Author Archives: Matt Doherty

Integrity is defined as “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness”. Davidson Head Coach Bob McKillop recently told me, “Truth is one of the casualties of our culture”. What a sad commentary of our times. Integrity is lacking. Why? Lack of church going people? Lack of the family unit? PressureContinue reading “Ingredients of a Good Leader: Integrity”

Toughness is a quality a leader must have to withstand the daily challenges of running any organization. Whether you lead your family, a business, a sports team, or a public entity you need mental toughness. Leaders face many different challenges on a regular basis. Some challenges are smaller than others. Some problems need immediate attentionContinue reading “Ingredients of a Good Leader: Toughness”

Accountability is defined as the fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility. (The following is an excerpt from Rebound: From Pain to Passion. To be released in March, 2021)Don’t be afraid to hold your staff accountable for their performance. They need this to grow. The top performers want to be held accountable. They are competitive peopleContinue reading “Ingredients of a Good Leader: Accountability”

Surround yourself with smart people that are loyal to you and your vision. Then give them their roles and let them go to work! You can’t do it all. You must attract talented people to join your team. Why did I use the word “attract” instead of “hire”? Because you hire someone for a job. You attractContinue reading “Ingredients of a Good Leader: Good Senior Staff”

Communication is a two way street. Most people think of how we communicate – deliver a presentation, talk to person, send an email or text – and not how we receive information. How we receive information may be more important than how we deliver information because it will help us understand our audience better. AsContinue reading “Ingredients of a Good Leader: Communication”

“A disciplined person is truly a free person.” – Dean Smith When Coach Smith said this to our team years ago it was confusing to me at first. Discipline seems restrictive, not freeing. Coach then explained that a truly disciplined person makes good decisions that lead to freedom. For example, someone that runs up theirContinue reading “Ingredients of a Good Leader: Discipline”

“A dream without a plan is just a wish.” – Katherine Paterson A leader can have competence, emotional intelligence and a great vision, but if they don’t have a strategic plan they will greatly limit their chances for success. Where do you begin? You begin with the end in mind. In basketball we planned toContinue reading “Ingredients of a Good Leader: Strategic”

Vision for a leader is critical because if you don’t know where you are going how do you expect people to follow you? To create a proper vision you need five things: Inclusion – Involve your senior staff in developing your vision. Having input leads to buy-in. Buy-in leads to commitment. Commitment leads to momentum.Continue reading “Ingredients of a Good Leader: Vision”

I lost my job as the head coach at North Carolina in 2003. It was an awful time in my life, but like any athlete or coach I wanted to learn from defeat and get better. I decided to go on a leadership journey. I took an executive class at The Wharton School in Philadelphia.Continue reading “Ingredients of a Good Leader: Emotional Intelligence”