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As a South Carolina native and a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), I can confidently say that NCAA coach Dawn Staley is no odd leader. From her time as an Olympic gold medal-winning basketball player to her role as the coach who led the South Carolina Gamecocks to an undefeated 38-0 season, Staley has much to show us about what it takes to be consistent and successful in the competitive arena.
It’s easy to attribute Staley’s success as a former athlete and coach to “luck,” but this is something else entirely. Staley has invested in DEI, leadership, and mentoring for her team and herself — all of which I believe have contributed to her record-breaking wins over the years.
Who is Dawn Staley?
Dawn Staley is an American basketball coach and Hall of Fame inductee. She played on all sides of the court as a three-time Olympic gold medalist, in addition to the head coach of a gold medal-winning team. Due to her incredible accomplishments, she is currently (and rightly) highest paid black coach in women’s basketball. But that is not all she is.
Staley fights for equal pay
While many corporations and organizations are backing away from DEI, others are doubling down and seeing big gains. Knowing all too well the pay gap between men’s and women’s basketball leagues, Staley has been a fearless advocate for equal pay for herself and her players. She had a lawyer by her side during negotiations for her record-breaking contract to make sure she received the fairest financial deal possible.
What’s more, after receiving her financial reward, she was generous enough to share the wealth. She reportedly sent all of the Black Division 1 coaches a part of her net earnings from previous championships to convey the message that if one of us wins, all of us win.
Staley understands the power of mentoring
Entrepreneurs from all walks of life have credited mentoring—whether given or received—for their current business success. Staley knows she needs her team as much as they need her, which requires mentoring. She has all the time been a force on the field and a voice of reason and guidance for her team, passing on what she has learned for the good of everyone round her.
Staley made it clear the symbiotic relationship she has with her players. Staley said Oklahoma-based newspaper“I don’t coach to win awards, I really don’t. I’m very, very happy to be there for my players.” After leading her team to multiple victories and being there for them every step of the way, Staley continues to prove that mentoring is a vital a part of any leader’s and team’s success.
Staley knows how vital it is to be present in any role, big or small.
From her days as a player to her current role as a nationally recognized coach, Staley has proven that there is no role too big or too small to excel in. In the early stages of a business, most entrepreneurs are all too familiar with how they have to wear multiple hats for months, sometimes years, to get the results they need.
Staley knows the art of juggling well. Supporting her teammates on the pitch is a role that requires consistency, collaboration and resilience. Coaching, in turn, has given her the tools to build trust, empower others and delegate. Whether she’s a teammate or a coach, she’s fully immersed in the role, and being “all hands on deck” with her team has paid dividends.
Staley knows find out how to build and unite a team around a common goal
While it could look like the perfect team fell into Staley’s hands, nothing could possibly be further from the truth. She fought to take a team with a solid history and turn it into a solid and consistently competitive unit. This season, Staley even had to exchange the entire starting lineup and was still in a position to lead them back to the semifinals. This was no fluke. This was the result of creating and nurturing a foundation of fine team building and trust.
Staley selects players who understand what it means to work hard for a common goal. When corporations hire team members, they often hire based on “culture fit,” selecting candidates with the most impressive resumes or academic credentials.
However, they often fail to think about the upbringing and values that each recent hire has. In the past, Staley has emphasized her philosophy of only recruiting players who respect their parents, indicating that if a player doesn’t respect his parents, he won’t respect his coach. Staley strategically built a team of players whose values aligned with building a relationship of trust and respect with their coach. As you’ll be able to see, her selective selection has had a positive knock-on effect on her team’s performance and relationships.
Final Thoughts
The South Carolina Gamecocks’ consistent winning streak is no accident. Serving as a coach after gaining experience as a player is a priceless asset and puts Staley in a strong position to steer others. It shows that Staley has been there and done that, and knows the path to success because she lived it first as a player. Additionally, her ability to empathize with her team is a type of empathy, a key pillar of DEI. Through that empathy, she was in a position to build trust after rigorously choosing team members who had the values and resilience mandatory to really respect the game, their coach, their teammates, and themselves. Dawn Staley exemplifies what strong leadership looks like when she advocates for herself and others to work toward DEI, resilience, and excellence.