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Radical Reorientation: An Intense Approach to Student-Athlete Well-Being

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The number one priority of every coach, player, and administrator is building the team’s culture—not winning. And if you get that right, most of the other stuff—such as tactical precision, selfless behavior, teamwork intelligence, and mental toughness—will happen as a natural by-product of the culture created by the team. This is how culture works: players and coaches create each other. The challenge of shaping a team’s culture is that culture is shaped by behavior and likewise, behavior is shaped by culture.

However, most players are blind to teamwork dynamics. The result is team culture of the high-performance variety is more elusive than most of us care to believe. But it’s true. It is very likely your culture is nothing spectacular. To understand changing culture you must engage “leverage points.” Figuring out where to start is far from straightforward; it depends upon where your team is and where you want to go. Sounds simple enough, it’s not. So where might you begin?

In short, a good place to start—a leverage point—is to seek out whatever creates toxicity. So what is the most pernicious poison of culture building? Playing time. Every student-athlete wants more playing time. On the one hand student-athletes are quick to declare “all in” on the team thing. Yet, on the other hand, the world says take care of number one—and student-athletes are all in here too. In the spacious context of self-interest, one can self-justify what one does in the interest of the team. From the perspective of the student-athlete, the needs and wants of the individual player need to be met by some type of desired compensation. Simply said, if a student-athlete pays the price of time, effort, and energy—contributing to the development of the team, they’ll expect to get something in return.

The line that separates the individual’s self-interest from the team’s self-interest is blurred; it’s difficult to see where one begins and the other ends. We know they overlap, spill-over, and interrelate, yet do not know exactly what form the mixture of these two driving forces will contribute to the team’s culture. However, learning how to navigate this messy terrain will help coaches, players, and teams to see more and do more. If done right, the navigation of the messy terrain will give you a new way of looking at the pernicious problem of playing time.
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The greatest and highest reward for one’s effort and toil is not what one gets for it, but who one becomes by it. This small, but potentially seismic shift in perspective—a radical reorientation—is filled with a profound sense of promise and possibility. The rewards are undeniable. Toiling for others on the team is noble, and unites the team. Participation on a team provides comfort and community. By being a part of something bigger than one’s self student-athletes gain meaning and worth. The athlete’s toil and inner struggle are never in vain if the goal is well-being; accessing a higher level being, and redirecting and reshaping one’s inner experience so that they have the freedom of choice on who they want to become.

New to the Second Edition of Coaching for Leadership!

We are pleased to announce a new chapter to the second edition of the best-selling Coaching for Leadership. The chapter, The Big Shift: Unlock Your Team’s Potential by Creating Player-Led Teambuilding, connects the previous edition of this book to its origin, as well as to the future of team sports.

The new chapter sets forth a practical and applicable agenda for change and improvement. The reader is introduced to seven vital elements of change; seven shifts of traditional mental models that lead to the new core principles necessary for creating a player-led team culture. Click here for more information about Coaching for Leadership

About Cory Dobbs, Ed.D.

Cory Dobbs is the founder of The Academy for Sport Leadership and a nationally recognized thought leader in the areas of leadership and team building.  Cory is an accomplished researcher of human experience. Cory engages in naturalistic inquiry seeking in-depth understanding of social phenomena within their natural setting.

A college basketball coach, Cory’s coaching background includes experience at the NCAA DII, NJCAA, and high school levels of competition.  After a decade of research and development Cory unleashed the groundbreaking Teamwork Intelligence program for student-athletics. Teamwork Intelligence illuminates the process of designing an elite team by using the 20 principles and concepts along with the 8 roles of a team player he’s uncovered while performing research.

Cory has worked with professional athletes, collegiate athletic programs, and high schools teaching leadership and team building as a part of the sports experience and education process.  As a consultant and trainer Dr. Dobbs has worked with Fortune 500 organizations such as American Express, Honeywell, and Avnet, as well as medium and small businesses. Dr. Dobbs taught leadership and organizational change at Northern Arizona University, Ohio University, and Grand Canyon University.

 


Filed Under: Leadership Academy

Leadership Academy Notes Part 5

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This is the final installment of our Leadership Academy Posts.

You can read all 5 parts at this link: Leadership Academy Notes

#15 The Law Of The Edge

“The Difference Between Two Equally Talented Teams Is Leadership”

What is the key to success?  Is it talent? Hard Work? Technology? Efficiency? To be successful our team needs all of these, but what it needs most of all is Leadership.

