Coach Jim Johnson has over 30 years of experience developing winning high-school basketball teams, including 428 career victories. One of Jim’s career highlights was working with an autistic boy named Jason McElwain, nicknamed J-Mac, who scored 20 points in the game’s last 3 minutes. Jim leans on his extensive experience and shares the power of leadership, coaching others, and getting teams to think bigger in this week’s episode. 

Key Takeaways

• A little bit about Jim and his story with Jason, a boy with autism. 
• Jim learned as a coach that if you really want to get the most out of your team, you have to be a better listener.
• Jim shares why senior nights are so dear to his heart. 
• How many times do people stop after one failed attempt? Jim is so proud that Jason led by example and had the courage to keep going. 
• Good leadership is when you can shine a light on someone else! 
• One of the things you can control is your attitude. Jim reminds his teens of this constantly. Focus on what you can control. 
• Remember, attitudes are contagious! 
• Before, you were lucky to get one media reporter at a high school game, but Jason’s story attracted a lot of media attention. 
• If you want to make your dreams come true, the best way to do that is to make other people's dreams come true. 
• Jim explains his coaching style and why it’s important to always respect the individual player, even if you disagree.
• What are some of the hallmarks of a good leader? 
• When you first build trust, great results come after that! 

Sponsored by Stand Up for Your Greatness! Edgerety.com/education

Resources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmaIsE2nLZk

Coachjimjohnson.com

Jim on LinkedIn

Quotes:

“Jason’s mother is balling her eyes out and she gives me a big hug and says, “Coach, this is the best gift you could have ever given my son.” 

“One of the things about leadership is when you can shine the light on someone else. That’s what it’s all about and the team did it that night with Jason.” 

“If we are going to be as good as we possibly can be, we need to be outstanding in the things we can control.”