So you're not the "Go to Guy" on your basketball team.......it's ok....you're still special :)

If you find yourself looking like this guy when you are on the court

 

more times than you would like and this guy 

when a pass actually comes your way, you are not alone!  In fact, you are the majority!

Of course, I am exaggerating my intro with the picture I am painting but my point remains the same.  Every single basketball team will have 3 or 4 talents that are capable to create for others no matter the play or tactic used.  The ball MUST be in their hands as much as possible.  We only have one basketball out there for 5 players to "share" (don't like that word in the basketball world- more on that later) and since we (the coaches) want to make sure the right guy (or girl) has it in his hands most of the time, that means the other 4 players will not get to have the basketball come their way all that much in a typical, evenly matched basketball game.  So what to do?  You draw up a play that has the ball touch everyone's hands right?  And then, you HOPE it ends up in the player's hands you most want.  What happens in this scenario is the game is played on HOPE instead of LOGIC!

I like LOGIC (or intelligent play) so here's what I have to say about Role Players.  The go-to-guy IS a role player!  Let's be clear about that before we move on to the other 4 guys on the court. The GTG (go-to-guy) is the player that has the ability to create for himself and for others.  Creating for himself is the easy part for this player.  The difficult part is to include his teammates where and when appropriate to do so.  This player needs to have a deep understanding for time and score (no "early clock" shots unless it's a lay-up of course), moving the ball when secondary defenders are engaged and who to give the ball to with time and score in mind.  Most teams now-a-day have the Point Guards be this person.  But this person can also be your big man. I will not get into that aspect of team play because that is not what this blog entry is about.

As for the O4 (other 4) players, first thing they need to understand is the idea of "sharing" is very misleading.  Should the ball move on

offense?  Absolutely!  However, not every player will get a touch on every possession or every other possession for that matter just because.  This whole idea of "sharing" has created a monster with our teams today.  What I mean by that is if a player goes a possession not touching the ball, they feel they are entitled to not defend, rebound or run the floor in order to make a point about getting a touch.  But the real point is, coach has you out there playing!  He has you out there playing because he feels your skill set can help the team win.  But only if you understand sharing is not going to happen and it should not happen.  If your go to guy does not have the ball in his hands and we have 10 seconds left on the shot clock, you better be working hard to help him get open.  That is where the other 4 guys on the court need to have their minds.  It's really simple as that!  

Now let's talk about the guys coming off the bench (the BP-bench players).  These guys just like the GTG and the O4 are also role players. The BP need to understand, on a deep level how important they are to the energy being exerted by the 5 teammates out on the court.  No talk, bad body language or not reacting to good plays can have a very negative result for the teammates out on the court.  Is it fun to be a BP?  Of course not!  But then again, you are on the team.  So make your own fun.

Of course, there's a lot more to this than what I have posted on this blog entry.  Just about all of my coaching efforts go toward creating this sort of culture on my teams (defining roles).  At the end of the day, it's all about the state of mind.  Understand your place on a team, accept it and do it well.  Change your place on that team in the off-season.  Not during the season.  During the season, get better at being what your team needs you to be.

My two cents

Langis

Being a Point Guard

No I do not have John Stockton's permission to use his photo.  Honestly, I am hoping he finds out that I am using it without his permission and he gets in touch with me to discuss :)

Obviously, this blog post will be on the topic of the Point Guard position in the game of basketball.  I feel like this is an important topic to discuss because of how the game has evolved and how today's point guards are looked upon for so much more than just bringing the ball down the court without turning it over.  For the sake of not writing a book on the issue, I will keep the topic on three aspects I feel make a point guard the most important individual on ANY team:
1- Thick Skin
2- Always a student of the game
3- GEL

Thick Skin

As a coach, I view the PG position as indispensable as far as consistently winning is concerned.  If the PG is focused and playing well, things go well.  When the PG seems to be distracted or has low energy, things usually go bad.  The PG position in my opinion is the most difficult position to play in the game.  Not only does this individual need to make sure the offense is run correctly during game play but if a teammate does not seem to be on the same page, I am talking to the PG FIRST!  Maybe it's a coaching style thing but the way I look at it, if you can empower your PG to be the "boss" on the floor rather than micro-manage every player from the bench, team accountability goes through the charts (and that is a good thing).  We all know that when players make themselves accountable to one-another, those teams win a lot.  If it's coach dominant, those teams win games but never seem to go as far as their talent should allow them.  The PG will typically be blamed for other players' mistakes.  I've done it during film sessions where it seems like I am only talking to the PGs.  These players constantly are getting battered by me which is why if they are sensitive or soft, I can't use them.  I can't use them because they will not take ownership of the team.  It's all about personality.  You need to have the right character to be a PG.  That individual needs to be able to hear the message and not all the adjectives and volume with which the message is accompanied.

