Motivational Lessons from Mike Rice
by Miki SaxonMany managers I’ve known see themselves as coaches building winning teams and often base their management style on coaches they’ve known or who are known to win—not always a good thing.
Now there is yet another coach who is anything but a role model.
But more far more deplorable than Rutgers’ Mike Rice’s actions are outside lawyer John P. Lacey’s comments about the abuse and the message they send.
On Friday, the university also released a 50-page report that John P. Lacey, an outside lawyer, prepared last year in response to the abuse allegations. It made clear that Rutgers officials were aware that Mr. Rice’s outbursts “were not isolated” and that he had a fierce temper, used homophobic and misogynistic slurs, kicked his players and threw basketballs at them.
But it described Mr. Rice as “passionate, energetic and demanding” and concluded that his behavior constituted “permissible training.” It found that he aimed to “cause them to play better during the team’s basketball games.”
His methods, “while sometimes unorthodox, politically incorrect, or very aggressive, were within the bounds of proper conduct and training methods,” the report said.
Since when are adults kicking kids and throwing things at them “within the bounds of proper conduct?”
It’s bad enough that abuse happens, but far worse when the very people charged with evaluating it give it a stamp of approval.
More proof, if anybody needed it, that winning is everything and anything done to increase the odds of winning is OK.
So thought the banking managers whose actions brought down the global economy.
So believe all those, students, as well as adults, who cheat to get ahead.
Anything goes, just don’t get caught.
And if you do, blame it on your passionate desire to win.
YouTube credit: Ron Goldstein