Personnel – determines the potential of the team.

Vision – determines the direction of the team

Work Ethic – determines the preparation of the team

Leadership – determines the success of the team.

Everything rises and falls on leadership.  If our team has great leadership, then it can gain everything else it needs to go to the highest level.

Leaders transfer ownership for work to those who execute the work.

Leaders create an environment where each team member wants to be responsible.

Leaders coach the development of personal capabilities.

Leaders learn quickly and encourage others to learn rapidly.

Everyone is important but not everyone is equal.


#16.
The Law Of High Morale
“When You’re Winning Nothing Hurts”

The four stages of Morale:

1.Poor Morale – When the leader must do everything.  The team is dead in the water and negative.

2.Low Morale – The leader must do productive things.  The team is making some progress, but it is cohesive and confident.

3.Moderate Morale – The leader must do difficult things.  The team is experiencing some wins and beginning to believe in itself, but some hard decisions need to be made to take it to the next level.

4.High Morale – The leader must do few things.  The team is performing close to its potential, it’s winning, and it just needs to be kept on track.

When you do well, you feel good – when you feel good, you do well.

When you’re winning nothing hurts.

 

#17 The Law Of Dividends
“Investing In The Team Compounds Over Time”

How to invest in our team:

1.Make the decision to be #1 – This starts the investment in the team.

2.Gather the best team possible both coaches and players.  This elevates the potential of the team.

3.Pay the price to develop the team – this ensures the growth of the team.

4.Empower team members with responsibility and authority.  This rises up leaders for the team.

5.Give credit for success of the team – this lifts the morale of the team.

6.Watch to see that the investment in the team is paying off – This brings accountability to the team.
This is the final installment of our Leadership Academy Posts.

 

This is the final installment of our Leadership Academy Posts.

You can read all 5 parts at this link: Leadership Academy Notes

 


About the Author of this post:

Jerry Campbell has over 30 years of high school and college coaching experience. He has experience as a head coach, offensive coordinator, and various position coaches. He has written numerous football coaching articles in various publications, is the author of over 30 books on coaching football, and has produced 12 coaching video series. Additionally, he is a nationally sought after speaker on the coaching clinic circuit.


Filed Under: Leadership, Leadership Academy

Leadership Academy Notes Part 4

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This is Part 4 of a 5 Part Series of Notes from a Leadership Academy provided for a school’s student Athletes.

You can read all 5 parts at this link: Leadership Academy Notes

A Leader Must Accept Full Responsibility

 

#12 The Law Of The Bench
“Great Teams Have Depth”

The bench is made up of players who indirectly add value to the team or who support the starters.

Every human being has value and every player on the team adds value to the team in some way.

Never be in a hurry to pigeonhole anyone on your team as a nonstarter.  Given the right encouragement, training and opportunities, nearly everyone who has the desire has the potential to emerge as somebody that will help in the end.

There are several reasons to honor and develop your teammates who may not be considered starters.  Here are just a few:

1.Today’s bench players may be tomorrows starters.
2.The success of a supporting player can multiply the success of a starter.
3.There are more bench players than starters.
4.A bench player placed correctly will at times be more valuable than a starter.
5.A strong bench gives the leader more options.
6.The bench is usually called upon at critical times for the team.

Build the bench today for the crisis you will face tomorrow.

You don’t need the bench when things are going well; you need it when things aren’t going well.

Any team that is avoiding stagnation by trying to improve will go through changes, and as the revolving door moves, different kinds of Commitment drives away uncommitted while it makes those who stay even stronger in their commitment they already possess.

If you are on the bench, then your job is to do two things; help the starters to shine, and prepare yourself to be a starter in the future.

Pick dedicated players, tell them not to cut corners, and back them to the limit.

The key to making the most of the Law Of The Bench is to continually improve the team.

 

A Leader Must Be Able to Get Along With People

  1. A leader has the ability to get along with others both on and off the field.
  2. You must have pride in yourself and your teammates.
  3. Do more than you thought possible.
  4. Work for Group Pride.
  5. You will gain what you want with the help and support of others.
  6. Cooperation and Respect leads to group success.
  7. Respect is an extension of a positive, optimistic attitude.
  8. “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” Henry Ford
  9. “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want” Zig Ziglar
  10. Players with respect for one another win together.

