Coaching Leadership 

by Coach Doug Reese, TTNL 

Due to the intensely competitive nature of sports today, effective leadership may be the most critical factor in determining success. 

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By the very nature of the profession, a coach must be in the business of providing leadership every day. Failure to hone leadership skills is opportunity lost.

Leadership can be illustrated by profiling the behaviors of effective leaders.

CREATE VISION AND COMMITMENT. Perhaps the most critical of all leadership skills is leading a collaborative effort to create a common vision and being able to instill commitment to its achievement.

MAINTAIN INTEGRITY. Leadership must be grounded in values; the best leaders never compromise their values.

COLLABORATE. Leaders take advantage of every possible resource, including human ones. In most instances, taking a collaborative approach to organizational management reaps the benefits of commitment to shared goals.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE. An effective leader models the behavior they seek in others; leaders "walk the talk."

GIVE CREDIT FOR SUCCESS AND ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILURE. Because leaders value their team's success more than personal success, they deflect praise when successful and accept responsibility for failure. There is no better way to develop loyalty than by exercising this principle.

CATCH SOMEONE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT. One of the most under-utilized leadership skills is giving positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement builds enthusiasm, self-confidence and commitment, and it creates dramatically increased receptivity to constructive feedback, when it must be given.

COMMUNICATE BY LISTENING. Effective communication is critical in creating a common vision, but the listening element of communication is too often overlooked. The best communicators are the best listeners.

DELEGATE. Leaders delegate in an environment where it is acceptable to fail. Obviously this concept has to be executed within reasonable parameters, but allowing competent people to take reasonably calculated risks will pay dividends in the long run.

PRACTICE THE GOLDEN RULE. Treat others as you wish to be treated. This is a concept about treating others with respect that is so simple we teach it to four-year-olds, yet it is often forgotten by adults. It works!

CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT FOR SELF-MOTIVATION. You have undoubtedly been exposed to countless seminars, courses and lectures about "how to motivate people." The fact is, most motivation comes from within each individual, not from external forces. By living many of the behaviors outlined above, you can create the environment where self-motivation becomes a reality.

TREAT EVERYONE AS EQUALS WHENEVER POSSIBLE. Organizations throughout the world are flattening hierarchies; organizational charts are becoming less vertical and more horizontal. A non-hierarchial environment encourages participation, creativity and risk-taking, all contributing to the maximum synergy of an organization.

Can a coach utilize all of these principles all the time? Almost certainly not. Every organization or team has its own blend of individuals and group chemistry that requires a unique approach to leadership. But regardless of how the coach defines and implements their leadership style, paying close attention to the issue should be a high priority. Whether observing a group of over-achievers or under-achievers, you can bet that effective leadership, or the absence of it, is the thing that makes the difference.