Johnson: See if I can call the other school where he came from. Talk to maybe the coach there, whatever. So we were going to do some background checking because it was that important.
Jim Johnson: And then as far as the overall with the guys that we knew
Jim Johnson: You know, we would work testing them all the time. How are they going to handle certain situations. Plus, we did a lot of things like a goal setting individually. We talked to our players.
Jim Johnson: You know, we really tried to build our team mission, which was developed winners on and off the court. We really wanted clarity.
Jim Johnson: And we are defining every single day. What does it take to win on the court. It’s not just winning the game all that certainly a measurable thing.
Jim Johnson: We also want to do you know what kind of teammate, are you, you know, like when we talked about aspects of picking a team.
Jim Johnson: One of the things we talked about was, we want to we over me, guys. We want to guys that were thinking of the team first
Jim Johnson: We want to guys that were humble, whether we won or lost. They could handle both of those in the correct way.
Jim Johnson: I and we want to guys that had drive that wanted they wanted to be coached and wanted to be better. And if they didn’t fit those components.
Jim Johnson: They would have probably hardly I used to tell our guys I’m excited about our team in our organization. We’re going to do special things, but it’s not for everybody. You know, you got to be willing to do some certain things because we’re making a commitment each other.
David Horsager: Yeah, well, you wrote the book a coach and a miracle life lessons from Amanda believed in an autistic boy. Yeah. And you talked about story before, and many people have seen it, they’ve heard it around the world. Give us the two minute version of the story of what happened that amazing night.
Jim Johnson: Yeah, so I will Jason J Mac mcilwaine is was a young man that was on the autism spectrum and learning disabled and he tried out for our team for three consecutive years, and didn’t make it any of the years
Jim Johnson: But he served as our team manager and what would really separated him.
Jim Johnson: Is that he had such a commitment. He came to all our offseason and program. He was always there and he was a giver before is a taker is always willing to do the extra to help his team and that kind of thing.
Jim Johnson: So his senior when he didn’t make the team. So I told him I was going to give them a gift and the gift was I was going to put them
Jim Johnson: In uniform for SENIOR NIGHT. And then I was going to get him. Hopefully in the game. Well, we’re just over four minutes to go. I got him in the place exploded.
Jim Johnson: And I usually am pretty macho guy, but I didn’t know that one of our parents made all these placards of Jason’s face and gave them to our students. And when he entered the game, Mr macho sat down and started to cry.
Jim Johnson: Then
David Horsager: But then the big things started happening.
Jim Johnson: Yes, they are. Yes.
David Horsager: If you haven’t seen this. It’s amazing will even put a link in the show notes at trusted leader show.com but tell us about it.
Jim Johnson: So he gets in the game. The first time he touches the ball. He has a three pointer from the corner and he lets it go in the crowd kind of stands in anticipation and Mrs by like six feet.
Jim Johnson: And I can get
Jim Johnson: Kid people that I know you’re not supposed to pray in the public schools. But I am a man of faith and I was praying
Jim Johnson: So please, God help us get one basket.
Jim Johnson: Next possession. He missed it, much shorter shot, but he hit the rim. So I thought, God, starting to listen we’re getting closer.
Jim Johnson: And he’s third possession. He makes a three pointer and the place just explodes Dave and I was so thrilled. I’m thinking, God must be a basketball fan Natalie is Jason scored. He’s got a three pointer can’t gain better than this. Right.
Jim Johnson: Wrong for the next three minutes he turns into his boyhood idol. The light gray Kobe Bryant and like Colby he just starts making shot after shot.
Jim Johnson: And the two things I’ll never forget, with a minute ago.
Jim Johnson: I’m saying the bench cannot believe what I’m seeing tears rolling down my face and I get a tip on my shoulder. I look behind me. It’s J. Maxx mother.
Jim Johnson: She’s bawling her eyes out. And she whispers of May your coach. This is the best gift you could ever give him my son, of course, what would you have done, I cried harder and then
Jim Johnson: How the game ended Spencer Porter pointed at night and I want to give kudos to their coach and their players that were great sports and I they score.
Jim Johnson: In our player takes it out of bounds with less than 10 seconds to go. And he normally throws it to our point guard. He throws the Jason
Jim Johnson: And Jason dribbling down. And I thought, spend support would just let them go. And he go in and make a layup. Oh no, he pulls up like two feet behind the arc
Jim Johnson: A. Let’s go this shot and think JASON DON’T YOU THIS WAY TOO FAR THIS RAIN go ball goes swish I look over our student body runs on the for our players are on the foreign think I’m living in the movie, Rudy.
Jim Johnson: And
David Horsager: 2020 2020 points in three minutes.
