Nick sits down with Jim Les, head coach of UC Davis men’s basketball. With seven seasons in the NBA and 25 years as a collegiate head coach, Coach Les brings deep insights into high-stakes management. Nick and Jim explore effective leadership, relentless work ethic, and the value of mentorship in sports and corporate settings. Listeners will learn to cultivate sustainable success by prioritizing trust, clear communication, and professional excellence.

The conversation covers elite team building, detailing how to recruit and retain top talent competitively. Jim explains how adapting your coaching style and building deep relationships serves as the ultimate anchor against turnover. They also highlight essential leadership behaviors like extreme accountability, vulnerability, and admitting mistakes. Finally, they discuss balancing a demanding career with family life, including Jim's experience coaching his son to a Division I championship. This is a truly fascinating discussion for business leaders and sports enthusiasts alike - one which clearly demonstrates that true success requires personal growth and mutual respect.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - Introduction

03:31 - Why Urgency Creates Great Leaders

08:15 - Turn Adversity Into Long-Term Success

09:44 - Build Trust Before You Lead

19:06 - Coach the Person, Not Just the Performance

24:27 - Never Stop Growing as a Leader

27:03 - Develop Leaders Beyond the Game

30:11 - How Great Cultures Retain Top Talent

38:26 - Lead With Honesty and Accountability

47:48 - Balance Leadership, Family, and Success

59:53 - Win With Gratitude and an Underdog Mindset

Key Takeaways:

"If you're not where you want to be in your life, personally or professionally, you’ve got to edit your life. What are the things that are preventing you from getting to those areas?"

“In order to grow, you’ve got to go through adversity... and your limits have to be constrained in order to take steps forward."

"I can deliver a good message, but if I don't live that message on a daily basis, the kids are going to pick up on that."

"If a young man's not playing well or playing up to his potential, rather than point the finger at him, I tell our staff, we’ve got to point it at us."

"If you run your organization or you run your team or run your program to try and retain, you're going to lose people. You have to be who you are."

"I saw people that didn't respect the game, didn't work at it... and, man, the game humbled them."

"There have been a lot of times I've walked in after the game and I said, 'You know what? That was a horrible play I drew up.'... I think it's important for us to own that in front of them."

Links:

Nick Warner Consulting: https://www.nickwarnerconsulting.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nick-warner-consulting/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nickwarnerconsulting

X: https://x.com/NickWarnerCoach

Together at the Top @ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/together-at-the-top/id1606943728

Jim Les @ UC Davis: https://ucdavisaggies.com/staff-directory/jim-les/29