GTHC

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I wrote this post in 2010 about my experience with Duke Basketball. Today is the BIG GAME between UNC/Duke in Cameron…Can’t wait! GTHC!!! I don’t work there anymore but I still believe in Coach K and his empire. Once you get a taste it is hard to forget. 
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Go Devils!
I didn’t really care about sports during my undergraduate experience. I actually went to college for the academics.
When I arrived at my graduate school I realized that mob mentality could easily be inspired by a basketball…this mentality often led to fires (win or lose) and police officers with pepper spray on horses in the middle of fraternity row—where I lived. “Hey guys, don’t forget to move the benches in off the porch.”
And now at my first school of employment …a place where Tarheels are told to go to Hell in the way that some people say hello, the darker shade of blue, the place where the coach only needs one letter for you to know who he is (he’s better than Madonna or Britney) The school where the priorities are clearly spelled out by the height of the buildings on campus…God, basketball, and oh wait, was there something else? Yeah, there is actually a lot more but at 11:45 PM we have entered NIGHTTIME DUKE so  we don’t need to talk about that other stuff…let’s just have fun; let’s PARTY HARD and work even harder after we finally awake tomorrow morning…
Being in Cameron is like walking into Wonderland. It is a lot smaller than it looks on TV. There is a large Devil walking around who you actually find quite endearing, a Crazy Towel Guy (what’s the story?), an intensely choreographed student section that extends their magical arms to the center of the court and zaps the opposing players with their blue cloud of voodoo…can you hear it? OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!  Look at all the banners hanging from the rafters…”Our students leave Duke as champions” Thank God I have a little something to do with that…I HOPE!
“Cause every time we touch I get this feeling…”
“D-U-K-E!”
“Rip ‘Em Up, Tear ‘Em Up, Give ‘Em Hell, Duke”
The first time I went to a game I LITERALLY ran into Dickie V…he gave me a hug and I was a goner! The IFC President taught me all the chants and dances—DM is my favorite B-Ball Buddy EVER!

On a campus of hierarchy/ranks/core (the # changes each year) Duke B-Ball is the Great Equalizer.

I now know what Durkheim meant when he spoke of collective effervescence.
My heart jumps out of my chest and I can’t contain my excitement.
I understand why the students talk about basketball as if it is a living-breathing animal…because it is.
I get why (really?)—Yes, why they would camp out to experience a Duke/UNC B-Ball Game. I’ve been to two and they were AMAZING!

I become a part of Duke in that moment in a way that makes this place that I call work actually my home…from here on out my heart will bleed a little Duke blue, a little Maryland red, and A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF William & Mary Green & Gold…
I don’t think I’ll ever watch basketball in a more magical place than Cameron Indoor Stadium—Bible!

Would you happen to have a compass?

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True North: Discover your Authentic Leadership is my personal development book for February/March. 

According to Bill George and his boy Peter Sims there are five dimensions of an authentic leader: 

  • Pursuing purpose with passion- To find the purpose of your leadership you must understand your passions. 
  • Practicing solid values – DWYSYWD; every leader must have integrity; the test of a person’s values is what they practice under pressure
  • Leading with heart- Have passion for your work, compassion for others, empathy for the people you work with, and the courage to make difficult decisions.
  • Establishing enduring relationships- There is a demand for personal relationships and access to leaders. 
  • Demonstrating self-discipline- Set high standards for yourself and expect the same from others. Leaders must hold themselves and others accountable. 

“Your life story defines your leadership.” —Your life story helps you discover who you are and shapes the values of your life which will in turn guide your leadership. Your passion is embedded in your life story. —Warren Bennis advocates for us using our stories to provide the inspiration to create our futures. 

The journey to authentic leadership is broken down into 3 Phases. 

  1. Preparing for Leadership – First 30 years of your life (Whew, I’m still in that phase)/Self absorbed phase
  2. Leading – Rapid accumulation of leadership experiences 
  3. Giving Back- Can be the most productive and rewarding time of all; lack of engagement with the widespread vision of retirement

What causes leaders to lose their way? A deviation from their True North. People who lose their way get caught up in their success and external gratification but they have lost the desire to serve something greater than oneself. They are not leading with their passion and their values. 

Who are the 5 types of people that lose sight of their True North? 

  1. Imposters- lack self-awareness & self-esteem 
  2. Rationalizers- deviate from their values 
  3. Glory Seekers- motivated by seeking the world’s acclaim 
  4. Loners- fail to build personal support structures 
  5. Shooting Stars- lack the grounding of an integrated life 

Leaders can not be self-centered. The role of a leader is to empower others to lead. Turning “I” into “We” is an important aspect of authentic leadership. As a leader it is not about you but it is about motivating those around you. Tell your ego to take a hike. 

This is only Part I. 

An incredible amount of self-awareness is needed to embark on the journey to authentic leadership. Part I made me reflect a great deal on my life story and how it has played a role in my current leadership. Why do I do what I do? How has my story led me to my current station in life? When I really think about it, my life story doesn’t ostensibly make sense with what I do now in Student Affairs. Perhaps this is why I have been struggling recently with my career path? 

There are exercises in the back of the book for each chapter. Each set of questions is like having your own Oprah moment. Not the moments where she is giving out cars but the Kleenex inducing, deep internal reflection, cathartic ah-ha moments. 

My favorite quote offered by John Barth is, “The story of your life is not your life. It is your story.” I’m not a victim to my story. I must reframe my experiences and understand how they have served as a catalyst to my becoming a leader. 

I also honestly noted that I possess some traits of the “shooting star” archetype. Must work on that…

Stay tuned for a recap of Part II.