Student of the game

The game is dynamic and fast.  It changes constantly not only during game play but also in it's evolution.  No matter what the offense is, the PG needs to understand it inside and out.  They need to be able to figure out that on play X, player X will most likely be the open guy.  On play Y, player W will get the quality look.  A good coach will already point that out but then the PG needs to actually execute that vision and therefore, needs to understand the coach's logic on an even deeper level.  This is where the small detail of "shadowing the coach" will give the PG a huge leg-up on that deeper understanding.  A good PG will always find himself near his coach as much as possible (without being a stalker).  Not just during the games but also outside of the basketball court.  Whenever the PG is not in the game, he or she should be sitting next to the coach or one of the coaches.  True PG do this without even knowing it sometimes.  They naturally want to hear all the dialogue between coach and other players.  During team meals, they sit as close to the coaches' table as possible.  Again, to catch any little knowledge nugget of what the staff is looking for.  These PG don't ever watch another basketball game to be entertained.  They watch it to notice things.  Things such as how did that player become so wide open?  Why did that PG turn the ball over in that situation? So on and so forth.  Another thing these true PG do is read constantly on the topic of leadership on any platform.

GEL

Get Everyone Listening!  True PG are capable of capturing the room's attention.  They just have this ability about them of when they have something to say, every teammate of theirs are fully engaged in that moment.  This does not mean he or she is constantly speaking.  That would be counterproductive.  Rather, this person will rarely address the team (usually the coach's job).  When those losing streaks sneak up on you, players will tend to push and go out of what the team is trying to strategically and tactically accomplish.  Also, when the team is on a winning streak, players will become complacent and take possessions off.  This is where the GEL of a good PG would kick in.  This individual has a gift to keep a group of individuals focused on the goals of the team at all times.

I could go on and on about these three components but keep this in mind; there are not many true PG out there.  In my 20 plus years of doing the coaching thing, I have had the pleasure of coaching only two that had the things I mention.  Daniel Quirion of the University of New Brunswick (coached him in High School, provincial ball and hopefully for the Moncton Miracles this coming 2014-2015 season) and Oliver McNally of Harvard (coached him with the Moncton Miracles).  These two guys did things instinctually and to some extent consciously, that really set them apart.  However, before they are capable of doing all of the things I mention, they must understand how leadership works.  Both of them, not perfectly, did get that.  If you are not sure what I am talking about, please read my take on leadership in this blog :)

Lastly, the true PG not only needs to have these attributes, they also need to be able to run a Pick and Roll, change speeds under physical pressure, run an offense, get in the lane to find open teammates and knock down the occasional three.  I could break down all these things to accompany the attributes but I will spare my readers of that (unless you want me to haha).  My point is the aspiring True PG needs to not only have the skill but also the attributes.  This is why in my opinion, the PG position is the most difficult position to play in the game of basketball.

What do you think?

Quality Feedback

A few days back, I got a chance to watch a number of High School basketball games in my area.  As always, I have great difficulty watching a basketball game for entertainment.  No matter what the level, I am always trying to identify what teams are trying to do and how they are trying to get there.  It is like trying to put a puzzle together without knowing what the big picture is (try it for real, it will redefine the way you think I guarantee it!).  I've seen some great things over the games I saw.  However, I saw one area that very much needs to be addressed;  Quality feedback during game play.