Jim Johnson: Yeah, they scored 20 points. Three minutes he had the game ball over his head and
Jim Johnson: Our students are our players, put them up on their shoulders and you know it’s interesting because I ended up having a, you know, from a win loss and championships.
Jim Johnson: pretty successful basketball coaching career, but nothing ever touched my heart and soul, like that. Was it was absolutely the greatest moment of in coaching, bar none. Yeah.
David Horsager: And all of a sudden you’re getting calls from ESPN and
David Horsager: Around the world, and it was a non stop media frenzy and it kind
David Horsager: Of has been 15 year anniversary on that night.
Jim Johnson: Here coming up and feminists and
David Horsager: So that’s exciting. So it’s a great book. Let’s touch on before we start bringing it all together here you got, you know, seven.
David Horsager: Leadership keys to be an effective leader. People need to buy the book and they need to listen to all the have to say, but let’s touch on one of those
David Horsager: That you want to pick out one or two of them go ahead and and let’s jump into one or two of those that you think let’s share that with this audience of trusted leaders.
Jim Johnson: Okay, you know, Mr. Because I’m not going to steal your thunder because one of them is building trust and but that’s already you cover that. So I’ll go to another one so
Jim Johnson: I’m going to say to the first one is effective communication and why that’s so essential. I mean, it’s obvious, but not so obvious.
Jim Johnson: Is that the best thing that I did as a coach I became better and you know doing little speeches before games and that kind of thing.
Jim Johnson: But the best thing I did because the ironic thing about the J. Maxx season was. That was the lowest point in my career Early in the season. We had a tragic event. It takes too long to get into it isn’t in my book.
Jim Johnson: But it divided the team and the next three weeks, was the worst part of my coaching career ever
Jim Johnson: And then the J Mac game and then we won the Section five title for the first time, all in the same season so is pretty incredible. But what why I bring it up is because
Jim Johnson: We were really going down the wrong path. And I brought him in after a game at a Christmas tournament. The next day, because we didn’t have school
Jim Johnson: And the best thing I ever did is I said guys, because we were playing in the championship game we’re playing a really good team and the way we were playing I
Jim Johnson: Told him I shocked him I didn’t bring any balls out I sentimental beaches. Nice. I looked him in the eyes. I said, guys.
Jim Johnson: Unless we decide we’re going to be a team tonight we’re going to lose by 50 points. But the best thing I did is I stopped talking and I said, You guys got to share and how we can unite
Jim Johnson: In and they finally started open up and that night it manifested. We didn’t beat that team, but we lost him and overtime and a show. Will we could do and then it really
Jim Johnson: Created some momentum. So the huge thing that I got way better. And in became very cognizant is to listen and ask more questions, Vic.
Jim Johnson: The last decade of my career would we had tremendous success, we would have a captain’s meeting every week and simply was asking them questions and just sitting and listening.
Jim Johnson: And they, it was so beneficial. It really helped the night, our team and lead us in the right direction than the
Jim Johnson: Give you two more have one real quick because it’s simple, but it’s just something I think we got to really be cognizant of is
Jim Johnson: One of my keys is lead by example and and I think that is so important. We used to tell our players all the time. You’re always onstage.
Jim Johnson: And and we forget it. We almost every leader will say that’s important, but there’s too many leaders and are doing it consistently.
Jim Johnson: And then the last one which you know I’ve gotten to the point where I’m not even sure we really should say
Jim Johnson: This should be part of leadership, because I think it’s the essence of leadership and that servant leadership and that’s the ability to flip the pyramid.
Jim Johnson: And and and really what I think servant leadership is the ability to learn to teach your team. How to be leaders and the more that you can develop leaders, the stronger your team is going to be
David Horsager: Love it. Those are great. I’ll tell you the always on the stage thing is that even more so now with social media. I think if if people don’t recognize it’s it’s not, you’re not always on stage, it’s always on stage. This is always there. Right.
David Horsager: So that’s fantastic.
David Horsager: Let’s jump in here. There’s so much. I get asked so much I could look at and with together with you and I just appreciate it. Our friendship. Let’s get into a quick little lightning round.
David Horsager: What’s your favorite book or resource right now.
Jim Johnson: Well, I brought up the favorite book that I’ve read recently was atomic habits, but I’m an avid reader. So there’s so many great books. I love
Jim Johnson: Stephen Covey’s, you know, seven habits is probably one of my all time favorites.
