This week we celebrate the FIFA World Cup being celebrated with great passion, gusto and vuvuzela blowing here in South Africa. So many stories, lessons and leadership examples are flowing from the constant and in depth reporting and coverage of this world scale event.
We have been watching the coaches reactions on the side lines with interest. Contrast the energy and emotion of the Argentinian coach Diego Maradonna against the seemingly clinical unsmiling (nor frowning) Australian coach Pim Verbeek
The one runs up and down the sidelines shouting, reprimanding, venting and waving wildly. The other appears to have no bond or emotional link with the team on the field - sitting and observing stern faced and almost just a spectator. Which is more effective we wonder?
We would believe that a coach needs to have visible involvement with the team members. A coach needs to be feeling the experiences of the team out there and reflecting a link, an empathy and understanding of what the members are experiencing - a coach also needs to be there to add support and guidance at critical times or when those involved are not able to rise up and see the bigger picture because of the pressures of the moment.
Great leadership is similar and requires a strong coaching ability. An ability to know when and how to intervene with ones followers to ensure that they work towards successful task achievement, without distracting or confusing the team members. Too much distraction on the side lines will surely result in added pressure on individual players - emotional ranting can create an atmosphere of self-doubt out in the front line and place added psychological pressure on team members. It can furthermore generate ill feeling between players who side with the coach against a poor move on one persons part or reject the criticism completely and give the coach a mental 'two fingers'.
It often boils down to that special quality in coaches and leaders - balance and moderation. There is a time and place for both emotion and for reflection. Knowing how and when to use these correctly is a tool in your leaders toolkit. It takes practice and a special effort to reflect back on events you have been involved in to pause for a few moments and think about how you reacted - was there balance or having been emotional and passionate did you later allow some more reflective time to creep in to balance the picture?
Key take-outs
- Coaching requires a fine balance of emotion and focus
- Avoid becoming a distraction to those being coached
- Always reflect on how things went versus how they could have gone: many great sports stars often replay the shot or action correctly immediately afterwards to reinforce what could in fact have been done. This entrenches the correct action or stroke