The article provided by Coaches Network

By Dr. Wade Gilbert

Much was written last April about Jordan Spieth’s record-setting performance at the Master’s golf tournament. At only 21 years old, Spieth broke multiple scoring records and became the first golfer in 30 years to lead the tournament from wire to wire (first day to final day).

However, it was what he did in between shots that impressed the world more so than his athletic prowess. He is being lauded as the future of American golf not just because of his golf ability, but equally as much for the type of athlete he represents. Spieth has won over sponsors, fans, and competitors alike because of his humble and respectful attitude, competitive drive, and willingness to learn.

According to his coach, Cameron McCormick, Jordan has always embodied these characteristics. McCormick reports many examples of how Jordan was willing to adapt and follow coaching suggestions all along the journey from 12-year old sensation to the reigning Master’s champion.

Jordan Spieth is a prime example of that most highly sought athlete by every coach—the coachable athlete.

Coaches spend considerable time and energy trying to find, and build, coachable athletes because they are eager to learn, fun to work with, and in the case of team sports they make their teammates better.

In my classes we often do an activity where I ask coaches to identify and rank characteristics of the coachable athlete. After preparing their list I then have them compare their list with a list generated in a national survey of over 100 college basketball coaches. The list includes the following nine characteristics, ranked in order from most important to least important:

• Willingness to be coached
• Willingness to sacrifice for the team
• Acceptance of criticism
• Acceptance of individual role
• Positive response to discipline
• Attentiveness
• Respect for authority
• Selflessness
• Agreeableness with coach

Notice that ‘willingness’ and ‘acceptance’ rank at the top of the list. Coachable athletes approach their sport with a willingness to do whatever it takes to improve performance. They also are eager to receive feedback and open to making adjustments. For athletes who play on teams, this is most evident when athletes eagerly accept new roles or new positions on the team, instead of complaining or challenging the coach.

Although I have found that most coaches agree with the list, there seldom is consensus on the order of the list. For example, two of my students asked their former coaches to comment on the list. The coaches included Margie Wright, college’s all-time winningest softball coach, and Brian Reynolds, who has coached his swim teams to 33-time national collegiate championships.

Interestingly, both of these legendary championship coaches rated ‘selflessness’ as the number one characteristic of a coachable athlete.

What these exercises illustrate is that taking time as a coach to reflect on how you define a coachable athlete is more valuable than the list itself. As you evolve and grow as a coach your list will also surely become more fine-tuned. The most coachable athletes for each coach will likely be the ones who model the coach’s core values and program philosophy.

Take a moment and think about the athlete characteristics you would put on your list. Then ask yourself how you model and teach these qualities to your athletes. Wouldn’t we all benefit from passing along a more coachable athlete to the next coach in the athlete’s journey?

This article is adapted from an article on the Human Kinetics “Coach Education Center” website.

Sharing some notes that I have taken from some of my favorite leadership sources. Some of them, I hope you can use for yourself and your staff, others for your athletes, and most of them for both groups!

As with all of my posts, I am sure that you won’t agree with everything that is listed here and will probably find some that you either can use as is or that you can modify to meet your needs.

Kevin Eastman
Twitter: @KevinEastman

The mind & the attitude can have a major impact on how far one can go. The mind has to be “clutter free” and the attitude has to be “all in”!

Understand that trust has eyes & ears. It evaluates the consistency & authenticity of what it sees & hears. It takes its time to evaluate you!

Make sure the “give-get” percentages favor the “give”. Giving should be part of our make up. We all truly do have things to give & share!

As much as we like to tell people what we think it’s even more important to put thought to what we say. Hard to take words back!

Just as you work out physically, you must also get your repetitions in mentally. Challenge yourself with heavier mental reps as well. Stretch yourself!

Every so often a great exercise is to get away & just think about or remind yourself what you TRULY BELIEVE in; things that are non negotiable!!

Give yourself a chance to succeed. Success is about investment; adjustment; & commitment. Determine which, if any, you need to improve on!

To be a true teammate: must hold yourself accountable to everything you hold others accountable to. The one thing a true team is not: self centered!

Everyone says communication is so important-then why are we not as good at listening? It’s critical to success. We ALL need work on this SKILL!

To be a great teammate your pride will take a hit at times and your pride can never take precedent over the success of the team!

Being a good teammate is still doing your part when things are going bad for you. Being a good team is helping that Individual get out of it!

Consistency is a direct result of doing the right things the right way–now. Focus on the execution of now & discipline to do this every day!

A team will always have challenges and issues. That is where the strength of a team must show up: using everyone in anyway to get through them!

