The Three Things Every Leader Needs to Build a Confident, High-Energy Team

The Three Things Every Leader Needs to Build a Confident, High-Energy Team

From DeadThree - Coaching and Leadership Development by George Evjen

December 9, 2025 · 28 min · Episode 129

About this episode

This episode discusses the essential elements leaders need to foster confidence and energy in their teams, using a basketball analogy.

In this episode of the DeadThree Coaching Show, we start with a Duke vs. Florida basketball moment and turn it into a leadership blueprint for IT teams and organizations. Duke guard Isaiah Evans was 0-for-7 from three. Game on the line. Instead of going away from him, Coach Jon Scheyer drew up the final play for Evans — and he buried the game-winning three. That decision wasn’t just about X’s and O’s. It was about belief, confidence, and the energy a leader chooses to bring to their team. We break down why your team’s confidence and energy are a reflection of you — not your slide decks, not your strategy documents, but your daily presence. Using lessons from Duke basketball, High Performance Habits, Ego Is the Enemy, and Beyond the Hammer, he walks through three non-negotiables every IT leader (and any leader) must master to build elite, high-performing teams. You’ll hear: Why belief in your people matters more than their last “miss” How Coach Scheyer’s decision to trust an 0-for-7 shooter is the model for how we lead at work Why your team feels your energy long before they hear your words How your emotional state becomes the culture your team lives in The three energy standards…

People in this episode

Host: George Evjen

Topics covered

  • leadership
  • team building
  • confidence
  • energy
  • high performance

Keywords

  • leadership
  • team energy
  • confidence
  • high-performing teams
  • emotional state

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Duke, Florida

Books & works: High Performance Habits, Ego Is the Enemy, Beyond the Hammer

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