Written by “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” – Simon Sinek
In any sports organization, the individuals involved contribute to its culture, performance, and overall success (Reiche, Bird, Mendenhall, & Osland, 2017). A coach’s role is particularly crucial, offering guidance, motivation, and a strategic vision that helps define the team’s direction.
To understand your unique contribution to your sports organization, you first need to assess your skills, strengths, and qualities. This self-evaluation helps reveal how you can enhance the organization’s culture and performance.
Coaches provide much more than game plans and training schedules. Each coach brings a unique blend of experience, enthusiasm, communication skills, motivational abilities, and passion for the sport. A coach’s ability to connect with athletes and other stakeholders on a personal level significantly contributes to the team’s spirit and success (Jones, Potrac, Cushion, & Ronglan, 2010).
Your values also play a significant role in what you bring to the organization. Coach’s values, have a significant impact on an organization’s culture. The examples that leaders set, shapes the culture more than anything else (Kaptein, 2019).
Reflecting on what you bring to your organization is not a self-serving exercise. On the contrary, it encourages you to use your unique strengths to benefit your team, improve your coaching, and cultivate a positive organizational culture (Lorimer & Jowett, 2010).
Consider your personal strengths and qualities: Are you a strategic thinker? An excellent communicator? A motivational force? Reflecting on your attributes enables you to understand your unique contribution and how best to leverage these strengths in your role as a coach.
There are no universal answers to what one brings to an organization. Each individual’s unique contribution sets them apart and makes them an invaluable part of the team. Embrace, cultivate, and utilize your unique strengths to foster a positive, successful sports organization.
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
Remember, as a coach, your unique contribution can positively shape your team’s success, culture, and future.
References:
Jones, R. L., Potrac, P., Cushion, C., & Ronglan, L. T. (Eds.). (2010). The sociology of sports coaching. Routledge.
Kaptein, M. (2019). The moral entrepreneur: a new component of ethical leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 158(1), 211-231.
Lorimer, R., & Jowett, S. (2010). Feedback of information in the empathic accuracy of sport coaches. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 11(1), 12-17.
Reiche, B. S., Bird, A., Mendenhall, M. E., & Osland, J. S. (Eds.). (2017). Contextualizing leadership: A typology of global leadership roles. Journal of International Business Studies, 48(5), 552-572.
Sinek, S. (2019). The Infinite Game. Portfolio/Penguin.
Jobs, S. (2005). Stanford University Comm