John Carrier
These notes were reposted with permission by John Carrier from his coaching blog. Here is a link to the blog: www.johncarrier.blogspot.com

I am currently reading Phil Jackson’s book, Eleven Rings. One gem I’ve pulled out in the first 100 pages is the “Bullseye Test” he uses with his players.

The Bulls eye Test is simple, yet insightful. Give each player a three ring bulls eye. Have them write where they feel that they are in terms of their connection to the rest of their teammates. Don’t give them any more than that. You can read a little more from the inside of the book at Amazon by clicking the cover of the book at the left, or you can click on this link: Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success

You then look at their bulls eyes and see how connected each person feels to our group. It also gives you a handle on how connected the team feels as a group. If they are very connected they are in the middle, if they feel kind of connected their name will be in the second ring, and if they don’t feel connected they write their name on the last ring or outside the rings. A lot of times it comes down to playing time – the more they play the closer to the middle they write their name. So you have to account for that a little bit when looking at them.

Once you’ve done the exercise, you can use them to have individual talks with your players. Ask lots of questions about why they feel that way, and if they are outside the middle how can we move them closer (without adjusting playing time of course). It will also help you determine if how to proceed with team bonding activities during the season. It’s something we will definitely use this season.

The following are some other notes he osted

John Tauer – St. Thomas University – Motivation

People are mostly motivated by three things:

Autonomy
Choice in life.
Give athletes choices in what drills you do inpractice (within reason).
Even one or two choices per practice can be powerful.
Togetherness
Individuals need to belong to something bigger than themselves and have a more powerful purpose.
Keep your finger on the pulse
Team building
Competence
Being good at things.
How can you put your athletes in positions to find success?
TJ Rosene – Emmanuel College/PGC – Building a Culture

Greatest Teammate Exercise
-Have players close their eyes and imagine the greatest teammate they ever had.
-Call on players to share the characteristics of that teammate.
-Make a team list of the traits of great teammates.
-Turn it around on them – why can’t EVERYONE on this team be a great teammate?
-Make the list into a “commitment list” that everyone is going to commit to (coaches included) and everyone will be held accountable to for the year.

Rocking Chair Statement
-As a coach, write a statement about what you want athletes to remember about you when you are old in a rocking chair on your front porch!

The Best At What They Know
-Everyone is the best at what they know.
-If you’ve got a problem athlete, they are likely exhibiting that behavior because that’s what they know.

Communication Must Haves
-Truth, Love, Transparency
-N.I.T.E
+Name, Information, Tone, Eye Contact
+Simple but effective

Open Mic Monday
-Do this as a team
-Players can stand up and say ANYTHING that is on their mind, especially things they are frustrated with.
-They can also ASK ANYTHING of teammates and coaches and will receive an honest answer.
-You must speak it in love and not anger.
*This is a GREAT WAY to make sure that issues stay in house and don’t ever boil over.

Lion vs. Sparrow
-Lion is content and confident. He doesn’t worry about anything he can’t control.
-The sparrow is always frantic.
-Lions play through bad calls, band bounces, etc without emotion.
-Sparrows constantly wine and complain
*Might change it to wolf and squirrel to fit Minnesota.

 by Dr. Cory Dobbs, The Academy for Sport Leadership

Location Matters
Several years ago I was field testing a leadership development program with the San Francisco Giants Rookie League team headquartered in Arizona.  During spring training I read an article in the local newspaper highlighting the movement of Jeff Kent’s locker.  The article explained that Kent moved his locker to be mixed in with the rookies and inexperienced players.

Kent, a seasoned veteran and all-star player at the time, was acting in the role of team leader.  Hall of Fame baseball player Maury Will said “You’re not going to get followers just because you say you’re the leader.  The followers come because they have respect for you, and they have respect for him.”

I once heard leadership expert Warren Bennis tell of his experience in the dorms while attending MIT.  Seems Bennis observed that the floor leaders in the dorms tend to be those in rooms closest to the common shower or bathrooms.  Bennis suggested that the students in these rooms tended to interact with other members more often because of their room location.  These students were most likely to leave the door open as an invitation to conversation.

Competence or Excellence?  It’s a Matter of Deliberate Choice
In Gita Mehta’s novel, A River Sutra, the daughter of a master musician tells of her experience learning from her father:

My first music lesson extended several months.  In all that time I was not permitted to touch an instrument. . . . Instead my father made me sit next to him in the evenings as the birds were alighting on the trees.  “Listen,” he said in a voice so hushed it was as if he was praying.  “Listen to the birds singing.  Do you hear the half-notes and microtones pouring from their throats? . . . Hear?  How that song ended on a single note when the bird settled into the tree?  The greatest ragas must end like that, leaving just one note’s vibration in the air. . . .

