Coaching advice: Get your game on
Odds are, you lead a team of employees. As a team leader, you are, in effect, a coach.
The sports parallel goes further. In some ways, all companies are like sports teams. There is a time to plan, prepare, learn and practice. And there is a time to compete. Sometimes in seasonal businesses “seasons” are clearly demarcated. In other cases, business leaders need to be sure to carve out time for “off season strength work” and for “spring training.”
Using the coaching and sports team analogy, let’s look for inspiration and instruction from highly successful coaches. What have they learned from coaching that we can apply to the team leader role and companies?
First of all, top coaches talk about enthusiasm, team and will.
“How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal, and you have to be willing to work for it." - Jim Valvano
"People want to be on a team. They want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They want to be in a situation where they feel that they are doing something for the greater good." – Mike Kryzykewski
“The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.” – Vince Lombardi
As these quotes demonstrate, sports are not only fun to play, but they are an excellent way for us to learn to be more effective people.
“The one man team is a complete and total myth.” - Don Schula
"On a good team there are no superstars. There are great players who show they are great players by being able to play with others as a team. They have the ability to be superstars, but if they fit into a good team, they make sacrifices, they do things necessary to help the team win." - Red Holzman
Every baseball player can contribute to the team’s success through hitting, pitching or fielding. Every cross country runner can earn points for the team. Every football player can put points on the scoreboard or stop the other team. Every tennis player serves and returns serve and thus can score.
In sports, whether team or individual, every player is important and has within him or her the ability to change the outcome of the match and at least contribute to, if not cause, victory.
In business, isn’t it the same? Every person in the company is important. Every person can make the difference between winning and losing – winning customers, a great reputation, repeat business, profits and more. Every person can score for the business, making a great save or contributing points that will add up to success.
But what happens in sports? Why don’t all teams click and all players succeed? Why are some teams and players perennial losers and other always up at the top fighting for the win and the title?
"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather is a lack of will." - Vince Lombardi
If team members don’t focus on success, they won’t succeed. But wanting to win is not enough.
“The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital.” – Joe Paterno
“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” – John Wooden
"You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good." - Jerry West
"Discipline is doing what has to be done, when it has to be done, as well as it can be done, and doing it that way all the time." - Bob Knight
Coaches of perennially successful teams agree that consistent work over time is an essential ingredient for on-going success.
“Success isn't something that just happens - success is learned, success is practiced and then it is shared.” - Sparky Anderson
"Win or lose you will never regret working hard, making sacrifices, being disciplined or focusing too much. Success is measured by what we have done to prepare for competition." - John Smith
Sometimes teams, business and people don’t succeed because they let their limitations get in the way. Coaches tell us not to let this stop us.
"Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden
Yet another important part of success over time is risk taking and not fearing failure.
“If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.” – John Wooden
"What to do with a mistake? Recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it." – Dean Smith
One highly successful coach who spoke at a convention I was part of not long ago. He stirred the audience of business people with his advice that applies to both coaches and players in our businesses.
"The answer to three questions will determine your success or failure. 1 - Can people trust me to do my best? 2 - Am I committed to the task in hand? 3 - Do I care about other people and show it? If the answers to all three questions are yes, there is no way you can fail." - Lou Holtz
