Be a Sports Coach, not a Boss

By Lynn Madeley, CEO of High Performance Matters

It was all about me. I was good at what I did, and I knew it. The people who worked for me were there to make me look good. I rose fast, was given management responsibility early, was quick and hungry and on top of the technical side of the job. What I wasn't, was a leader. 

I didn't know what leadership was until I was “led” by a man who showed me everything it wasn't and he tried to fire me. I'd never failed at anything before. Not being admired or respected taught me the most important leadership lessons of my career. So thank you, ex-boss, intentionally or not, you made me better at what I do.

What Leadership Is

Leadership is a continuum. The more you submit to it, the better you become. These days I describe what I do as being a head sports coach, but for a business. I use those words deliberately. As heads of companies, we are not executive coaches or life coaches; those are different disciplines, and done well, hugely valuable. We are coaches of performance.

As CEOs, we are employed to win. But we are only as good as the people around us and our job is to guide, inspire, motivate and empower our teams to reach their full potential.

That's the easy part to say. Here's what it actually takes.

Surround yourself with people who really, really want to win. They may not know how to do the job yet, but they must have the hunger to be brilliant. I look for people who have excelled at something, whether sport, music or academics. It tells me they know what winning feels like and want more of it.

Look for passion. I don't mind what people are passionate about, but I want to see above-average energy for something. If the CV lists “watching television” under interests, it's binned.

Be humble. It's not about you anymore. Stay in the shadows and let your players shine. That doesn't mean you have no point of view. You just exercise it less, because you need to hear everyone else's first.

Give Credit Where Due

Let others take the credit. Don't try to claim you “made” someone as real talent makes itself. Good people know they need a good coach and they'll keep changing jobs until they find one who works for them.

Listen and observe. You learn far more about people when you're not speaking. If you see performance dip, ask “what's up?” before you demand answers. Intimidate people and you'll never understand what they actually need. Be flexible. Don't say no to something just because you said no last time. Maybe this time the answer is yes.

Stay naive. Keep questioning. Keep asking “so what?” and “what if?” of your team, and of yourself. Stay curious. Be thirsty for knowledge, and share what you learn. Never stop looking under the hood of your own organisation to check it's running at full efficiency.

Others Learn From What You Do

Set the example. You don't have to do everyone's job, but you have to set the standard. That's not about hours in the seat. It's about your emotional and intellectual commitment to the business.

Stay in charge. A coaching style of leadership is not a soft one. The best sports coaches are respected for what they give their players, not feared for what they can take away. Fear without development and your best people leave. Stay on top of your game. You have to know how to help others kick the ball better. Everyone on your team should be part of your coaching staff, sharing the same appetite to keep learning.

Above all, stay hungry. Want to win as much as, or more than, the people you work with. You'll need more energy and more tenacity than anyone else in the business. Relish the hard work because if you don't, why would they?

Athletes don't complain about how much they train because, deep down, they love it. So should you.

About the Author: Lynn Madeley is co-founder and CEO of High Performance Matters (HPM), a consulting and executive coaching business working with CEOs, CMOs and leadership teams across South Africa and beyond.