I recently went one on one with former college basketball coach Matt Doherty. Matt won an NCAA championship as a player for North Carolina and was the head coach for North Carolina, Notre Dame, FAU, and SMU.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Matt: Basketball has always been a big part of my life. My identity. Then, when I got cut by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1984, I was very hurt and didn’t want anything to have to do with basketball. So, I thought I’d get rich by working on Wall Street. I quickly found that I was miserable and self-medicated in alcohol. I woke up on a porch in the Jersey Shore in 1988. Met with a counselor shortly after that, went to AA, and 11 years later I was the head coach at Notre Dame. Then a year later, I was named Head Coach at my alma mater, University of North Carolina, and in my first season they won the ACC season championship, we were ranked #1 in the country, and I was named coach of the year. Two short years later, after not going to the NCAA tournament in consecutive years, there was political unrest, my leadership was questioned, and I was asked to resign. I decided to get better, not bitter and I went on a leadership journey. 

Adam: Who are the greatest leaders you have played for, played with, and coached, and what did you learn from them?

Matt: I was blessed to play for and with and coached so many great leaders. Obviously at the top of the list is coach Dean Smith. He taught us all so many lessons. First and foremost is servant leadership. As I evolve as an executive coach, I look back on how he intentionally drove a great culture. 

Adam: Who is the best teammate you have ever been around and why? What are the characteristics of a great teammate?

Matt: In addition to encountering so many amazing leaders in my life, I was also blessed to be around great teammates from grammar school to high school to college. As I reflect on the people that pop into my head the characteristics that they all shared were low ego, unselfishness, truly caring about others, and they always put the team first. 

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?

Matt: STEVIT is the acronym I use all of the time when describing the best qualities of an effective leader. This acronym stands for 6 KNOWS of leadership: 1) Know your self 2) Know your team 3) Know your environment 4) Know your vision 5) Know your industry and 6) Know your truth. Then, it is all about how you communicate that. Personal interaction to put these into play. 

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Matt: Life is impacted by three things: the people you meet, the books you read, and the trauma in your life. The first two you control. Choose wisely. The third you don’t control. So, you need to make the most of the trauma in your life. Learn and grow from it. 

Adam: How can leaders build winning teams and winning cultures?

Matt: Starts with creating core values. Listing behaviors that are rooted in your core values. And holding your team accountable to those behaviors. 

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to emerging leaders and to seasoned leaders?

Matt: Best tips to both: 1) Stay curious. Never stop learning. As Roy Williams says, “You might be on the right track but if you are standing still you are going to get run over.” 2) Dealing with adversity in a positive manner. Nelson Mandela said, “I never lose. I either win or I learn.” 3) Having the right team.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Matt: From my dad in 4th grade when he signed me up for basketball camp. “When a coach is correct, you don’t say ‘I know.’ Just listen.” 


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally-recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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