Still an entire year passed before my father finally allowed me to take the veena across my knees. . . .  Morning after morning, month after month he made me play the [scales] over and over again, one hand moving up and down the frets, the other plucking at the veena’s strings, until my fingers bled. . . .

I had been under my father’s instruction for five years by now.  At last my father felt I was capable of commencing the performance of a raga. . . . 

The father understood that excellence is a deliberate choice and guided the daughter along a path that nurtured her understanding and appreciation for the process.  Shouldn’t we do the same?  Or is doing just enough, enough?

Scrimmage: A deliberate practice
Deliberate: Intentional.  Do you provide a space where your players can practice leadership?  That would be deliberate, if you do.

To Say It is Not to Do It
“Step up!” said the coach.  “Sure thing coach.  But whadda ya want me to do?”

Taking the Long View
We live in a society that has become increasingly short-sighted.  Today, a lack of vision permeates the life of most Americans and seemingly all young people (and perhaps it always has).  Pot shot?  Not really.  Ask your student-athletes to tell you how much time they’ve spent thinking about their lives ten or twenty years from the present.

We talk all the time about changing the lives of our student-athletes.  Yet rarely do we examine how effective we are in instilling life lessons.  Sure, some players return a couple of years later to thank us for teaching them a thing or two.  Simply put, in certain respects we hardly ever see the long-term effects we have on our student-athletes.

I’ve run into many ex-athletes in the corporate world.  In far too many cases I’m not able to tell the difference between them and the non-athlete at the next desk.

It’s Simple, Really, If You’re Serious
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel chain is serious about empowering each employee to make a difference.  Everyone in the organization—bellhops, valet, and maids—can spend up to $2000 to fix a guest’s problem on the spot.  No approval necessary.  Now that’s serious commitment to excellence.

When was the last time you gave valuable resources (such as practice time!) to your student-athletes to solve a problem on the spot?

Why a “real world” example?  Aren’t we supposed to be preparing students for the real world?

The Bystander Effect
In 1964 Kitty Genovese was attacked in the middle of the street near her building in New York and again in her building.  The attack was witnessed by many, though no one tried to stop the attack.  She yelled for help.  Yet no one called the police.

Such acts of apathy have been coined by social scientists the “Bystander Effect.”  When people in a crowd look and see that everyone is doing nothing, then doing nothing becomes the norm.

When witnesses in the building were questioned by police after the incident about why they remained silent and did not take action, one man spoke for all the witnesses.  According to a New York Times article at the time, he answered, “I didn’t want to be involved.”  And neither did the others who witnessed this crime.

Okay, so a player on your team violates a team rule and you don’t know about the incident.  However, team member’s do.  And they don’t tell you nor do they confront the teammate.  The norm has quickly become doing nothing.  The players are creating an apathetic culture of going along to get along.

The Honor Code
Norms are important.  Not because they generally sit at the end of the bar drinking beer, but because they shape behaviors.  The purpose of an honor code is to foster commitment to the ideals of an institution or team and to shape interpersonal interactions.

A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those who do. –West Point

Can you imagine, and it takes imagination on this one, what life would be like if every member of your team lived this code.

Small Nudges Can Lead to Big Changes
Change the context and change the attitudes and actions.  According to Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, authors of Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness, people “can be greatly influenced by small changes in the context.”

The idea of “nudge” is that there is “no such thing as a ‘neutral’ design.”  Thaler and Sunstein elaborate on how “choice architects” organize (and thus influence) the context in which people make decisions.  Context does influence behavior.

A little push in the “right” direction can have a huge systemic impact.  Isn’t that what the invisible hand of an honor code does—nudge people to do the right thing.

Practice nudgery.

Your Move
Imagine yourself in a chess game where after every half-dozen moves, the arrangement of the pieces stays the same but the capabilities of each piece changes.  Isn’t this what happens with your team?  Random thought?  Not really.  The point is…

To find out more about and order Sport Leadership Books authored by Dr. Dobbs including Coaching for Leadership, click this link: The Academy for Sport Leadership Books

About the Author

Dr. Cory Dobbs is an accomplished researcher of human experience–a relentless investigator always exploring “how things work.” He is the founder and president of The Academy for Sport Leadership and A Leader in Every Locker and has written extensively on leadership development of student-athletes.

