It was awesome to see my good friend and 18-year NBA official, Marat Kogut, this winter in Charlotte, North Carolina.
I was traveling north, and my daughter is a college student in North Carolina, so it was a perfect opportunity to connect.
Marat and I came up together in New York City as basketball officials in the early 2000s. His path continued to work in the NBA as a top official. He’s an awesome husband, incredible father, and excellent official.
I am grateful and fortunate to have spent 12 hours with him on this trip. Here are some of the things that I learned and stood out to me.
These characteristics and behaviors crossover to all types of leaders and leadership positions. Marat is successful for many reasons, and I got to see them on display over several hours that afternoon and evening.
Number one: A tremendous awareness of his surroundings.
Wherever we were, and whatever we were doing, Marat was aware of his surroundings. Whether in the hallways underneath the arena after the game, in a restaurant in the afternoon, or in the biggest spotlight of the game itself, Marat knew his surroundings. He was always aware of how he carried himself, how he was dressed, and more.
Number two: He has excellent body language
Marat carried himself confidently, walked tall, moved quickly, wore a smile, and acted assertively in all he did. He smiled and talked with the players before the game. He was attentive and focused while talking to the coaches, and kind and compassionate when he was with my daughter and me.
Number three: He’s super organized.
Marat needs to be very organized in his professional and personal life. He needs to know where to be, when to be, and what he is to be doing. Whether he is a replay official in the studio in New York, has an early flight the next day, or is traveling to Germany and England for two games (like he did this winter). He needs to be well aware of his schedule and all that goes into being an official. Being organized is super important.
Number four: A tremendous focus on fitness.
We had lunch together, and Marat had a very nice salad and a high-protein chicken meal. We then walked over to Whole Foods, where he purchased more fruits, vegetables, cottage cheese, and whole grains to make sure he could have healthy, lighter items to keep him full while traveling.
He is also part of a national gym chain to make sure his workouts, stretching, and recovery are routine. He has one near his home that he can use on his off days, and he knows the locations of these gyms as well as when he’s traveling. That morning, before we had lunch, he was in the gym for several hours. We spoke a lot about fitness, proteins, calories, movement, etc.
Number five: Being under review.
Marat and his fellow partners were under review the whole night. Not only were eyes and ears on them live throughout the evening, but they were constantly under review on the replay board, with the announcers, and replays were shown throughout the evening. Coaches have the ability to challenge and review plays, which are then shown on the Jumbotron and on TV at home. The head official even grabs the microphone and has to explain what they are looking for, and the review of their place. Both of the reviews that happened during the game were confirmed and were correct calls by the officials. This just shows the extreme difficulty of their job.
Number six: Getting the play right.
Throughout our conversations over the day, it always seemed to go back to the number one focus of an official: Get the play right! He said fans/players/coaches can be very forgiving of a lot of things, but getting the plays right is the most important. Officials are faced with challenging and complex situations on and off the court, and constantly getting the play right is the absolute number one of all they do. Think about your own life and leadership. How important is it to get the plays right in your walk of life?
Number seven: An excellent communicator
Whether it was at lunch with my daughter and me, talking to the checkout clerk at Whole Foods, or with his crew after the game, Marat was the ultimate gentleman and communicator. He had a warm and inviting smile, asked curious questions, and included everyone in the conversation. He has excellent eye contact, positive comments, and is overall just a great communicator. I love the concept of being interested and be interesting. Marat was both of those and more throughout our time together.
Number eight: Companionship and camaraderie
The referee circles are tight with friendships, mentors, great partners, and more. We talked a lot about family. Those we rely on for help and advice, and the importance of connecting like this on the road. Life on the road can be lonely and challenging. To be able to connect and maintain long-term friendships is so important. It was great to see him work. Marat and his crew had a great game, got their plays right, and were off to the next city. We got to see him after the game and spend some time together. We also met his partners, who were awesome in the game.
I felt very grateful to have spent that amount of time with someone who is working at such a high level. Being an NBA official, working at the most elite level is very difficult. Marat is one of those guys who makes it look easy. Congratulations, Marat, on all your success, and I wish you the best on your journey as you move forward. Continued health and happiness–and keep getting those plays right!
Keep surviving and thriving, friends.
