The first few days of the week have brought with it a great number of learnings as we head down the stretch of 2025, and wrap another semester on campus at Columbia. To give our students some value add this fall, we were able to sync schedules with a longtime friend, Jack Armstrong, the longtime analyst for the Toronto Raptors, but even more importantly a good friend for decades who retains his ability to be humble, thoughtful, insightful and a curious learner after 27 years working in the NBA, where he is now the only non-player doing color analysis on broadcast (video, not radio) for ANY NBA team.
That is a testament not just to Jack’s adaptability, but also to his character, his fairness and his knowledge of the game, both on the NBA level and on the college level when he does the studio hosting across Canada for March Madness.
While we didn’t record the class, we walked away with so many great insights it warranted sharing them, at least in print. Jack’s thoughts became even more relevant to me after reading this piece in the NY Times opinion section on Sunday by Ken Stern (also 62 as Jack and I are) where he talked about the continued myth of the number you are vs the way you act, think and feel.
“Chronological age isn’t a measure of capability.”
True dat.
The Absorbing of Information Never Stops. Jack talked about the value, not the hindrance of being one of the oldest people in the Raptors travel party, something with which I agree with (last week I was honored to spend time with a young woman who I greatly admire on the creative and leadership side, and I never thought about how young she is…until it was her birthday and I realized she was literally half my age!) and take that learning from those at various points on the journey as much as I can.
We Get Over The Celebrity, and Want To Know The Person. Another key insight from the day is the quest for casual fans to know more about what they can’t see or learn from behind whatever device they absorb content. Jack pointed out that when he talks to friends, fans and interested observers, they never ask about Drake’s singing ability or Steph Curry’s ability to make shots. They can see that any time. What they first is about the person. What are they like, what do they say away from the camera. It was a great point that sometimes gets lost in fandom…with all the access we think we have, people want to know more about the human as much or more than the superstar.
Do You Lead Electronically? Another interesting point was about a different aspect of human relationship and communication, the ever-evolving styles of leadership. He pointed out that a senior business leader he spends time with asked the question about how today’s management interacts and reacts with people, especially in challenging times. It has become easy to lead behind a piece of glass and be distanced physically and emotionally from people…but when decisions have to be made, crisis arises, and challenges occur, those who usually fair the best at the top are those who have spent time face to face with those around hem. They know them as humans, as people, not just as numbers. You take away the devices, and you show and build the character.
Shoulder to Shoulder vs Face to Face: Another management insight pointed out was the difference in challenging, and learning about someone with whom we have differences with, or are striving to learn more about personally of professionally. The world we are in and the business challenges we have today seem to be more based on confrontation…being in your face, shouting someone down, getting the upper hand. His learned management style is less face to face and more shoulder to shoulder. When you physically align with someone to discuss or manage side by side, the edge, not the nuance can be lost, and t creates better listening for both sides. Confrontation is minimized, and we have literally seen this with some of the great leaders of the world. They walk or stand face to face, not squaring off. The message, whether they agree or disagree, is much better nuanced to those observing, and many times, that shoulder to shoulder stance can be calming, disarming and very much more productive. Now he pointed out there is a time and place for direct eye contact and mastering that as a style, but many times, shoulder to shoulder builds consensus and diffuses emotions so much better.
Lastly, the seven R’s: We will finish where Jack started, with how you build consensus and can lead by example:
Rules without Relationships = Rebellion
Rules with Relationship = Respect and Results
Taken from his years of coaching at Fordham and Niagara Universities, as well as the observed lessons from thousands of hours around great teachers, leaders, coaches and athletes from decades of work, success is sometimes boiled down to less words, and more actions. The seven R’s, when thought through, provide an amazing framework for success in any business, and are a great primer from which to build a career.
While there were so many more personal anecdotes and examples of success in our 90 minutes, those five points stood out as sharable jewels. It was an honor to have a longtime friend on campus, and a treat for our students to hear from a Hall of Fame worthy leader and person.
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