In sports as in business, leadership is essential. Many leaders and nearly just as many leadership styles come and go as time wears on, but in San Antonio, Texas, one leader has not gone away. Coach Gregg Popovich has led the San Antonio Spurs to seventeen straight winning seasons and if the current National Basketball Association (NBA) season were to end today, the total would come to eighteen seasons. This is the longest streak in major sports in the United States of America (Tapp, 2013). Along with his success, many have noticed Popovich’s coaching and leadership styles.
Popovich took what many would consider to be an odd path into coaching in the NBA. The Indiana native attended the Air Force Academy and received training in espionage during his six years in the military. Instead of pursuing a career in the Central Intelligence Agency, Popovich chose a career in basketball. Now, he is both the Vice President of Basketball Operations and head coach of the Spurs (National Post, 2007). This origin may not describe his biological family, but the military can be a convincing surrogate. There can be little doubt that Popovich’s time in the military affected who he was.
As Popovich’s time in the military might indicate, the Jungian archetype (Northouse, 2013) best suited to describe his leadership style is the Warrior (PSU, 2015). He is notorious for getting others to change their behavior to fit the needs of the team and the organization. He gets has amassed a steady nucleus of high caliber players who have stayed under his leadership for over a decade, and he consistently motivates other players to achieve levels of success that they did not know they were able to reach. Several players have decided to stay in San Antonio and be under the leadership of Gregg Popovich instead of trying to get a more lucrative contract from a different team. This indicates that he may have instilled the self-sacrifice of the Warrior archetype to his followers (Angel, 2013).
In a few ways, Popovich differs from the Warrior archetype (PSU, 2015). He is willing to show his emotion toward his players; he can be seen shouted at his all-star players, which is something that is become rarer as players become powerful enough to challenge their coaches. In contrast to that, his shortness with the media has become a running joke around the league. He frequently gives one-word responses and he does not shy away from pointing out the ridiculousness of sports commentary. While he is well compensated in his role, if he sought financial rewards more than anything else, Popovich could have left San Antonio and been rewarded handsomely (National Post, 2007). Instead he has remained devoted to the organization, and his subordinates have followed him into the trenches.
Angel, F. (2013). Stottilien. Jungian models applied to global corporations: Kings, warriors, magicians and lover archetypes. Retrieved from http://stottilien.com/2013/01/24/jungian-models-applied-to-global-corporations-kings-warriors-magicians-and-lover-archetypes/
National Post. (2007). National Post. Popovich is a man of mystery. Retrieved from http://www.nationalpost.com/scripts/story.html?id=67824e36-aaf6-4445-86a7-41440589441b&k=32409
Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Pennsylvania State University (PSU). (2015). PSYCH485: Leadership in work settings. Lesson 3: Psychodynamic approach. Retrieved from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/sp15/psych485/002/toc.html#2
Tapp, J. (2013). Bleacher report. Which team has been the NBA’s best team over the past 15 years. Retrieved from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1640056-the-nbas-best-team-over-the-past-15-years-is