Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

ADAM OLSEN: I’m talking about practice. Practice! That’s right, practice!


A recent addition to my podcast library is "Finding Mastery with Michael Gervais." Gervais is a high-performance psychologist. His list of clients is impressive, and it includes Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll.

Steve Kerr, Head Coach of the NBA's Golden State Warriors and former player for the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls, was Gervais most recent guest at the time of my introduction to his podcast.

It was one of those "coincidental" moments. Just a few days earlier someone asked me "if the B.C. Greens were the Chicago Bulls which one would you be?" (It's a long story, but that is what happened.)

"Steve Kerr!" I said without hesitation. Well, after listening to Kerr talk about his philosophy and process, it's a good answer. Kerr has won eight NBA championships. Three as a coach, and five as a player. He's coached his Warriors squad to four straight NBA Finals.

Leading through the issues

In politics, it is easy to get caught up in each and every issue. There is always an issue-du-jour. It is incredibly easy to react to one, and then the next, and the next, matching the level of outrage that pours freely into the inbox.

But that is not helpful. Nor is it leadership.


So, how does someone like Kerr end up in the NBA Finals so often? Establish a process, and then practice it.

No matter what Allen Iverson thought about practice, he was wrong. It's not about the game. It's all about practice.

In the end, Kerr's teaching and his process is really simple. First, identify the vision. Define the three or four values that are the source of your inspiration.

For him, and his championship Warriors team, it is joy. As he mentions in the podcast, if you watch his top player Steph Currie play the game, joy flows from him like a kid on a playground.

For you, and your team, it could be anything. But I like joy. Especially, in my line of work. It is so easy to be pulled down by the weight of each and every issue.

Second, share the vision. Make sure everyone on the team knows what the vision is and the values it is founded on.

Finally, and much to the chagrin of Allen "No-Championship" Iverson, practice. Practice the vision. Every day, in every thing you do. Practice.

Here is Pete Carroll's advice to Steve Kerr.

Find the four or five things that are most important to you in your life. Define the values that you hold most dear, and then practice those things everyday.

Good advice. Thanks Pete.



Adam Olsen is the Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for Saanich North and the Islands

Born in Victoria, BC in 1976, Adam has lived, worked and played his entire life on the Saanich Peninsula. 

He is a member of Tsartlip First Nation (W̱JOȽEȽP), where he and his wife, Emily, are raising their two children, Silas and Ella.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“4.5 million hectares of forest lands have burned since 2023, and the best they can do is point to a 90-hectare block being salvaged?” ~~ Ward Stamer, Kamloops-North Thompson MLA

Today, BC NDP forest Minister Ravi Parmar made this pronouncement; ‘Removing red tape has sped up permitting, allowing for more wood to be salvaged, quicker’. 4.5 million hectares of forest lands have burned since 2023, and the best they can do is point to a 90-hectare block?    ~~ BC Conservative Forests Critic Ward Stamer While acknowledging the NDP government has recognized improvements were needed in permitting and accessing burnt fibre in a timely fashion, the reality is, they are barely making a dent in the problem.  This government's recognition that only seven percent of pulp mill fibre came from burnt timber in 2024-25, quite simply put, is a failure. And the recent announcement, just three weeks ago, that the Crofton Pulp Mill would be permanently closing, is proof of that.     Instead of Premier David Eby’s government addressing core issues being faced by British Columbia’s forest industry, they are doing little more than manipulating the facts, ...
1 comment
Read more

A message from BC Conservative MLA Ward Stamer, and the Kamloops – North Thompson Riding Association

2025 was a busy first year. As a Caucus, we worked very hard to defeat Bills 14 and 15, legislation which allows the provincial government to move ahead without environmental assessments on renewable projects, and that also allows cabinet to build infrastructure projects without getting approval from local municipal governments. This is not acceptable to your BC Conservative caucus, and we will continue to press this government for open and transparent projects in the future.  Two things we had success in were having the first Private Members bill passed in over 40 years. The first was Jody Toors Prenatal and Post Natal Care bill, and then there was my private members Bill M217 Mandatory Dashcams in commercial vehicles (passed second reading unanimously and is heading to Committee in February). Regrettably, much of the legislation passed by the government was little more than housekeeping bills, or opportunities to strengthen the ability of Cabinet Ministers to bypass the BC legi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wildfire waste plan torched -- Forestry critic Stamer calls BC's wildfire salvage rate 'a failure'

Claims that BC is making progress salvaging wildfire-damaged timber are masking deeper problems in the forest sector, the province’s forestry critic says. Last week, BC’s Ministry of Forests said mills in the province processed more than one million cubic metres of wildfire chips in 2024-25, up from 500,000 cubic metres in 2023 and representing about seven per cent of all processed wood. Kamloops-North Thompson BC Conservative MLA Ward Stamer said those claims of progress ignore the reality that only a fraction of burned timber is being used ... CLICK HERE for the full story
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more