Become a SMART leader
Lessons in leadership from one of college basketball's most unique coaches

Five ways to take the expertise of Marquette University's men's basketball coach Shaka Smart and apply it to the workplace.

By Rich Trombetta (and Jack if he is interested)
August 15, 2024

Shaka Smart is a tremendous leader - who just happens to be a basketball coach. 

• Using conventional and unconventional approaches, he is building a program - NOT SIMPLY A TEAM - that can win at the highest level.
• While his focus is on cutting down the nets, his unique approach to leadership can be applied to ANY work environment.
  

In just three years at Marquette, Smart's approach has led to impressive accomplishments.

• Three Marquette players have signed NBA contracts in the last two years, despite each averaging less than 7 points per game in their second year in college.
• Marquette had NO ONE leave the program this year, making them only one of five of the 355 men's basketball D-1 schools with no transfers; two of these schools were service academies. 
• Marquette has made three straight NCAA men's basketball tournaments, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2024; no one on these teams was ranked as a top-50 player in high school.
• Recent recruits chose Marquette over schools like Kansas, Notre Dame, and Georgia despite Marquette's decision not to compete financially when recruiting players
• In 2022-23, Marquette won the Big East Conference regular season title and conference tournament, beating NCAA champion UCONN twice; they had been picked to finish ninth in the conference. 
• Smart was named the NCAA men's basketball coach of the year by the Associated Press NCAA in 2022-23. “I’m very grateful to win this award,” Smart said. “But obviously it always comes back to the guys you have on your team."

How did Smart achieve these results?

• He didn't have the best players. He didn't have the biggest budget. He didn't have the most resources. He did, however, prioritize values, culture, and teamwork, and leveraged those key components in unique ways to recruit, motivate, develop, and retain his players.

How can you become a SMART leader and see similar results?

• The videos, quotes, action items, and stories below will help you connect the dots and apply what Coach Smart does at Marquette to any team and organization.
  
  

Here's your starting-five:

• Strategic, Mentor, Approachable, Relationships, and Trust.

Let's take them on at a time.

"Leadership is simply the ability to make people and situations better."
​- Shaka Smart​

Strategic

Marquette is not Duke, Kansas, etc. but they want to compete with those schools. (elebatorate)



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​"In order to win large victories, you first have to win small victories."

Mentor

Text

You will not find a coach that has more passion and enthusiasm pouring into you as a person and helping you become the person you can be."

Approachable

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(video for Shaka Shuttle)

Every time I go into his office, you just feel that connection."
- Cam Jones, Marquette men's basketball player

Relationships

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​"I'll never prioritize a guy who hasn't worn our jersey over a guy who has."

Trust

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“He lets us just play free, play off of each other and lets our chemistry go to work.”
​- Cam Jones, Marquette men's basketball player

Make it happen: Action items