American basketball coach (1917-2006)
We like our players to play for fun and to be happy rather than afraid. It's like that in any business. If you have employees who work through fear, you're not going to get any ingenuity out of them. You're not going to get any employees who will take a gamble or come up with ideas. All you'll have are robots that are going to do their jobs, have a low-key approach, stay out of trouble. They'll put in their hours and go home. But I'd rather have it the other way.
RED AUERBACH
Harvard Business Review, Mar. 1987
You see, in sports you have so many things that aren't expected. There's so much uncertainty. So when players find themselves in a situation where management has a great deal of integrity and they can depend on my word or anybody else's word in the organization, they feel secure. And if the players feel secure, they don't want to leave here. And if they don't want to leave here, they're going to do everything they can on the court to stay here.
RED AUERBACH
Harvard Business Review, Mar. 1987
They said you have to use your five best players but I found you win with the five who fit together the best.
RED AUERBACH
attributed, Winning Words
If I'm going to coach the players, I want some say on who they're going to be.
RED AUERBACH
ESPN, Jun. 2005
Stand up for your players. Show them you care on and off the court.
RED AUERBACH
attributed, Winning Words