Part 7  DEVELOPING ESPRIT DE CORPS

DEVELOPING ESPRIT DE CORPS
I. Esprit de corps
A. A common spirit pervading the members of a body or association of persons.

B. Disregard of the individual for the sake of the group.

C. collective loyalty

D. unselfishness – to have a team-first mindset.

“If I had the opportunity to say a final word to all the young people of America, it would be this: Don’t think too much about yourself. Try to cultivate the habit of thinking of others; this will reward you. Selfishness always brings its own revenge. It cannot be escaped. Be unselfish. That is the first and final commandment for those who would be useful and happy in their usefulness.” Charles Eliot

 

# 13.The Law Of Identity
“Shared Values Define The Team”

Just as personal values influence and guide an individual’s behavior, organizational values influence and guide the team’s behavior.

What it takes is common vision (The Law Of The Compass) If everyone embraces the same values, team members can still have a connection to one another and to the larger team.

All team’s need stability to perform well and to grow.

Team building requires something to build on, and values make the strongest foundation.

Values help set the standard for a teams performance.

Once you give up your ethics, the rest is a piece of cake.  “To a person with no values, anything goes”.

What you believe identifies who you are.

If our players and staff don’t know what their values are and unable to live them out – their chances of working as a unit and reaching their potential are very small.

Team building needs something to build on, and values make the strongest foundation.

Values will help set our standards for our performance.

A teams values will attract people with like values.

Who you are is who you attract.

#14 The Law of Communication

Effective teams have teammates who are constantly talking to one another.

Leadership is best built upon with communication.

Four areas for developing good team communication:

1.From leader to teammates

2.From teammates to leader.

3.Among teammates.

4.Between the Coach and Team.

Working together means winning together.

We must be an extension of each other.

We are only as good as each other.

 

This is Part 4 of a 5 Part Series of Notes from a Leadership Academy provided for a school’s student Athletes.

You can read all 5 parts at this link: Leadership Academy Notes

 

About the Author of this post:

Jerry Campbell has over 30 years of high school and college coaching experience. He has experience as a head coach, offensive coordinator, and various position coaches. He has written numerous football coaching articles in various publications, is the author of over 30 books on coaching football, and has produced 12 coaching video series. Additionally, he is a nationally sought after speaker on the coaching clinic circuit.


Filed Under: Leadership, Leadership Academy

Leadership Academy Notes Part 3

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A Leader Must Accept Full Responsibility

This is Part 3 of a 5 Part Series of Notes from a Leadership Academy provided for a school’s student Athletes.

You can read all 5 parts at this link: Leadership Academy Notes

  1. A leader is responsible for all that his or his team does—or fails to do.
  2. You have to take responsibility for yourself, and you have to take responsibility for your team.
  3. The word “if” should be eliminated from a leader’s vocabulary.  “If I were bigger; if I were faster; if I had more strength; if I had a better coach; if I had more experience”
  4. The day an athlete takes complete responsibility for him or herself and stops making any excuses is the day he starts his climb to the top.
  5. If you make excuses for yourself, you are telling yourself that everything is all right.
  6. Utilize whatever physical characteristics YOU have been blessed with.
  7. No other course exists except to take responsibility for your own destiny.
  8. Never let yourself be satisfied “When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it” Coach Bear Bryant

#8 The Law Of The Scoreboard
“The Team Can Make Adjustments When It Knows Where It Stands”

The scoreboard provides a snapshot of the game at any given time.

For any type of team, the scoreboard is essential in the following ways.

1.The scoreboard is essential to understanding.
2.The scoreboard is essential to evaluating growth, which equals change.
3.The scoreboard is essential to adjusting.
4.The scoreboard is essential to winning.

During any point in the game if you want to know where you stand just look up at the score board, Grade book, excet Scores, etc..

If you know what to do, then you can do what you know.

 

#9.The Law Of The Bad Apple

“Rotten Attitudes Ruin A Team”

ATTITUDE:

  • It is the “Advanced Person” of our true selves.
  • Its roots are inward but its fruits are outward.
  • It is our best friend or our worst enemy.
  • It is more honest and more consistent then our words.
  • It is and outward look based upon past experiences.
  • It is what draws people to us or repels them.
  • It is never content it is expressed.
  • It is the Liberian of our past.
  • It is the speaker of our past.
  • It is the speaker of our present.
  • It is the prophet of our future.

Good attitudes among team members do not guarantee a team’s success, but bad attitudes will guarantee its failure.