This article is courtesy of the Coaches Network

By Bruce Brown, Proactive Coaching

At the end of successful seasons we often hear coaches attribute the success to “we had great team leadership and chemistry”.  We also hear many coaches on unsuccessful teams mutter to themselves, “We just didn’t have any team leaders.”  The best team cultures don’t leave leadership to chance–they teach it.

Here are a few indicators that someone has some natural leadership ability.

Look for people with strong character

Character is the foundation for everything else.  It allows you to be consistent in words and actions.  It allows you to be depended upon, trusted, and followed.  When you find people with strong character, they need to be encouraged to lead at every opportunity.

Look for people who have the courage to stand up for what they believe

These people are naturally strong enough to be more concerned with what is right than what is popular.  Peer pressure isn’t their guiding force.  They do not sit quietly when something is wrong.

“In matters of taste, swim with the current, in matters of principle stand like a rock.”  — Thomas Jefferson 

Look for people who have a teachable sprit

They understand the importance of listening and learning.  They are not afraid to be challenged with new ideas or concepts.  They ask questions when they don’t understand.  They are able to take correction as a compliment.  Regardless of past successes or failures, they have a growth mindset and are trying to get better every day.

Look for people who are clear communicators

They speak in a way that others understand.  They don’t have to be the only voice or even the first to speak.  Look for people who listen intently, are willing and able to see things from different perspectives, and then speak so clearly it cannot be misunderstood.

Look for people who have a passion

Passion is the great motivator.  It spreads throughout the team and can be seen in intensity, determination, and enthusiasm.  Look for kids who are excited to be there and energized by the game and team.  Their eyes will tell you all you need to know.  They will be there early.  They love practice.  They will arrive in the right frame of mind, mentally and physically prepared prior to competition.

Look for fearlessness in competition

They are healthy risk-takers who have the confidence to play through mistakes.  They never quit, never pout, never slow down.  They are persistent and relentless.  They compete to win, not to avoid losing or making mistakes.

Look for problem-solvers

When there is a problem, natural leaders don’t look the other way or ignore it.  They don’t avoid them or “hope” they go away.  They take problems head on.  They look for solutions, not excuses or who to blame.  They spot small problems and face them before they become big problems and more difficult to solve.  They are capable of working cooperatively within a team structure to find resolutions.  When there are problems, they bring people together.

Look for people who are in control of their emotions

They have strong emotions, but they have learned how to control those emotions and channel them in a way that improves their personal performance and doesn’t give their opponents an edge.  They have ice in their veins.   They are at their best when their best is needed.  They are the face their team members need to see in good times and tough times.

Look for people who place truth over popularity

Not all decisions that are popular are good for the team.  There are times when worrying about being liked can actually inhibit team success.  Do not confuse popularity with leadership.  Decisions people make based on truth are always right and almost always take the team to a higher level.

Look for people who have a sense of humor

Humor adds a lot to any team.  When leaders can laugh and make others laugh, they are easier to follow.  Humor breaks tension, keeps teams loose and optimistic.   If you love what you are doing, let it show, have fun, lead the league in smiles.

Look for people who won’t give up

One of the most important characteristics in leadership is perseverance.  When teams are facing tough situations, they look to leadership to decide which path they will take.  When leaders quit, teams quit.  When leaders are relentlessly determined, the team will mirror their attitude.

Look for people with athletic assuredness

Teams need individuals they can count on when the game is on the line.  The best leaders are confident.  Athletic assuredness is not arrogance, but simply being comfortable in the most competitive situations.  They are at their best when their best is needed.  Even when they don’t “make the play,” they look forward to the next opportunity.   They never get too far up or too far down, but the look in their eyes says they are at ease and love these moments.  The best leaders are both confident and humble.

Look for people who can follow as well as lead

Natural leaders understand there are times when they need to be the ones who listen and follow.  Until someone has learned and demonstrated that they can be obedient, they are not qualified to give directions or expect to be followed.

“He who cannot obey, cannot command.” — Ben Franklin

Look for people who are doers, not complainers

Complaining is focusing on the problem without acknowledging or taking responsibility for the solution.  Complainers focus on what is wrong or difficult instead of what needs to get done.  They bring others down and nothing changes.  Real leaders do not waste the time or energy complaining —there are too many things to get accomplished and people are counting on them.

Look for people who understand and appreciate all roles that help the team

In 1982 the University of North Carolina basketball team won its first national championship under legendary Coach Dean Smith.  The NCAA awarded them 22 national championship watches.  Counting all the players, coaches, and managers, they had 23 people.  Manager Dave Hart said, “I was the youngest manager, so it was natural for me not to get a watch.”  Several days after the team arrived home, Coach Smith called Hart into his office.  They talked about the championship for a few minutes and then Smith said, “I appreciate everything you did this season.  You were as much a part of this team as anyone and I want you to have this.”  Coach Smith handed him a box.  Inside was Coach Smith’s own personal national championship watch.

