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They're some of our favorites. And this edition is with Bill Coke. whose company Oxbow Carbon has over 1,200 employees and $4 billion in annual revenue. Bill has also led America to a victory in the world's premier sailing competition, the Americas Cup. and did it on his first try.
But today he brings us some formational leadership stories from his younger days at his high school. Culver Academy. And Culver You know, my first year, I got beat up a lot. and rashed a lot. Uh And One of them's at Culver Some of the advisors told me that I couldn't get into MIT.
Huh. And then when I got into MIT, I said, well, you know, you're at the bottom of the class. Uh You know, I don't think she'll make it. And then I found out that if I wanted to do well. mainly to impress my father.
as well as menly too. develop my own skills. and my own accomplishments.
So I just would work very, very hard. You know, if I had to go to the bathroom, I'd take a... a book with me. Yeah. Ha ha ha.
So I worked really hard. And then I graduated with top honors. And then Got mine. doctorate's degree from it. And I've always been, seem to be told that I can't do something.
Huh. you know, being harassed. and told I was dumb. an idiot, some other things.
So that has become a big challenge for me. I mean it can have two effects. Either you stay a nerd the rest of your life or an idiot the rest of your life or you take advantage of it. In fact, you know, I probably have a little OCD. And I looked at it and said, well, that could either kill me or I could use it to an advantage.
So I used it to work very hard. Huh. And surprisingly, I got more honors than all my brothers put together. Yeah. We just made a couple um tests.
But I wanted to play basketball. I thought the sport was terrific. But in our freshman year. the Varsity Loon one game. But we as freshmen couldn't play on the varsity.
And they'll say now they can't. Then you couldn't. And We were a bunch of nerds. And MIT went out and got this one coach from Methuen High School. It's a northern mill town.
that was dying in northern Massachusetts. And He had the longest winning record of any high school in the country.
So MIT recruited him. Then when we became sophomores and were playing on the varsity. We also won only one game. And the coach, you know, took a while to learn out the MIT system, to learn what nerds we are. Uh and what uh how clumsy and awkward we were.
So I wanted to play more on the varsity, so I went up and went to a summer camp that he had.
so I could practice all summer. And also that avoided me going out and working on the ranch. and I could possibly chase girls. even though it was in in Methuan. Uh but anyway he he told me he had a a new plan.
and he came up with a new play. but he came up with only one play. because he said we weren't smart enough to learn more than one. These nerds from MIT. And he was also afraid that if if uh we all n had different plays we'd get too confused.
And then he just drilled us over and over and over in that same play.
so we could do it in our sleep.
So it was habitual. Then he started giving us variations off the play. Which was great. But the most powerful thing he did was that he put people in the right spots. to minimize their weakness had maximized their strengths.
and he defined jobs. You know, he said, okay. Your job is to bring up the ball and dribble it. and dribble it up. and set up a play.
And then your job is to get rebounds and block shots. And often. put up pivots. And then he said to another guy, all right, your job is to go after the best shooter on the other side and rough him up a little bit. Bunny.
made it very percent.
Well Anyway, in our junior year, We won over half our games our senior year. We had the longest swimming streak in the country. and the least points scored against us. And Oh. And so.
I looked at that. and said That's a good question. You know, and I sat on the damn bench. Yeah. But it was terrific.
I learned it because that was one of the best lessons I made, ever learned at MIT. how important teamwork is and focus and well the guy also told us You guys are winners. You know, if you think you're going to lose, you will lose. You know, if you think you're going to win, at least you have a 50-50 chance of winning. And I said.
That's terrific. And they said, you work all work together. I mean, it's remarkable because not one of us. could have even joined, got in any other college. In fact, we probably wouldn't have even made intermural teams.
And and relying upon your teammates. You know, and not be a star. I think Ren Arbuck said, Any of you guys on the pro team, if you want to be a superstar, any one of you can score 30 points a night. But if you do, we're going to lose. And instead, we got to work as a team.
And if we win, then we're all heroes. And that's so true. And Red Arabeck is one of my heroes, one of my dad's heroes. My dad was my coach. I was a point guard on an all-state team.
And my goodness, learned a lot of these lessons. About knowing your job, being accountable to the job too. If your job is to rebound and block out that guy, rebound and block out that guy. and your teammates are depending on it. Bill Coke's story His leadership story.
and a coach's story. and the impact that man had on those boys who turned into men. Here. on our American stories. Lee Habib here, and I'm inviting you to help Our American Stories celebrate this country's 250th birthday, only a short time away.
If you want to help inspire countless others to love America like we do, and want to help us bring the inspiring and important stories told here to millions for years to come, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Our American Stories. Go to AlAmericanStories.com and click the donate button. Give a little, give a lot. Any amount helps, go to alamericanstories.com and give. Stop settling for weak sound.
It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with the ultra-durable LG X-Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG X Boom. And for a limited time, save 25% at lg.com with code FALL25.
Bring the bowl. X Boom. Let's be real. Life happens. Kids still, pets shed, and accidents are inevitable.
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That's washable sofas.com. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. Tired of flipping through apps to find something good? Meet TiVo Plus, your one-stop free streaming network, no credit card required. With over 300 free channels, you get binge-worthy movies from action and comedy to Indian award winners.
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Check us out at TiVo.com. Hey, what's up? It's Mario Lopez. Back to school. It's an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit.
Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or neighbor. Check in. Ask questions. Stay connected.
Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to report at dhs.gov/slash blue campaign. America is changing. and so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval.
It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. I'm a smah in Washington, D.C. I'm Tristan Redman in London and this is the Global Story. Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet. Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
This is an iHeart podcast.
