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Alan Stein Jr. is a performance expert and a highly sought-after keynote speaker. He is the author of the book Raise Your Game: High-Performance Secrets From the Best of the Best. MindTeam Solutions CEO Sylvia Henderson interviews Alan in this informative high energy discussion with an important message.
[1:26] Basketball as a model for life
Basketball was Alan’s first passion and it’s still a major pillar in his life. He spent the first part of his career as a basketball performance coach helping players and coaches to improve their game. Now he uses the strategies and mindsets that he had learned from the game’s best players and applied those to a corporate setting. But basketball is still the foundation of what he does.
[3:00] Improving human connection
In crisis moments, it’s really important to have a human touch. Alan believes that the tenants of effective leadership are hugely magnified during times of crisis. Everything that it takes to be an effective leader when things are normal, become even more important. Now, with people at home in isolation you have to find a way to still lead with excellence. It takes creativity and an openness to try new things. But, above all, it takes empathy and compassion. Your team is going to be struggling with how to do their jobs remotely. Some will not be as technically savvy as others. So patience is more than a virtue. It’s critical!
[11:00] How to communicate effectively on-camera
Don’t worry so much about the polish. Don’t worry about looking a certain way. That can come off as disingenuous. What’s most important is just looking directly into the camera and speaking from the heart. If you’re thinking too much about how you look you’re going to calm off as robotic and insincere.
[13:00] How to listen in a virtual world
Alan believes that the most important as a leader is the ability to listen and let the other person share and speak their mind. The worst thing a leader could do right now is to try and force optimism and positivity on you. Offer a shoulder to cry on. Or someone people can vent to. A leader’s job is to meet people where they are – not make them come to you.
[19:00] Your next play is the most important one
It’s tough in the midst of a crisis to think about your next move. But the importance of thinking about the next play is obvious. Alan learned from some of history’s greatest basketball coaches about building mental acuity. You have to focus on the next play. No matter what just happened on the court. Good or bad move to the next play. Alan finds tremendous strength in this mindset.
“I’ve been, you know, frustrated, but here’s the thing, I allow myself to feel those emotions, I don’t suppress them or ignore them, but I don’t allow them to affect my behavior,” he says.
[27:00] Focus on gratitude
Alan tried to be focus on the things that he is grateful for each day. Many people have been affected by COVID-19. On one end, you have people that have lost lives. Others have been sick, lost jobs or gone bankrupt. But many others have only been heavily inconvenienced. That’s not that big of a deal compared to what other people are dealing with.
Connect With Alan Stein Jr.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-stein-jr
https://raiseyourgamebook.com/
