What is leadership and does it differ in various facets of society such as business, sports, or community?
First of all, let's look at the definition of leadership. The Oxford dictionary defines leadership as "The action of leading a group of people or an organization." So at the most basic level, it simply means that any time one or a few individuals lead a larger group, there is leadership. There is the saying "are leaders born or made?" I do believe that there are some inherent personality traits that make some individuals better suited to be leaders than others, but at the same time, leadership skills can be learned since the types and roles of leadership can vary to the same degree as the different types of personality. In discussions with peers in coaching or giving clinics and presentations, the issue of team captains or leadership on teams is a topic that often comes up. I have always held the believe that you can't always define or explain leadership, but you can recognize it when you see it. With all the team I coached, in observing the athlete's interact you could always spot natural leaders, not just in the way they acted but often in the way that the others responded to them. Of course, I have also had cases of seeing leadership qualities in certain individuals ( that in some cases they didn't feel they had) and having to work with them to develop these skills and most importantly to feel comfortable in a leadership role. So what are some of the leadership qualities as they relate to sports? Every team needs leadership. In difficult times players are left searching out the leaders in their team, but not everyone can pick up to the baton and lead a team away from tough moments. It takes a special range of characteristics to excel as a sports leader. If you are an athlete who seeks a leadership role, or a coach looking for leaders among your team, the following might be some of the qualities that can define good leadership potential. Depending on one's role in the team the scope and traits for leadership can change, and they manifest themselves in various ways. Coaches can use training sessions, team meetings, and pre/post match team talks to display their leadership, but once the players are out on the field during games, no matter how much they might yell out directions from the sideline, their influence is limited. A good coach knows how to prepare his or her athletes to perform in games but once the whistle blows, it's generally down the captain. Captains are responsible for taking what their coach does off the field and implementing it on match day. Coaches and captains are the obviously the first place to look for leadership, but they aren't the only ones who can step and lead, whether on or off the field, and in training or games. Leadership can come from any team member on the pitch. Whether through an inherent combination of traits or a skill set developed over time, different individuals could be the ones delivering and injection of leadership that lifts a team from potential defeat to dramatic victory. One fundamental trait of good leadership is leading by example. This is applicable to ALL forms of leadership in my opinion. When someone steps up as a leader or authority figure, other team members are likely to follow down any behavioral path they are exposed to. For the good of the team then, leaders need to be heading down the right pathway. If coaches or captains are seen with their head down, ranting and raving at players of officials, or generally conducting themselves in a negative manner, it can give a clear message to other players who will see no reason why they can't behave in exactly the same manner. The best leaders are the hardest workers on the pitch and the most respectful of their sport. The same goes for training days and off the field commitments. Turning up late or having a less than enthusiastic attitude to training is just giving the rest of the team a reason to take their eye of the ball. Efficient leaders set a good example, and team will feed off that enthusiasm and positivity. There's no one absolute method to leadership, and any approach to certain scenarios can be heavily influenced by external factors but also consistent to one's personality. I am not by nature someone who yells and screams openly and my leadership style reflected this, at least I hope it did. As the leader of a team, awareness is key. Awareness comes through time spent building relationships with teammates, peers and players, learning how they react to certain styles and tones. Different individuals will always react differently to motivational words or feedback. For example, after a serious defeat, do players react better to a few harshly spoken words, or do they need an arm round their shoulder to help them lick their wounds? Truth is that there is never a one size fits all approach, within any team, both may be required at the same time. It works on an individual basis too. Certain players react differently to different kinds of leadership. A passionate, rousing team talk may be enough to get most players up before a big game, but others may just need a few softer motivational cues in their ear to get them in the zone or back on track. In the heat of the moment it's easy to lose sight of awareness of the situation and that is one challenge about leadership. Sometimes what isn't said is just as important as what is. Leadership awareness can be developed by drawing on interaction with teammates ( or athletes in the case of being a coach ) on both a group and individual basis during the various scenarios, team building