Not a minor scolding, a full-on Bobby Knight moment. At the time, I didn’t even know who he was. Years later, my son told me it was the most memorable celebrity encounter in our family — and as a family, we’ve had many with way more visible celebrities, to name just a few: Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Bobby Orr, George Clooney, Pamela Anderson, The Rock, Hulk Hogan, and Nancy Kerrigan.
For context: Bobby Knight was a legendary college basketball coach who won three national championships and an Olympic gold medal. His public persona was fiercely independent, “my way” to the core, known for temperamental outbursts, chair-throwing, and unfiltered intensity. Brilliant strategist. Deeply committed to his players’ success. A force.
His private side, described by those close to him, revealed a different dimension: loyal, generous, appreciative of his players and mentors, and devoted to the game. His gratitude showed up through unwavering loyalty, deep admiration for those who shaped him, and a profound love for basketball. These qualities rarely made the highlight reels; they didn’t match the brand he projected.
So why did my one-minute encounter matter?
Because Bobby Knight showed me real-time brand clarity. He was consistent. The Bobby Knight people saw on television was the Bobby Knight who bumped me and spilled my wine on both of us. He was being interviewed on the floor of the Boston Garden during a cocktail party and took a few steps backwards into me without looking. I started to respond, and his handlers swept him away, apologizing as they went. I didn’t think much of it until people around me began gawking. I had apparently joined an unofficial club: People Bobby Knight Has Yelled At.
This story is not about him. It’s about leadership, brand, and gratitude.
Bobby Knight was self-aware. He knew exactly how people saw him and leaned into it. He described himself as intense, intimidating, explosive, and uncompromising. That was his brand. He often said, “This is who I am. I coach the way I coach.” That consistency, flawed or not, was part of his brand.
Now here’s where gratitude comes in.
Leaders who practice gratitude become more grounded, open-minded, and confident. Gratitude shifts us away from fear and toward clarity. That clarity helps us express consistently and authentically who we are, not a cookie-cutter version, not a corporate mask, but the real, wonderfully unique you.
You have a leadership brand, whether you’ve named it or not.
If you want to explore that alignment, join next month’s GEMS session. I’ll walk you through a five-step process to define, clarify, and share ways you can align with your authentic leadership brand.
There is only one Bobby Knight.
There is only one you.
Lead as you, it’s less stressful.
The question is: Does your brand align with the leader you intend to be?