A Team Leadership Exercise

“That’s Outside My Boat”

Leaders Focus on Objectives, Not Obstacles

Cory Dobbs, Ed.D.

Founder, The Academy for Sport Leadership

Years ago a young reporter assigned to the “minor” sports of the Olympic Games-rowing, canoeing, and kayaking—set out to uncover how the champions in these events mentally prepared for success. Considering these athletes participated in outdoor sports he began by asking what they would do in case of adverse conditions caused by rain, strong winds, or choppy waters—all obstacles certain to happen at some time during their events. To his surprise the response, was always the same: “That’s outside my boat.” After hearing this from athlete after athlete the reporter realized that a focused perspective was their guide to
inner excellence.

The Olympians’ intense internal focus served to eliminate distractions—those things that were out of their control—thereby allowing them to concentrate on those things they could control. These premier athletes chose an attitude of optimism over pessimism, of responsibility over irresponsibility, and of problem solver over victim of circumstances. They focused on results, not on obstacles.

Attitudes are important. Your outlook on life is the lens through which you see the world. When challenges and adversity hit you or your team, and they will, you have an opportunity to decide what to focus on. Your focus can and will influence your teammates. When your teammates are frustrated or uncertain about a course of action, they will look to you as a guide to their decisions and actions.

The Olympian rowers exemplify how focus on objectives, not on the obstacles, is the key to championship performance. The major point is that everyone has the ability to choose their attitudes and develop a positive state of mind. Players with poor attitudes are going to be unhappy and quick to blame their circumstance or other teammates for failure when confronted with trials and tribulations. Many choices of attitudes exist, and the one’s you and your teammates choose matter.

Obstacles are always a part of the competitive sports environment. Effective team leaders accept this fact and focus their attention on what they know they can do, regardless of the external context. Committed team members know and accept the vital role of problem-solver as a responsibility of team leadership. And being an effective problem solver requires leaders to know when a problem is outside the boat.

The high-performing team leader recognizes the importance of helping his or er teammates to manage the journey. The first step toward focusing your teammates on the objectives is reinforcing team member commitment to the team’s objectives—its vision, mission, and goals. And when obstacles arise, become an active change agent helping teammates adjust their attitudes and refocus their energy. Whether in calm or troubled waters, champions overcome obstacles by focusing on objectives.

Case in Point

On January 15, 2009, one man’s focus saved the lives of one hundred and fifty-five passengers aboard a fallen airplane. Captain Chesley Sullenberger was the pilot in command of Flight 1549 departing from New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Upon takeoff the plane ran into a large flock of birds that disabled the plane’s engine. With urgency as the driving force, Captain Sullenberger quickly surveyed the landscape, looking beyond the obstacles of the moment to formulate a resolution to the pending tragedy he was facing. While everyone else focused on the obstacles, Captain Sullenberger had his eyes fixed on the objective. He did the unthinkable: he landed the monstrous Airbus A320 on the
Hudson River.

Sullenberger was concerned only with what he could control. He focused on what was happening inside his aircraft. His training, like the Olympians, equipped him to adapt and adjust his course of action to meet the objectives of the situation.

Team Discussion Questions

What are some reasons people focus on obstacles?

How does the physical environment influence teams and their dynamics?

What steps can be taken to prepare for obstacles?

Why is “perspective” important in competitive sports?

To find out more about and order Sport Leadership Books authored by Dr. Dobbs including Coaching for Leadership, click this link: The Academy for Sport Leadership Books

About the Author

A former basketball coach, Cory’s coaching background includes experience at the NCAA DII, NJCAA, and high school levels of competition. While coaching, he researched and developed the transformative Becoming a Team Leader program for student-athletes. Cory has worked with professional athletes, collegiate athletic programs and high schools teaching leadership as a part of the sports experience and education process. Cory cut his teeth as a corporate leader with Fortune 500 member, The Dial Corp. As a consultant and trainer Dr. Dobbs has worked with such organizations as American Express, Honeywell, and Avnet.

Cory has taught a variety of courses on leadership and change for the following universities:

Northern Arizona University (Graduate Schools of Business and Education)

Ohio University (Graduate School of Education / Management and Leadership in Sport)

Grand Canyon University (Sports Marketing and Sports Management in the Colangelo School of Sports Business)

Visit www.corydobbs.com to read Cory’s leadership blog.