What It Means To Be The Best

Being the best is a concept used more in the sports world than perhaps anywhere else. So, the super stars of football, basketball and baseball are the best. Big time coaches are also the best. Given today’s tumult, it’s probably worthwhile to rethink what the best means. That was brought home to me by the coach who now has the most wins in NCAA men’s basketball history.

Don Meyer (whom you haven’t heard of) recently surpassed Bobby Knight (whom everyone has heard of) when he won game 903. As he describes himself, “I’m a small college coach.” He’s been one for 37 years.

He began at Hamline University in St. Paul where he established an inauspicious record of 37-41 in three years. He then coached at Lipscomb University in Nashville for 24 years where he went 665-179. He’s been at Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D., for 10 years where his record is at least 201-84.

He’s always taken one game at a time. He’s always encouraged his team to focus on playing each game rather than winning. His philosophy means more than ever right now, as he has cancer, which was discovered when he lost a leg in a serious automobile accident.

Though his name isn’t a household word, he’s one of the best NCAA basketball coaches ever, while retaining a refreshing degree of humility. I heard him interviewed recently on NPR. He talked about teaching his kids to be servant leaders. He said that a lot of people in this country want to be leaders without being servants. Not possible, according to Meyer.

It is time to think differently about what it means to be the best. Don Meyer shows and tells us just how different the meaning should be. It’s a lesson for all employers and employees.