"Being ready isn't enough; you have to be prepared for a promotion or any other significant change"
About this Quote
Pat Riley draws a sharp line between readiness and preparation. Readiness is potential energy: skill, motivation, and a willingness to step in. Preparation is architecture: habits, systems, relationships, and mental models that make success repeatable under pressure. Opportunity rarely announces itself; promotions and major shifts usually arrive amid ambiguity and stress. If all you have is readiness, you rely on adrenaline. If you are prepared, you have already rehearsed the moment, anticipated variables, and shaped the environment to support you.
Riley built dynasties by treating change as a season, not a moment. A bench player can be ready to score; being prepared means knowing every coverage, understanding teammates tendencies, having the conditioning to defend for longer minutes, and the poise to absorb a hostile crowd. In business, being ready for a promotion means wanting the job and having baseline competence. Being prepared means having a 90-day plan, a network that trusts you, the humility to learn fast, and the discipline to delegate, coach, and say no.
The phrase any other significant change widens the lens beyond good news. Trades, injuries, role reductions, new technology, reorganizations: they expose whether you planned for volatility. Preparation is scenario work, skill stacking, and emotional regulation. It is also identity work, because promotions require shedding parts of the old role. Riley emphasized eliminating the Disease of Me, the ego that derails teams when roles shift. Prepared people precommit to team standards, so when status changes, the culture holds.
His teams practiced details until they became reflex: late-game execution, situational awareness, next-play focus. That same ethic applies off the court. Do the reps before the spotlight: study the playbook of your new level, build feedback loops, assemble allies, stress-test decisions. When the call comes, you are not scrambling to become the person the role requires. You already are.
Riley built dynasties by treating change as a season, not a moment. A bench player can be ready to score; being prepared means knowing every coverage, understanding teammates tendencies, having the conditioning to defend for longer minutes, and the poise to absorb a hostile crowd. In business, being ready for a promotion means wanting the job and having baseline competence. Being prepared means having a 90-day plan, a network that trusts you, the humility to learn fast, and the discipline to delegate, coach, and say no.
The phrase any other significant change widens the lens beyond good news. Trades, injuries, role reductions, new technology, reorganizations: they expose whether you planned for volatility. Preparation is scenario work, skill stacking, and emotional regulation. It is also identity work, because promotions require shedding parts of the old role. Riley emphasized eliminating the Disease of Me, the ego that derails teams when roles shift. Prepared people precommit to team standards, so when status changes, the culture holds.
His teams practiced details until they became reflex: late-game execution, situational awareness, next-play focus. That same ethic applies off the court. Do the reps before the spotlight: study the playbook of your new level, build feedback loops, assemble allies, stress-test decisions. When the call comes, you are not scrambling to become the person the role requires. You already are.
Quote Details
| Topic | Career |
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