Teaching during game play is a tricky thing to do for coaches.  I have been on all three sides of this part of the game (player, Head Coach and Assistant Coach).  As a player, I constantly craved the feedback even if it meant that I was going to get hit in the face by a flying piece of gum (actually happened....don't think I missed a box out since).  As a HC, I've struggled early in my career to find the right time for the feedback as my primary focus was to coach to win the game.  As an Assistant coach, it was always a question of "how much can I say and when can I say it".  However tricky, it is absolutely essential for maximizing the rate of player development.  Game play feedback is the most powerful moment for a player to learn.  Why is that?  Well, because unlike practices, the player will just about get an immediate opportunity to go and try to do what the coach wants him to do against an opponent that does not know what that thing is.  In practices, everyone hears what the coach wants and so therefore, everyone tries to "cheat" the play or tactic.  Here are my thoughts on how to make this "tricky" essential, less "tricky".
Call it what you want: teachable moment, verbal cues, feedback, talk or whatever.  Bottom line is it needs to happen and it needs to be a part of how the team runs.  The Head Coach is the primary person responsible for player development.  If the player improves, so will the team.  Tactics can only do so much with respect to improving a team.  Your players need to understand inside and out those tactics and their nuances.  So to get there, all hands need to be on deck.  For the Head Coach, I would recommend that you have clearly identified standards toward this topic.  Everyone knows how far they can go.  That includes players when they talk to each other.  But more importantly, the Assistant Coaches.  The Assistant Coach can not ever be the loudest voice out there.  But, if done well, he or she can be invaluable with respect to key aspects of the game.  This is why I absolutely need them to chart something during the game.  Whatever it is needs to be something that you are culturally trying to build in your program (is it clean offense, strong transition play, defensive stops, etc).  That coach needs to have something that the HC does not have.  Far too many times, I see Assistant Coaches sitting benches charting nothing at all.  That bothers me deeply.  When you have all coaches looking at the game, then you are not fully taking advantage of a very important part of player development.   
An HC during game play needs to try, as much as they can, to individually pull players aside and give them quick feedback (10-15 seconds worth of information).  Then get in the huddle and address the team.  A real good HC will instruct an AC about what was said during that one on one, so that the AC can do the follow up part.  Following up is a huge part of feedback.  If there is no follow-up, the player will conclude that the information given was not all that important.  Another great time for the HC to follow up is post game (when everyone is leaving the dressing room) or at the following day's practice.
As for the AC, the charting of whatever information needs to be shared regularly.  Again, the players need to know that what you are looking for is important.  Also, during game play, the AC needs to constantly be pacing the bench and talking to individuals.  Things such as: "next time when you are out there, try to avoid what player X is doing" or as they come out of the game "hey player Y, did you notice that opponent player A really struggles with screens?  Set more for your teammate next time you get out there".  Yes the AC should be communicating to the HC about certain things happening in game play but the focus should be on whatever he or she is charting for the team.  NOTHING annoys a HC more than obvious information "we are not finishing at the rim" or "they are scoring at will on us" or "player X sucks".  Instead, hit the HC with information like "hey based on my charts here, we are really not doing a good job with insert aspect here".  That way, the HC has good stuff to share that is data driven with his players.
Everyone needs to constantly be thinking player development if we truly want to see basketball improve.  Game play player development via constant feedback is essential in this process.

Sweat Academy Year #2

Year #2 of Sweat Academy

Yes this has taken me some time to do but at least I got to it. 

This Training Season has been a very educational one for me that's for sure!  The most "slam in the face" part of my education was working with female high level basketball players for the first time in my 20 year career.  At first, I needed some advice and the Saint Thomas Head Coach of the women's team (which has two players on the training team) accommodated me with much of it.  Then I hit the journals and articles on working with female athletes.  Because of that work, I truly believe that I made significant strides in my coaching for skill development not only for our female clients, but also for our males. Here's the biggest thing I learned:

1- When working on skill training, focus low volume and high intensity.

So this came from advice given to me that when it comes to coaching females, you need to allow them to have some "social downtime".  I personally hate downtime during practice but skills training is not your regular basketball practice.  That combined with an article I read on female golfers, gave me what I needed in order to allow myself to grow more patient with the necessity of downtime.  In golf, when players hit their shot, the level of concentration is extremely high for about 30 seconds.  Then they walk to their ball which will take anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes (if you are like me looking for the ball in the woods).  That 30 seconds becomes the focus of golf coaches.  I have found great improvement in my players when the focus has been maximum effort for a short period of time and in between sets, allow the players to "unplug".

