IN COACHING AS IN BUSINESS, COMMUNICATION AND SKILL ARE KEY

JAHORINA, 20 MAY /SRNA/ – In coaching, just like in business, two things matter most: communication and the ability to sell your product—your knowledge, said the head coach of the Serbian national basketball team, Svetislav Pešić, today on Jahorina.

Speaking at the panel "Visionary, Leader, Champion" during the Jahorina Economic Forum, Pešić emphasized that both in coaching and in business, there are two types of leaders—authoritative and more flexible ones—and that both types can achieve success. "A coach who is a leader must understand that he is there for the players, just like the President of Republika Srpska /Milorad Dodik/ is a leader, but he is not there for himself—he is there for the citizens," Pešić noted. He also said that he spoke with President Dodik for two hours last night, adding that Dodik is someone who loves basketball, and that everyone in the Serbian national team is grateful to him for his support. Pešić also stated that talking with, in his opinion, the best player in the world, Nikola Jokić, or with any other Serbian basketball player on the path to success is a challenging job—but one that still motivates him to keep working. "I don't believe in motivation. I believe more in process, discipline, and responsibility," Pešić stressed, adding that this is why he doesn’t always select the `best` players for the national team, but rather those who can quickly build chemistry and connection. The panel was also joined online by Radenko Dobraš, who Pešić referred to as the best basketball player from Banja Luka. Dobraš praised Pešić, calling him the best in his profession. "He started out as a complete authoritarian, and there was no room for choice. But through coaching and leadership, he adapted to new generations and learned how to behave—and that is what still makes him the best and most successful coach today," Dobraš said. The eighth Jahorina Economic Forum, the leading regional event in the field of economics, opened today at the Termag Hotel on Jahorina, under the theme "Western Balkans Agenda – Growth Plan".