When Our Impulses Aren't Right

He’s won two consecutive national championship and is viewed as arguably the best coach in college basketball, but Dan Hurley’s ascension to the top of the sport may have never taken place had he acted on his impulses years ago.

Weeks after being named the UConn head coach in 2018, Hurley had serious buyer’s remorse over taking the job and even threatened to fire his agent.

“Can you believe all of the people here who are going to get in the way of succeeding? This thing is a disaster,” Hurley told legendary Huskies Coach Jim Calhoun in a meeting.

But Calhoun, a three-time national champion himself, had little sympathy.

“This is a joke. This is who we hired?” Calhoun shot back. “You need to get your s--- together.”  

“Do you have the right staff? Go hire them,” he added. “You need NBA players? Go get them. If things aren’t in place, (get on your athletic director) and the people at school until things are in place. But don’t come in here again like this. You look weak.”

Hurley’s initial concerns — and what has transpired since — have two key lessons for any leader:

1. Our impulses aren’t always correct

We often hear clichés of “Trust your instincts” and “Follow your intuition” and like to believe that we have insight and perspectives that we should act upon immediately.

But our initial perceptions around new circumstances can badly lead us astray and result in making rash choices with dire consequences.  

When we take a new job or step into an unfamiliar landscape, doubt and anxiety are extremely common. But instead of acting on emotion, take some time, gather better information, and make strategic assessments about practical next steps.

2. Find someone who can offer practical feedback

Hurley said he wanted to quit almost immediately after taking over. But in Calhoun, he found a truth teller who was able to push back, challenge him and change his victim’s mindset.   

While it’s nice to have supportive figures who will empathize with our every struggle or tell us exactly what we hope to hear in the moment, a listening ear isn’t always what’s best for our long-term success.

We often benefit more from truth tellers who can logically push back against our worst impulses and help us gain clearer perspective when our judgment is clouded.

UConn is likely to be among the top-ranked teams in college basketball again this season as the program pursues its third-consecutive national championship.

But the historic run of recent years may have never happened without a timely meeting — a coach discovering that what looked like a disaster was actually major opportunity in disguise.

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