Coaches as Leaders…

Leaders are in three kinds of camps. You have competent leaders who have a lot of trust, engagement, and productivity from those around them. Next are the not-so-competent ones who make these small decisions I mentioned above which are irksome but tolerable. And then you have the incompetent ones who make people feel anxious, alienated, are counterproductive and are generally toxic individuals. The Truth About Our Leaders https://medium.com/purposeful-life/the-truth-about-our-leaders-689a24a79924

This is a group I follow, and this article resonated with me regarding ‘coaches and coaching’. In a recent piece of research I am conducting regarding coaches development. Coaching, especially sports, is not what we grew up thinking it to be. When access to information and variety of sporting codes was limited, your coach like your classroom teacher was your main source of information. In the modern society access to information is easy as well as various other codes of sport.

Now, the role of the coach has changed, and unless coaches can see that, we are setting ourselves and our future pro athletes up for failure. We are also doing the sport an injustice as this also leads to fewer people participating in sport at competitive levels. It also stiffles people’s intentions to develop further as the coaches they have experienced have left ‘bad tastes in their mouth’.

“The essence of incompetent leadership is easy to define: it is a function of the detrimental effects a leader has on their subordinates, followers, or organization.”

If coaches understood their role and function to be one of leadership and that they too are developing future leaders through the medium of sport then this should cause them to revisit their work. Here is an opportunity to change the narrative and not feed the ego but see the greater good that being, the child or children in front of you, the institution you are affiliated to and a sporting community.

Until we see ourselves as one part in this eco system and not believe that our role is the key we will be able to make significant changes. In closing, ‘The system was there before you, the system will be there after you. You just have a part to play, how you play it will determine the duration of your impact’. Flashes and bangs are temporary and are short lived, planting, nurturing and growth is a process with long lasting effects.

Happy coaching days…

This post has been sponsored by ReFresh products now available at Yummmy, in Saxony Westwood Mall and Watercrest Mall, RBS Yamaha in Pinetown and Effingham Pharmacy