He emphasizes team building and team play, brand awareness, goal-setting, resource management, and building and sustaining a quality product. But he often puts an unusual spin on these mainstays. Krzyzewski tells executives that the key to Duke s basketball success is the hard work, mental toughness, and heart demonstrated by his players. Having said that, he describes the rather eclectic business strategies he uses to run his unusual company. I like to think of each as a separate finger on the fist, he says.
Any individual finger is important.
But all of them together are unbeatable. Like any good coach, Krzyzewski isn t afraid to give his players a good tongue blistering when it s needed. Discipline is not such a bad thing, he says. His nontraditional philosophies are well illustrated by a statement sure to draw a wince from the most experienced CEOs. Too many rules get in the way of leadership and box you in, Krzyzewski says.