Leadership principles in sports: profile of a dream team

Dream Team

One of the ways to improve the way a sports team works as a united whole rather than each player working as a separate entity (which will not build a successful team), is to look at what builds teamwork in general. Researchers have been studying this leadership issue specifically as it relates to organizations since the 1980s, because companies realize that teamwork is essential in order to be competitive in a global, fast-changing world.

There are noticeable similarities between sports and work situations. Both rely on rules or boundaries that must be followed. Sports teams, similar to ones at work, require an understanding of responsibilities -- who must do what and when. Sports and work teams both have a list of players who are given certain roles and must have specific skills. In addition, there are other stakeholders who will be impacted by the outcome of the efforts such as coaches, owners and referees in sports and peers, managers and officers in the work setting. The sports team's performance is recorded and analyzed for ongoing improvement opportunities, just as the productivity of work teams can be recorded and analyzed for continuous improvement.

According to Stewart (.), for example:

Leading is like coaching in many ways. In basketball, for example, the coach cannot cross the line and move onto the playing court. She works in advance of playing time and on the side of the action. Before the game, she prepares her players by anticipating the problems they will face and by readying them to meet those problems. She trains, advises and encourages them, but never touches the ball. The coach cannot do the players' work for them. Instead she is a mentor and teacher."

Most important, people and their personal makeup and needs are involved with both sports and work. Because of this, motivating a person to do better in a baseball game is similar to motivating this same individual to improve performance at work. There are certain actions that leaders can take or behaviors they can perform that will build positive traits in those that follow them.

For example, studies demonstrate that effective leaders can build positive self-esteem in their people that will enhance internal morale, motivate team members to accept both praise and criticism, maintain a positive mental attitude, keep a can-so (positive) spirit and never give up. Research shows that this can be done in a variety of ways.

First, is to follow the so-called "Pygmalion effect." If a leader/coach acts like he or she expects outstanding behavior or action from the people who make up a team, then they will adjust their output to meet this high expectation. On the other hand, if a leader/coach demeans people or a team, then they will see themselves on negative terms.

To test this theory out, in 1968 Rosenthal and Jacobsen randomly labeled two groups of elementary students as "potential achievers" and "non-achievers" and then shared this information with the pupils' teachers. As a result, the teachers behaved toward the "achievers" differently, such as spending more time with them and being more encouraging and supportive with a "you can do it" attitude. From these achieving students, the teachers expected "dramatic intellectual growth" (Noted in Stewart, 293). Similarly, in the article "Pygmalion in the gym: a model for the communication of teacher expectations in physical education" Martinek shows that children will perform the way they are expected to in physical education.

Leaders can also motivate personnel or athletes to develop their skills, continuously improve, perform effectively, and produce results. Stewart (292) notes that a leader shows concern for others by taking interest in them and by helping them grow to their full potential. The signs of caring leadership appear primarily among the followers who are engaged in their work and striving to do their best, learning, growing and developing in skills and attitudes.

The following chart specifically shows some of the crucial factors an organization must have in place to empower people:

There are also different categories of leaders who build these positive skills in other people the best. For instance, "mystic healers" attempt to discover the statue in the marble and seek, like Michelangelo, to find what can be created from raw material. To be successful, these leaders/coaches must be unselfish, sensitive and flexible to change the way they treat people according to each individual's needs. Other positive leaders in this regard are the "priestly" ones, who bring continuity and hierarchy to the goal, delegating to the most powerful and differentiating individuals; the "elected" leaders, who gain authority by being chosen; and the "missionaries," who have a certain kind of mission to achieve -- economic, religious, political or social service (Stewart).

The way that leaders work with individuals in both sports and at work will also reinforce their ability to stay on task; cooperate; use time, talents and resources wisely; embrace diversity; learn from each other and share accomplishments. Dennis Kinlaw, who recommends ways to coach or lead individuals for successful performance, offers what he calls a "coaching skills inventory" that breaks coaching into "shades of coaching" or different methods for driving results. For example, in one inventory, he breaks coaching into five specific categories: Contact and Core Skills, Counseling, Mentoring, Tutoring, and Confronting and Challenging

The confronting and challenging coach especially pushes the team members to expect more of themselves and others than they already do. Mediocre becomes good, good becomes excellent and excellent becomes superior. This form of coach, says Kinlaw, will

Clarify performance expectations with others. Do not assume that they know what is expected of them.

Talk about performance problems in concrete terms. Do not use subjective judgments in discussing a person's performance.

Emphasize improvement in the future. Do not dwell on past failures.

Challenge others to accept more difficult tasks. Do not allow them to believe that they have reached their limits.

Develop concrete strategies to improve the performance of others. Do not talk in generalities about needed improvement.

In all aspects, sports or organizations, people will develop and learn more in environments that give them the right optimal conditions. These include (Noted in Stewart, 295):

People grow when there is a felt need.

People grow when they are encouraged by someone they respect.

People grow as they move from a condition of lower to higher self-esteem

People grow as they move from external to internal commitment.

Further, the organizational situations that most promote this growth include:

Basic respect for worth and dignity of all people is a cardinal value.

Individual differences are recognized, and a variety of learning experiences are provided.

Each person is addressed at his or her level of development and is helped to grow to fuller potential.

Good communications prevail -- people express themselves honestly and listen with respect to the views of others.

Growth is rewarded through recognition and tangible signs of approval -- commendation, promotion, income and the like (Stewart, 296).