2- Must have a safe training environment

This does not mean making sure that the equipment being used is safe and the floor being clean although it is part of it.  But mostly, this means that the girls need to feel like it is ok to look bad and make mistakes.  Especially when they are training with male players which was the case this past summer (but not going to be the case next summer- more on that to come).  Again, for me I have always been about the type of mistake being made.  One kind will result in a behavior of mine, and another will result in total freak-out.  If a player is trying to execute a skill or a play and physically can not get it done.  Those mistakes are fine.  Then I need to address that weakness on a physiological aspect.  If a player tries to execute a play against a superior athlete and can not,  that is also ok unless the player was instructed to do something else to beat that superior athlete.  Which leads me to the mistake that drives me nuts.  The "brain dead" mistake.  The lack of awareness mistake.  I can not allow my players to get away with not being focused for the task at hand.  BUT, when it comes to skill training, mental mistakes will happen ALL THE TIME.  Why?  Because we are trying to get our players to train outside their comfort zone.  To train outside your comfort zone, you need to have a high level of concentration because the comfort zone factor always looks to kick in.  When giving feedback to the players as they are trying to stay out of their comfort zone, the coaching staff needs to look for the comfort zone habits.  When that happens, the player is making a mental mistake and that is totally part of skill training (so I must chill out when addressing the mistake). 

This year, we went three times per week.  We combined girls with the guys and for the most part, I think everyone was ok with that.  However, when it came to Level 5 training (application of new skill in 5 on 5 live game play), I think this is where our clients were not overall happy and I do not blame them one bit.  To be honest, I did not like it as well because it did not allow the coaching staff to properly assess if the player was at Level 4 (break down live game play 3 on 3, 4 on 4) or Level 5.  If you have a male player making a play against a female player, the physical difference between the two athletes will come into play.  The difference is too great and I say that with no disrespect.  Because we have had more female clients than expected (and we predict that even more will join next summer), we are going to divide the two groups next summer- more on that to come.

My disappointment for the summer was not on the players at all.  It was on their respective programs.  With the exception of Fred Connors of Saint Thomas University, none of the coaches consistently touched base with us about the progress of their player.  We do an ok job of reaching out every-now-and-again but really, at the end of the day, we would love for them to be more interested in what is going on.  Yes we reach out and ask them what three areas would they like their player to improve.  Then we send them the plan we come up with and post occasional videos on Youtube but why aren't they initiating?  I do not get that.  If I were in their shoes and I knew they were getting high quality training on things I need them to get better on, I would be talking to that coaching team all the time.  At least once a week.  I really hope this improves for Year #3.  I will make a point of it when I do reach out in the initial stages.

Things we are looking to improve \ add next year:

1- We plan to put together a Juvenile team (U17) for Basketball New Brunswick Age Class Tier 1 tournament again this year.  This time though, we hope that the interest level will be higher than last year.  We are only taking Grade 12 players seeking an opportunity to practice with the best players of the area while getting one last good luck to potential CIS \CCAA coaches attending this tournament for scouting \ recruiting.

2- We plan to go 4 times per week.  Two on court sessions for the male and two for the female.  However, males can attend female sessions if they are to work on conditioning or agility training.  Females are also invited to come to male sessions in order to do the same.

3- We plan to purchase the Vertimax http://www.vertimax.com/ to help us train our clients.

4- We have already purchased the 94fifty basketballs to help in testing skill http://shop.94fifty.com/

5- We will be purchasing a vertical testing bar to help us get a more accurate measure of Power

6- We have added one coach to our roster- Ryan Johnston of UNB and may be adding another if he decides to stay in Moncton.

7- We plan to have an AAU team put together and travel to the states to play high level competition

8- We plan to host clinics for high school aged players looking to experience the Sweat Academy approach to training for basketball.

So that is a snapshot of Year #2.  We continue to grow in popularity and we want even bigger and better things for the future.  All of it is to build a culture of excellence and high level performance for our elite level athletes.  We want to build World Class athletes!!

"If you are going to say it, be ready to define it"- Roy Rana

Inspired by a coaching clinic put forth by Basketball New Brunswick, I've come to realize that perhaps I should put on paper what I have had defined for a while now; CULTURE.

Roy Rana was the keynote speaker for this basketball clinic.  He challenged everyone (all coaches) to define certain words that we use all the time.  These words were: Elite, High Level Performance and Challenge the shot.  His point was that he hears coaches use these terms all the time but explaining what they mean is often times neglected.  I pride myself on being a "why" coach.  When Coach Rana mentioned that, it made me realize that I did not do a good enough job of making sure all my players understand what exactly a term means for me.  For now though, I will limit myself to culture.

