Tyrese Haliburton pounded the floor, writhing in pain. The Indiana Pacers superstar guard had just suffered his worst nightmare: a painful Achilles injury in the opening minutes of the biggest game of his life, the seventh and deciding game of the NBA finals.
To add insult to injury, Haliburton had started the game on fire, scoring nine points in just seven minutes. Despite igniting his teammates, in the end his absence was too much for the Pacers to overcome. The Oklahoma City Thunder came off victorious, and basketball fans across the globe were left to wonder what “would” have been.
But after the game, something remarkable happened.
There was Haliburton, in the corridor, on crutches and wearing a special boot to protect his lower leg. He was waiting to greet his teammates. One by one, Haliburton gave each teammate a hug and a few words of encouragement as they walked by.
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“To go down like that and be selfless and just continuing to cheer for us, even though he can’t play, that just speaks volumes to who Tyrese Haliburton is,” said Pacers guard T.J. McConnell in a postgame interview.
With this action, Haliburton taught a major lesson in emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and manage emotions, which includes the abilities to lead and motivate others. What can you learn from Haliburton’s selfless gesture? And what are the takeaways for business leaders everywhere? Let’s take a closer look. (Sign up here for my free email emotional intelligence course.)
Why emotionally intelligent leadership is so valuable
We can’t say what was going through Haliburton’s head after the game ended. Maybe he wanted to be alone, or with close family. Maybe he was tempted to sulk or feel sorry for himself.
But that’s not what he did.
By coming out to greet each player, Haliburton did what great leaders do: He put the needs of his team ahead of his own. Despite his pain, he made the extra effort to be there for his teammates. To show appreciation for their efforts. To show respect for what they accomplished.
And to let them know, win or lose, through the most difficult moments, they were in this together.
Why is this so remarkable?
As I tell the leaders I coach: Talent can get you far. But emotional intelligence gets you to the next level.
Haliburton’s abilities start with exceptional hard skills: He regularly throws passes that are dazzling as they are deadly accurate. He’s an extraordinary scorer, and his ability to score in clutch moments is unmatched.
But there’s something Haliburton does for his team that can’t be measured on a stat sheet—or even seen on game film: His ability to affect how others feel, to motivate them, and to get them to perform at their best.
Pacers forward Paskal Siakam alluded to this in his postgame interview. Siakam credited Haliburton for being a big reason he’s had such a successful season, as Haliburton made basketball “fun” for him again.
“A couple of years ago, basketball was kind of dark for me,” explained Siakam. “It was just not fun at all. And I got traded here and these guys, they just gave me a boost—starting with Ty [Haliburton] obviously…I just found my joy for the game.”
Haliburton is the Pacers leader and the single most important piece to this team—but not because of his scoring prowess, or his elite clutch play. Haliburton is the leader because of what he means to his teammates: He makes everyone else better.
How to create an emotionally intelligent culture
If you’re a business leader, what can you learn from Tyrese Haliburton?
First and foremost, remember your job is more than just making sure things get done, or even that they’re done in the right way. Rather, you want to reach your people on an emotional level. Strive to create a culture where people feel cared for and supported. Where they feel that you’ve got their back, and they’ve got yours.
To do that, focus on the people, instead of the work. Commend them, sincerely and specifically. Try to help them feel joy when things are going well, and to feel safe when things go badly—even for you.
Because if there’s one thing we learn from Tyrese Haliburton, it’s this:
The job of a leader is to put the needs of the team, first. Because when you do, you’ll accomplish great things together.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
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