We've all heard the news that Ty Lue has been relieved of his duties as Head Coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. While some may look at this as an embarrassing hit to a coach's reputation, I don't see it this way. Is it something T Lue wanted to happen? No, I'm sure he did not. Is it something that is part of the coaching landscape in todays coaching world? Yes, it is.
So now it becomes decision time for T Lue or any other coach in this situation. Do you treat this situation as devastation or education? How one treats it will often determine the speed and success of recovery. Those who truly understand what success is all about also understand how important setbacks, mistakes, and failures are to the process of becoming successful.
T Lue won an NBA Championship in 2016 and was the Eastern Conference Head Coach in the prestigious NBA All Star game that same year. That is what all of us would call successful.
So does this latest development mean he is no longer as good as he was? Definitely not. Failure is something that happens to us. It is not who we are -- unless we continue to do the same things that caused those failures.
Having been on the same coaching staff with T Lue in both Boston and Los Angeles, I know how he will look at this latest challenge in his career. He will be better for it when he decides to get back in. He gets it. The game needs coaches like T Lue at the highest level!
And this takes me back to my original thought: are you going to treat failure as devastation (and stymie your career) or education (and improve your career)? This is a choice I hope you never have to make. But it's a choice that many coaches will experience at some point of their career. It is worth spending a little "Think Time" on how you might face these circumstances.