“You can't lead anyone else further than you have gone yourself.” 6/16/25

“You can't lead anyone else further than you have gone yourself.”

Great inspirational Instagram quote. But I disagree.

Or at least it doesn’t capture the full story.

Erik Spoelstra never played in the NBA. But he was (still is) the head coach of the Miami Heat when they won their 2 titles in the 2010s + went to 4 straight finals and 2 more since then.

He took superstars like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to levels he had never been to before personally.

How? Cuz he was a great coach. He was an expert in the details of the game AND the team and personality management needed to maximize their potential.

Even Steve Kerr was a solid player, but never an All-Star. He was around greatness with the Bulls and Spurs but he himself was never at the level of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Tim Duncan, Steph Curry, or Kevin Durant.

Additionally, Hall of Fame legend players like Kevin McHale and Isiah Thomas have been average coaches.

There are only a handful of people who’ve coached at the same elite level as they played.

So what does all this mean?

Just because you’re an elite PERFORMER doesn’t mean you can COACH others at that level.

And just because you’re an average performer doesn’t preclude you from being an elite coach.

It comes down to being able to understand the details of whatever industry you’re in, explaining them easily, getting emotional buy-in, understanding team dynamics, and handling pressure exquisitely, among other qualities.

How does this relate to you as a young adult?

If you’re looking for a mentor, someone who’s walked the path that you’re looking to walk, then actually yes - find someone who’s gone further than you in that specific area.

But if you’re looking for a coach, focus more on the outcomes of the people they’ve coached rather than their own success.

Because you might miss out on being coached by a Gregg Popovich (top 5 coach of all time) when you’re blindly wanting to be coached by an Isiah Thomas (great player, average coach).