exercises, training sessions and of course game day. Sport is intrinsically passionate. At its best, sports is about feeling the same set of emotions every time you step on the field whether for training or games. That euphoria from victory and disappointment in defeat. Leaders have to embody the positive side of those emotions (commitment, dedication and passion) to drive the team towards their goals. However, the reality of sports is that winning isn't always the outcome. It is easy to be passionate when things are going well and wins are being racked up. However as a leader, it's not just passion towards victory that needs to be shown. Coaches and team captain need to be there for the other members of the team when things are tough, maybe more so, to help everyone get through the hard times and focus on the bigger objectives. A similar quality in many ways to passion, enthusiasm is an important characteristic for a leader and one that can displayed in a number of ways. On the pitch, enthusiasm is about how you approach the game, offering encouragement to your fellow players, or finding the way to motivate the team when they're looking down and out. But encouragement also stretches to your day-to-day behavior as a sports leader, and can often be more valuable in long run. Enthusiasm is infectious. Injecting some into everything related to the sport and team can lead to an increase in dedication and commitment from everyone involved in your team. Leaders, and particularly coaches, succeed or fail by their decision making. As the creator and implementer of a team tactics, coaches need to have the knowledge and ability to stand by the strength of their convictions. It is great to be a fantastic speaker, throw out all the motivational cliché catch phrases, but if a coach doesn't have the ability to understand the demands of their sport, properly prepare for the opponents with credibility, these shortcoming will become evident sooner or later. Leaders are often elevated into their position because of their ability (particularly team captains). Without that ability, authority can become undermined and questioned. Great leaders never rest on their laurels and instead, strive to improve their skills. Communication is always key. Regardless of knowledge, experience, and credibility, if a leader can't express his or her thoughts in a clear and concise manner, the message will never reach the team. Communication is a vital area in team sport. And if any member of the team needs to nail it down, it's the leaders of the team. At the very core of great leadership is inspiring others towards a series of goals. To get those goals across to team members, leaders need to be able to communicate them effectively. As I wrote towards the start of this post, being in a position as a sports leader means in times of trouble, heads will start to turn captains and coaches for direction. In response to that, leaders first have to show the stomach for a fight themselves, before turning trying to motivate others. Honing motivational skills should be a top priority for anyone aspiring to be a better leader. Not only can it squeeze out those little margins between winning and losing, but it challenges players to be better everyday. Good leadership is about infusing that challenge in the minds of players. Motivate them to be better everyday, and watch the team grow as a result. One theme runs through the best sports leaders is an insatiable will to win. Good leaders are the ones that seem to be able bring their absolute best when the team really needs it, pushing team mates on and never giving an inch to the opposition. Bringing energy to everything they do as they hunt out victory, leaders are winners as they put the required time and effort into what needs to be done to win. However, having a strong will to win, is not the same as having a win at all costs attitude. There is a line that in my opinion should never be crossed. Where is that line ? Like anything else, it depends on the situation. The character traits associated with the the will should never spill over into aggression or the use of unethical methods of victory, a complete and utter will to win should be high on the list of must-haves for sports leadership. They say that the best leaders lead from behind their team. Especially relevant to leadership in coaching, an important task is to plan out a clear vision and plan before imprinting it into the minds of the team. Many of the characteristics required to be a successful sports leader interlock with one another. Different leaders will have strengths in some of the areas detailed above and the trick is leading to one's strengths and improving the weaknesses. In terms of coaches, this might also include surrounding yourself with assistant coaches who might present a different leadership profile that your own. Leadership traits always work best in unison. Having a vision requires the ability to know how to get there, communication to let others know how they will contribute to success, and motivation and enthusiasm to share the vision and win the support of others. Without knowing where the end game is, the capacity to lead is seriously diminished. It is great to know the destination but it is equally important to know the best path to get there, along with the flexibility to be able to adapt if needed. Got what it takes? If this sounds like you, then raise your hand and take on a leadership role among your peers.
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AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
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