Thoughts On Leadership Coaching
Coach Vin Lananna during his tenure at University of Oregon.
“When people call you ‘coach’ it reflects a very special kind of respect, because they believe you will enrich their lives by helping them achieve far more than they would on their own.”
— Frank Dick
Coaching, done well, is a form of leadership. In fact, it can be a supreme expression of leadership.
Coaching is not about creating a followership, it’s about fostering ownership. Top coaches ensure athletes under their care are prepared to take ownership of delivering excellence for their role in competition.
A Leader-Coach is rare, but easy to spot. They are winners who have won consistently despite changing circumstances and adversities. Popovich, Bowerman, Belichick, Lananna, and Wooden are all example of first class leader-coaches familiar to a US audience.
Yet, many coaches default to acting as a Boss-Coach.
The Boss-Coach drives athletes to hit targets imposed from the outside.
The Leader-Coach rallies athletes around a common purpose and asks, “What can you do to contribute?” Should an athlete offer an unrealistic answer, the Leader-Coach provides gentle guidance and helps reorient the athlete in order to supply a more reasonable contribution.
Athletes comply with a Boss-Coach’s demands and (barely) hit quota. But for many, it won’t be their best effort, just enough not to get in trouble.
Athletes led by the Leader-Coach will be inspired by their self-defined role in the common purpose and deliver excellence in spades. In this context, athletes are clear on what they’ve volunteered to contribute, are excited to contribute, and often give everything they’ve got to contribute their best.
When an athlete fails the Boss-Coach asks, “What went wrong?”
The Leader-Coach knows the opposite of right is not wrong, but left. An error simply means the athlete lost their direction. Which prompts the Leader-Coach to ask, “How can we get you back on track?”
Under a Boss-Coach, athletes feel they have to watch their back, so they don’t get in trouble.
Led by a Leader-Coach, athletes know the coach has their back. When trouble shows up athletes are engaged and encouraged, eventually bouncing back better than ever.
Frank Dicks explains: “Our job as coaches is done when athletes are no longer dependent on our guidance.”
Leader-Coaches start out as being the light, illuminating the way during the early stages of an athlete’s journey. Next they teach athletes how to generate their own light. Lastly, they step aside to the sidelines, allowing the prepared athlete to take full ownership and light the way in delivering excellence on the day, every day.
So, which type of coach are you — a boss or a leader?
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