T.J. Otzelberger is both a disruptor and a creature of habit.

Juxtaposed, those two qualities have become central to his leadership philosophy, a key theme of the Business Record’s Business of Sports conversation on Tuesday in Des Moines.

The conversation, featuring Otzelberger and Cyclone Fanatic founder Chris Williams, author of the new book “Fanatic: Stories from 20 Years Inside Iowa State,” centered on staying grounded while continuing to evolve in a world of constant change.

As both a student and teacher of the profession, Otzelberger shared key lessons on consistency, work ethic, intentionality and the maxim: “How you do anything is how you do everything.”

Here are six takeaways from the conversation.

Be intentional with your time
When Otzelberger first arrived at Iowa State, he said he was “always just go, go, go, go, go. And at times you do that, you feel like you’re on this hamster wheel, and you don’t have any clarity. … Everything just kind of runs together.”

Now, he wakes up at 4:30 every morning and eats the same thing for breakfast and lunch. By removing small daily decisions, he’s built more simplicity into his routine and opened more space for focus, he said.

By the time players arrive at the weight room, Otzelberger and the staff have already finished their workouts, drenched in sweat, setting the tone through action rather than words.

“I think being intentional with your time, being purposeful with how you spend your time in the day, and then making sure that where you spend your time is reflective of what your priorities are,” he said.

Be obsessive about your work
Williams discovered the depth of Otzelberger’s work obsession through a recruiting story shared by former Iowa State coach Greg McDermott.

McDermott told Williams that while on the road, Otzelberger would text two recruits from two different phones at the same time.

Williams also recalled seeing Otzelberger on the court before a game, FaceTiming a recruit during warmups.

“You’ve got to just be obsessed with whatever you do,” Williams said. “You have to be obsessed, because if you’re not, somebody else is, and they’re going to step on your territory.”

Know yourself and your team
Otzelberger often reviews his own performance as a coach, watching film not just of his players but of his own reactions during key moments in games.

“We want to be poised. We want to have command. We want to be together. We don’t want to react,” Otzelberger said.

When he first became a head coach at South Dakota State, though, film study sometimes revealed the opposite.

“You watch yourself acting like a fool on the sidelines … that’s very humbling,” he said. “We started our journey at South Dakota State, first head coaching opportunity, and it didn’t go well at the start. Part of that was looking in the mirror and saying, ‘It’s because of me on the sideline.’ We’re getting late in the game, and I’m arguing with the call, and I’m signaling a traveling sign, and I’m doing all these things. I’m not focused on that moment. I am not as present as I can be.”

That realization forced him to reset.

“It would be illogical for me to think that the young people on our team would be able to do that in that moment when I can’t do that,” he said.

Otzelberger also learned the importance of knowing his team, including when to jump on them, when to push their buttons and when to get on an official to send a message.

“I think it comes down to being composed, being in command, being confident and then being where your feet are in that moment,” he said.

Invest in each other
Each morning, the Iowa State men’s basketball team eats breakfast together without their phones.

“We give them a different topic every morning to talk about, and they can debate, joke or whatever,” Otzelberger said.

After practice, they all share a catered meal, again without phones. Then, at 4:30 each afternoon, they have a team meal.

Beyond eating together, the players all live together in the same housing complex and get together each week for an activity on their own, whether it’s attending a football or volleyball game, watching UFC fights, or hitting golf balls.

“Just continuing to invest in one another, which I think is so important,” Otzelberger said.

Evolve with change
Like nearly every aspect of life, NCAA basketball has undergone massive change in recent years.

The arrival of name, image and likeness has reshaped everything from recruiting, to relationships, to team culture.

During the first team meeting each summer, Otzelberger shares on a board what every player makes.

“There are no secrets,” he said. “If you’re an all-conference player, you should expect to be compensated accordingly. If you’re a mid-major player transferring, trying to do the same job you did there but do it here, there’s a middle category. If you’re a freshman and you’re unproven, you haven’t proven anything, we’re going to put you in this category.”

Otzelberger has established a straightforward, merit-based system that stays consistent year to year.

“We believe in our standards, we uphold our standards, we stick to it, and then we move forward,” he said. “And if you don’t like it, trust me, we’ll find somebody else. We’ve proven to be able to find guys that can impact the program in a positive way. We’re confident in our ability to do that. We’ll just do it a different way.”

‘How you do anything is how you do everything’
Every decision Otzelberger makes, from when he wakes up to what he eats, from the calls he makes on the court to the time he spends with his family, traces back to a favorite saying: “How you do anything is how you do everything.”

“You just decide mentally, I’m doing it now, and then you do it,” he said. “And what I’ve learned through that is that it really becomes simple when you do it that way. It’s the intent and it’s the choice.”

Otzelberger compares the thinking with making New Year’s resolutions: “If it’s better for you, why wouldn’t you just do it now?”

“I just think there’s a lot more simplicity to things when you just make a decision and then hold yourself accountable to it … And so I think for all of us, just making those choices, don’t let yourself off the hook. If something matters to you, prioritize it and have intent with everything that you do,” he said.

Kyle Heim is a freelance contributing writer for the Business Record.