Culture is how you live your days with your team.  What is acceptable, tolerated, discouraged or a cardinal sin.  Norms and values would fall into this.  I am a very vocal coach.  For the two hours of our practices, I will not shut up.  Key words and phrases (another blog for another day perhaps) are always being directed to my players.  I am not a big fan of using the whistle simply because I want my players to be sharp with their listening skills.  So there you are, #1- Listen

1- All players must listen at all times.  The game is so dynamic and fast today.  Things change rapidly.  Players need to change quickly as well.  They miss a "memo", that is a turnover.  In practice, I get all my players to repeat the last part of my instructions.  Other than it reinforcing my point on listening, it also sounds pretty good as a group of 12 yells out at the same time what I just finished saying.

2- Be accountable to one-another.  A coach can only do so much when it comes to building a high performing quality team (high performing means going hard every day).  If the players do not buy-in, then it will never happen as quickly as it should.  When players police themselves to honour the norms and values of the team, that is when true chemistry (chemistry means every player knows their role and fully accepts it) happens.  This accountability will eventually trickle down to practice and game play.  That is when I know I have a special group.  A championship group!

3- What is absolutely not acceptable- Values
This one depends on what level I am coaching.  High School will differ from university aged players and university aged players will differ from the pro ranks.  So I will stick to the basketball side of things which is consistent no matter what level I am involved with at the time. Although when it comes to Values, there is much more involved than just basketball. 

In practice, if we have a drill where there is no defense and a turnover happens, that is unacceptable.  We are running a conditioning drills and the outside lane is not wide enough, that is not good.  In shooting drills, not cutting hard or missing bad (if the shot is missed and it is not a center front or center back miss, that is a bad miss) is unacceptable.  A lose ball on the floor (or a 50-50 ball) and nobody dives to try to get it.  I will lose my mind!  Missing a screen or not waiting for the screen, I will lose my mind!  Missing a box-out, I will lose my mind.  Shying away from taking a charge, I will lose my mind!  Not hustling over to aid a teammate off the floor when he is down, I will voice my disapproval.  After a score in a game or practice, if the player that has scored does not acknowledge his teammate for the pass (or screen or whatever), I will lose my mind!  A simple point to the guy is all that is needed there.  If someone makes a "momentum shift play" (those are diving on the floor for a lose ball, taking a charge, hitting a three or getting a big dunk) and the entire team on the bench does not erupt in cheer, I will be very unimpressed.

4- How do we go about our business- Norms

No matter the level, it is all about respecting the game.  Absolutely no individual is larger than the game.  Professionalism is the key word (that means approaching any situation with one goal in mind, to do the job as best you can).  Be on time and ready to go.  That means on time is at least 30 minutes before practice and at least an hour before games.  That time is to be used for getting ready for practice.  Tape jobs are done, general body preparation done (use the hallways), practice jersey on and tucked in, and skill work put in.  When practice starts, we are in our first full court team drill.  We are not waiting for anyone.  At half-time of games, as soon as I come in the room to debrief, everything gets quiet immediately.  After the game, the jerseys and sneakers stay on.  Nothing comes off until I am done addressing the team on what went well, what did not go so well and what we will be working on at next practice.  On away trips, the game uniforms are on a hanger and not thrown in the player's gear bag.  On video session days, bring water with you and a small snack.  But most importantly, bring your notebook!

5- Be gracious (appreciate what others are doing for you to be able to do what you do)
My players need to give credit where it is due whenever it is appropriate.  There's this idea out there that sport is all about bullying and the strongest will survive.  To an extent, it is true.  I most certainly have a very aggressive approach to coaching.  However, there is a time (mostly once practice and games are done) that we can allow ourselves to be a bit more human.  I always encourage my players to make an effort to reach out.  High School players reach out to their teachers or tournament organizers for example.  University guys to get involved on their campus outside the gym area (and not exclusively at the campus pub).  To thank minor officials for their efforts.  Pros get involved with their community.  Give back to not-for-profit organizations that rely heavily on endorsements.  Go up to a referee and...........................well..................just keep walking! 

For me and what I try to do as a Head Coach, it is really all about building that culture with my teams.  Sometimes it happens quickly.  Sometimes not so much.  But one thing is for sure, it will happen and when it does, winning follows regularly.

Agree or disagree, that is fine.  Feel free to share your thoughts on team culture.

Over the weekend- High School Basketball Games

This past week and weekend, I was able to take in a few basketball games from our local high schools as well as some outside teams (Ontario and Nova Scotia).  I noticed a few things that really stood out to me during these games and thought this blog would be a good way to put them out there and see what happens.

