How I Lead as a Coach and a Catholic | An Interview with Frank Layden

Frank Layden is a retired basketball coach and executive of the National Basketball Association's Utah Jazz. Layden during his coaching days was known for his lighthearted approach to the game as well as to himself, often mocking his weight and looks, and known for giving one-liners to the media before and after games. In 1984, Layden was awarded the NBA's Coach of the Year. That same season, he was head coach for the NBA All-Star Game and won both the NBA's Executive of the Year and the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Awards. Frank Layden will be speaking at the 2019 BYU Management Society's Moral and Ethical Leadership Conference this month. Highlights 03:15 Experiences around involvement with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and what President Thomas S. Monson said about him 05:15 How he ended up in Utah with the Jazz 07:50 First knowledge and interactions with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 10:00 Approaching sports and culture in Utah with the attitude of, “What can we do to help here?” and always building relationships instead of focusing on differences 13:15 How he got into coaching 14:25 Believes his family was meant to be in Utah 14:50 How they built the Jazz up from a losing team 16:20 You’re not always going to succeed, and don’t measure your success by money; do something you like doing and involve service 17:30 Things the Jazz did to help the players and their families grow and become better than they were before * Wives club putting on fashion shows, making Christmas trees, and going to school * Chapel service with the Rev. France Davis and Pastor Jerry Lewis * Bonus to players who finished their college degrees 20:00 If the players feel you (the coaches) are for them, they will give everything for you 21:15 Wanted the players to know they were loved. Always asked, “What can I do for you today?” 22:25 Start with the small things: be there, on time, and read to play; you have to have both authority and discipline 25:20 The players need to believe in you, and you have to believe in yourself * You have to know who needs a kick and who needs a hug * The team needs to know who the leader is * Winning is not a sometimes thing: it starts the first day of practice 33:15 Connecting one-to-one with the players * Creating a relationship where they are comfortable coming to you as the leader * Listen to them (book club and reading) * Dressing like professionals * Showing the players respect and treating them like adults builds loyalty * The players will know whether or not you enjoy your job * Leave them laughing 49:00 Being part of the religious community in Utah made him a better Catholic Links 2019 BYU Management Society Moral and Ethical Leadership Conference