A great coach explains why youre not getting recruited for the best jobs

A great coach explains why youre notlage getting recruited for the best jobsA great coach explains why youre not getting recruited for the best jobsIn the world of college basketball, Geno Auriemma is a legend.The coach of the womens basketball team for the University of Connecticut since 1985, Auriemma has led the womens Huskies to 11 NCAA titles and four undefeated seasons. His current team hasnt lost a game in two years.Hes also something of a management guru, though thats not his intent. Auriemmas pronouncements on leadership and getting the most out of a team deserve their own book. We were reminded of this when a hugely popular video recently resurfaced about how he knows some players deserve to be on the bench.The key trait of benched players A bad attitudeWhat does a bad attitude mean? A bunch of things, to Auriemma entitlement. Not trying hard enough. Giving up too soon. Whining.Youll find that top recruiters and employers think the same way too. Its hard to find a good cand idate to hire and even harder to find people who can become leaders. How do recruiters recognize them? Like Auriemma, by body language.Recruiting kids that are upbeat and loving life and love the game and have this appreciation for when their teammates do something well - thats really hard, Auriemma says in the video.We put a huge premium on body language. And if your body language is bad, you will never get in the game. EVER. I dont care how good you are.Id rather lose than watch kids play the way some kids play.Theyre allowed to get away with just whatever. And theyre always thinking about themselves Me, me, me, me, me. I didnt score, so why should I be happy? Im not getting enough minutes why should I be happy? Thats the world we live in today, unfortunatelyDont get me started. When I look at my team, they know this when I watch game film, Im checking whats going on on the bench. If someones asleep over there, if somebody doest care, if somebodys not engaged in the game, they wi ll never get in the game. And they know Im not kidding. Does that sound like someone you know? Are they frustrated at work and not getting anywhere? It may be because they feel entitled to a bigger title or more money, but they havent proved they have the maturity to handle it. They want to succeed but theyre not really showing results, harboring personal resentments more often than theyre doing good work.Of course, we all know that happens. Even the worlds top leaders, like former President Obama, have admitted they were once slackers. What Auriemmas insight reveals is this not only is a bad attitude destructive to your chances of rising, its also fooling no one. Bad attitude is built into your body language, and its totally transparent. And its holding you back.Heres how to turn it around, according to Auriemmas collected wisdom.Accept criticism and learn how to be coachedAuriemmas approach is tough love, which means being direct about whats going well and whats not.The best perfo rmers accept any fair criticism and use it to get better. The mediocre players feel wounded by any suggestion and give up.I dont want someone to beat around the bush. If I didnt play well, I want to know why, one of Auriemmas players says. Another, Tina Charles, notes, with him its not about winning or losing, its about getting the best out of every player.Good players, great players, a culture of winning every night, players that are committed to being coached they enjoy being coached, they want you to coach them, Auriemma has said. You got a lot of the opposite of what I just talked about. There are players who dont want to be coached really hard, they dont want demands placed on them.The best workers - the ones that stand out to recruiters and others in their industry - are the ones who want to improve, not the ones who collapse when theyre asked to do better. Wanting to do better, and working at it, makes people stand out.Developing a champion mindsetAuriemma constantly puts h is players in the most difficult situations, then asks them to succeed anyway.These guys are faster than you. So youre going to have to everything right to get a shot, Auriemma says to his team. Theyre faster than you.As an example, when his players get good at playing, he tests them by forcing them to play at a disadvantage, piling 5, 6, or even 8 players on a team that has only four players to defend them. By increasing the challenge, Auriemmas players get good at playing out-numbered. They learn how to compete.Auriemma spots the players that will never level up the ones who make excuses right away. The ones that say, they have seven and we have five, what do you expect?What Auriemma expects is the attitude of being ready to overcome any challenge The ones who say, coach, thats the best you can do? Only seven? Theyre the ones that are going to be great.Thats applicable to working at many companies where youll never have the perfect amount of resources, and never have the perfect a mount of staff.Instead of greeting every new tangle with what fresh hell is this, think I welcome the challenge. Being able to do more with less is how mastery is born.Dont talk about how good you want to be. Show me how good you want to be.Auriemmas philosophy of schmierblutung greatness comes down to the proof that the players themselves provide. Everyone wants to succeed, but only some people focus on the skills to do it.This is visible even in job interviews. Every hiring manager knows that the surest sign of someone who has accepted failure in their lives is I coulda been a contender, excuses I could have gotten that job, or if I had a chance, I would have increased revenues.People who succeed fail first too. But they ultimately accept their failures, then work harder to create actual accomplishments, not almost-accomplishments. In basketball, almost winning a game is still called losing. Transform your mindset to achieve, not just to get close. Recruiters will notice.Appreciat e and cheer for your teammates despite your differencesIts no secret that gender gaps in the workplace can be a barrier - not just for women, but also for men, who may find working with women mysterious if they havent had experience with it.Auriemmas view of male managers who may be afraid to talk to women about performance for fear of sparking an emotional reaction?Stop treating them like women and treat them like valued employees. Just because they wear a dress or are feminine doesnt change what their job description is.And never hold those differences against people. When youre frustrated with a manager, a direct report or a colleague, be measured You never want to go after somebodys heart or somebodys core, Auriemma says. You want to go after what they did.Having a killer instinct to win doesnt mean being rude in the rest of your lifeAuriemma praises his best players as killers - in the best way but notes that they are also nice. As humans, as teammates, they show generosity a nd are pleasant to be around.The point here is crucial you dont have to be a jerk to win, and winning shouldnt make you a jerk. No matter what your job, you are part of a team - whether you work at a company, run your own business, or work remotely. None of us does anything alone. Recruiters and employers know who has a good reputation, because they talk to everyone. Not everyone has to be your best friend, but your good qualities should shine through regularly enough to be well-known in your industry. A good attitude combined with great talent and a competitive drive make someone a sought-after hire.How do we know this all works? Auriemmas players rave about him, and many have gone on to enviable professional careers. They testify that Auriemmas approach helped them level up. Maybe it can help you too.