Before I get going, Moncton High School lead by Coach Andrew Macpherson won the tournament.  So a congratulations should go out to his staff and team.  Job well done.

Now, on to the observations (gathered from 6 games watched).

1-  Ontario really really really need to start playing with a shot clock.  I've seen two games from this team and they looked rushed and uncomfortable the entire time.  I saw very poor game management in terms of time and score.  Like it or not, player development (and coach development) is directly impacted by the rules the game is playing with.  Nova Scotia teams and New Brunswick teams looked much better in their flow and game management.  Maybe it was just this one team (from Ontario) but it really stood out to me nonetheless.  Could you imagine if a demographic of 12.2 million would have a shot clock included in their games how much better their already talented talent would be?

2-  Coaches need to do a better job of giving feedback to their players.  "Good job, what are you doing, well done and the frown" are very overused and do very little for improving a player's performance.  Coaches should try to give feedback such as: "Good job finding the body, or your keep missing your screens on insert play here, or well done anticipating"  Be more specific.

3-  Now, coaches that did do a good job of being more specific were good at doing it in a positive fashion.  But when it came time to address bad play, I did not see one coach get it right (which doesn't mean it didn't happen...I'm just saying I didn't see it or hear it).  The best example of what I am trying to say is Player X has the ball and is pushing it up the floor.  Player Y is running his lane (not wide enough) in front of Player X.  Player X tries to head-man the ball to him and it goes out of bounds.  Coach of Player X and Y gets on Player X's case about the pass as he should.  But he did it wrong.  Coach simply said: "what are you doing passing it there" and said nothing to Player Y for not running his lane wide enough.  So what happened after?  That was the end of that team's transition game.  Player X was the point guard and didn't throw another head-man pass again the rest of the game (and this team was quick).  Instead, this is what should have happened: "Player X!  If Player Y is not wide on his lane run, he doesn't get the ball.  Player Y! run wide!"  The transition game continues and the players become more aware of what needs to be done for them to keep taking advantage of their strength (although in January, telling players to run lanes wide should not be necessary...it should be an automatic...but I digress).

I could keep writing for three days on what I saw but I'll stick with these three things as they were what really stood out for me.

We all have a "Reset Button"

Strong Leaders understand the "Reset Button"

When it comes to Leadership, Mike Mackay of Canada Basketball once told me there are three things an individual needs to be able to do in order to lead:

1- Lead Yourself
2- Know when to follow
3- When you are not leading, give energy to those who are

When I reflect on those rules, I can't help to think about how deep they are.  Let me explain.

1- Lead Yourself

Live your life honorably.  Being perfect is not what I am saying here.  What I am saying is when the mistakes come, be resilient about them.  Own the mistake first of all, see how to never repeat them and move on.  Far too many people out there blame others or blame the situation and cannot seem to let it go.  Although in most cases a person's success depends on the endorsement of others, at the end of the day it is all about how you have set yourself up to be successful.  Control what you can and live in the moment.  When things do not go the way you want, understand it, then hit the reset button and move on.

2- Know when to follow

How can an individual know what good leadership is if they have never followed before?  Even in circumstances where the leader is not very good, you can still learn.  Every day is a new day filled with new challenges and choices.  That alone is a reset button.  Pay attention to the people around you.  Pay attention to what they do and try to figure out why they are doing it.

3- When you are not leading, give energy to those who are

Often times, leaders feel like they are on an island.  What I mean by that is, they feel like nobody cares about them or the things they need to get done on a daily basis.  I very often hear people talk negatively about their leader and very seldom hear them speak highly of him or her.  Why is that?  I am not saying brown nose, but I am saying support.  If you don't agree with something that is going on, then have that one on one with the individual.  But every chance you get, support him or her.  By doing this, you help that individual hit their personal reset button.

So as you can see, I don't mention anywhere that to be a good leader, you need to have a people who follow you.  I think if the three rules are well executed on a daily basis, having followers will happen on its own.  Now having said that, I think one more rule needs to be included:

4- Know your stuff! 

If you do live by the first three rules and you do get that group of individuals migrate to you because of it, the experience will be short lived if you do not know the insides and outs of whatever it is your should know.  By instinct, people will not stay long with someone they perceive as a fake.  By showing the people you are leading how much you know about your domain, you reset their button as it restores faith in what you are doing.

My two cents on the topic of life's reset buttons :)