Jim Johnson: I also big Patrick lunch he only fan right and number. His books and and actually a book that I did want to bring up because I took a few notes, was that
Jim Johnson: It’s called a season of life by Jeffrey marks and it’s a book about football based on a true story, but it was just a great book was
Jim Johnson: Written by about a guy named Joe ermine that played in the NFL and he came back and use a volunteer assistant and just talked about all the life lessons that they did it with the coaching and the players I boy I just admired it
David Horsager: Sounds great. What’s the best advice you’ve been given or favorite quote
Jim Johnson: Attitudes are contagious is years worth catching
David Horsager: That’s good attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching all right coach Jim Johnson, what is left on the bucket list. What’s the big thing. What do you still hope for.
Jim Johnson: Will
Jim Johnson: Say two things from a
Jim Johnson: Professional standpoint is I just want to continue. I’m working on a second book for leadership by it’s
Jim Johnson: Working with a college professor here in Rochester, and it’s going to be for young and emerging leaders and want to get it done by the end of this year.
Jim Johnson: So I’m really excited about that. And I just want to continue to inspire people with my presentations and just everything I do that in Dave, you made a great point with social media. I want to be very cognizant that when I
Jim Johnson: post something I’m trying to people give people value and I’m trying to inspire and and make them feel a little bit better so that thing.
Jim Johnson: And then from a personal standpoint, what we’re trying to figure out my wife and I, when we get to his pandemic, how we can a little bit closer to my
Jim Johnson: My son and I guess the personal touches because I become an you know i basketball. I was a basketball junkie for over three decades now is a scary thing to say I’m a tennis junkie.
David Horsager: So you are
David Horsager: I’ll tell you what Minnesota’s halfway there from New York to California. So you know you. But the problem is, you’d still have the, the winner for tennis. So maybe you’ll get all the way over there at least partway Arizona’s a good tennis state i here.
David Horsager: Right, so
David Horsager: That’s fantastic. Well, this has been coached Jim Johnson, before I get to the last question, where can they find out more about you.
Jim Johnson: So my website is coach Jim Johnson, Dad, calm, so that way I wouldn’t forget it and
Jim Johnson: You know, I’m on social media. I’m on Twitter and LinkedIn and Facebook, and even have started a little bit of Instagram, although I haven’t quite figured that one out yet so
Jim Johnson: But you know, I do post I do an inspirational post every morning that I do a leadership thought every afternoon. I also have a monthly newsletter that they can pick up for free and also a
Jim Johnson: Weekly, a blog that we do. That’s also complimentary and then my book is still selling and if people are interested if they buy it on the website. Right now we’re selling a discount and I, I’d be glad to sign it for them as well so sure.
David Horsager: All right, we’ll put all that information in the show notes trust the leaders show.com Jim. Last question. It’s the trusted leader show. So who is a leader you trust and why
Jim Johnson: You know i i started, write this down because I and I have to break this down real quick for you is that would be multiple from a coaching standpoint and was the late, great john wooden
Jim Johnson: Because I just studied him in the more that I learned I mean obviously what he did at the end of his career. No one’s ever going to match winning 10 national championships, but the more that I learned about the person he was.
Jim Johnson: Really made especially, you know, just to things like that. He was so devoted to his wife, you know, he was a family person. He was so devoted to players and teaching and then
Jim Johnson: As far as like, you know, like I had the pleasure. I know you know them better than I do. But I did get a chance to meet them. I’m just a big Ken Blanchard fan. I
Jim Johnson: And I was a big Stephen Covey fan, because you know what, I think the thing that is what I admire about you, Dave, as well as I believe you live your message and
Jim Johnson: I I’ve always felt that people that I’ve studied or became friends with their new is I wanted to know that I could trust them, because what they said and what they do are consistent and that’s why I admire.
Jim Johnson: Yourself and why I admired. A couple of people. They said, and certainly if I, the last thing I’ll say the one person. I would love to be able to meet just because of what he did for our country would be Dr. Martin Luther King
David Horsager: Yeah. Well, those are some great ones to look at, for sure. Ken Blanchard you know I’m so grateful to know him. But, you know, talking about a guy who’s just the same on stage and off and just
Jim Johnson: Humble and just
David Horsager: wants the best for others. And so lots here, and certainly the way you live life to I’m inspired by and I’m so grateful for you. So lots to take away
David Horsager: From this time together, you know, leading me first. The we over the me make a big three every day and every week time block never bring the phone to the bedroom. Some people could learn from that, I think, never, never bring them.
David Horsager: Don’t look at your email right away in the morning, the daily five make your daily five and for you. It begins with blocking off a workout.
David Horsager: I am responsible love that mantra every morning the create a personal why
David Horsager: Have a personal growth plan and a personal wellness plan a find financial independence plan feed your mind, read a book every week, you’re always on stage.
David Horsager: servant leadership and a whole lot more coach Jim Johnson. Thank you so much for being on the trusted leader show and for all those listening. Thanks for being here. We’ll see you next time. And stay trusted.
