SEASON: 3 EPISODE: 20
Episode Overview:
With a coaching career with over 400 victories, Coach Jim Johnson's journey is a testament to the impact of positive leadership and the magic of believing in one's dreams. Yet, it's not the number of wins that define his legacy, but rather a moment of pure humanity and inspiration that captured the nation's heart back in February 2006. In a decision that would forever change the lives of many, Coach Jim Johnson chose to play Jason McElwain, affectionately known as J-Mac, an autistic team manager, in Greece Athena High School’s final home game. J-Mac's extraordinary performance, scoring 20 points in just over four minutes, is a story of courage, inclusivity, and the spirit of sportsmanship that transcends the game of basketball.
As we dive into this conversation, we’re set to explore Coach Johnson's philosophy on leadership, the importance of teamwork, and how to turn dreams into reality. So, whether you’re a sports enthusiast, a leader looking to transform your team’s dynamics, or someone chasing a dream, this episode promises insights and inspiration that could very well change your perspective on what it takes to achieve success and make a difference. Join me now for my conversation with Coach Jim Johnson.
Guest Bio:
Over 30 years of experience developing winning high-school basketball teams, including 428 career victories, sets the stage for the unique credibility and power of Coach Jim Johnson’s message. Many speakers talk about leadership, but it’s rare to find a speaker who has, quite literally, lead thousands.
In a moment later celebrated all over the world, Coach Jim Johnson weighed risk with the potential for great opportunity for an autistic student-manager, Jason McElwain (JMac) catapulting Jim, the team, and JMac down a path of inspiration and hope. That one victory continues to reverberate into countless lives as audience after audience is touched by a wave of courage and tenacity and witnesses what true leadership can accomplish.
Resource Links:
Insight Gold Timestamps:
02:39 Jason McElwain, the world knows him more as J-Mac
05:11 Jason used to sign his name, Jason J-Mac Kobe McElwain
06:01 I wrote a book about it called, The Coaching Miracle
07:37 One of the other finalists for the award was his idol, Kobe had scored 81 points
10:12 I did such a great job I led that team to 17 consecutive losses
11:23 Great teams, that are consistent, it's usually because they have great leaders
13:02 That mindset of a servant leader
14:27 One of our keys is, are you consistently aligning your words and actions?
16:23 CANI: Constant And Never-ending Improvement
17:17 You’ve got to be the strong person when adversity hits
21:23 You’ve got to get to know your people, because you want to be fair, but fair doesn't mean you treat everybody necessarily the same
22:31 I think the best leaders are always asking questions
22:54 People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care
26:07 It's really important as a coach that you consistently build challenges
27:24 The one thing I admired so much about coach Johnson was I knew he cared more about me as a person than he did as a basketball player
28:45 A great character test, it was called the PACER test
31:06 I think the difference between motivation and inspiration is….
32:04 Great leaders are what they call a chief storyteller
34:19 The concept of teamwork actually extends beyond sports
36:19 We wanted to make practice more difficult than the game
38:19 What would you tell your younger self about the journey
38:49 What are your three most important core values?
Connect Socially:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachjimjohnson/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachJimJohnson/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachjimjohnson
Blog: https://coachjimjohnson.com/blog/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CoachJimJohnson1
ESPN JMac Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-nMab6XDNI&t=16s
Email: jjhoops@rochester.rr.com
Sponsors:
Rainmaker Digital Solutions: https://www.rainmakerdigitalsolutions.com/
Resources: https://becomingpreferred-podcast.com/resources/
Next Episode: Virtual Presentation Excellence with Cat Mulvihill!