  Most bad attitudes are the result of selfishness.

  Attitude will impact our performance, regardless of talent, track record, or circumstances.

Truths about attitudes clarify how they affect a team and teamwork

Five truths:

1. Attitudes have power to lift up or tear down a team.
2. An attitude compounds when exposed to others.
3. Bad attitudes compound faster than good ones.
4. Attitudes are subjective, so identifying a wrong attitude can be difficult.
5. Rotten attitudes, left alone, ruin everything.

Abilities  +  attitudes  =  results

Great talent  +  rotten attitudes  =  bad team

Great talent  +  bad attitudes  =  average team

Great talent  +  average attitudes  =  good team

Great talent  +  good attitudes  =  great team

 

#10 The Law Of Accountability

“Teammates Must Be Able To Count On Each Other When It Counts”

One of the greatest compliments a person can receive is being counted on.

We don’t work for each other, we work with each other.

Your Character  +  Your Competence  +  Your Consistency  +  Your Cohesion  =  Accountability

There’s and old saying when it comes to teams; either you are pulling together or you’re pulling apart.

Questions we must ask ourselves when determining accountability:

  • Is your integrity unquestioned (Character)?
  • Do you perform your work with excellence (Competence)?
  • Are you dedicated to the teams success (Commitment)?
  • Can you be depended upon every time (Consistency)?
  • Does  your actions bring the team together (Cohesion)?
  • Any time you desire to build a team, you have to begin by building character in the individuals who make up the team.

 

#11 The Law Of The Price Tag

“The Team Fails To Reach Its Potential When It Fails To Pay The Price.”

Four truths about this law:

1.The price must be paid by everyone.
2.The price must be paid all the time.
3.The price increases if the team wants to improve, change, or keep winning.
4.The price never decreases.

Most people who quit don’t give up at the bottom of the mountain; they stop halfway up it.

Our team only reaches its potential when the individual reaches his/hers.

When our personal goals conflict  with the greater goal of our team, we have three choices:

1.Put down the goal (because the team is more important then the individual).
2.Put off the goal (because its not the right time).
3.Part with the team (because its better for everyone).

 

This is Part 3 of a 5 Part Series of Notes from a Leadership Academy provided for a school’s student Athletes.

You can read all 5 parts at this link: Leadership Academy Notes

 

About the Author of this post:

Jerry Campbell has over 30 years of high school and college coaching experience. He has experience as a head coach, offensive coordinator, and various position coaches. He has written numerous football coaching articles in various publications, is the author of over 30 books on coaching football, and has produced 12 coaching video series. Additionally, he is a nationally sought after speaker on the coaching clinic circuit.


Filed Under: Leadership, Leadership Academy

Leadership Academy Notes Part 2

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This is Part 2 of a 5 Part Series of Notes from a Leadership Academy provided for a school’s student Athletes.

You can read all 5 parts at this link: Leadership Academy Notes


“As The Challenge Escalates, The Need For Teamwork Elevates”.

Leadership is a very important issue because every successful team has a leader or leadership among its team. It may start with the head coach; however, a better quality team has its leadership within the players! Not to say that good leadership shouldn’t start at the top with the Head Coach, because that has to be level one leadership. The other factor to make a team really go is one where leadership is developed among the team members…either self-developed or team developed! Naturally, the coaching staff all should be good leaders, but let’s face it, every coach on every staff is not always leadership material. While they may be good coaches, they may not possess those innate characteristics necessary to be a good leader.

As stated earlier, there must be strong leadership from the team in order for greater opportunity of success. A player-driven team allows for more accountability among peers. Players likely are more apt to follow their peers’ lead with most things, either negative or positive. With that said, if there are no natural leaders on the team, then we have to try to develop some.

#4 The Law Of Mount Everest
“As The Challenge Escalates, The Need For Teamwork Elevates”.

  • Never under estimate the difficulty of the climb.
  • As our challenge escalates, the need for teamwork elevates.
  • Nothing much happens without a dream.  For something really great to happen, it takes a really great dream.
  • Our potential is only as good as our current team.  That’s why we must always know who is joining us on our journey.
  • A great dream with a bad team is nothing more than a nightmare.
  • Many people focus too much attention on their dream and to little on the team.
  • The challenge of the moment often determines the leader for the challenge.
  • The size of our dream should determine the size of our team.

Type Of Challenge –Type of Team Required

1.New Challenge  –  Creative Team
2.Controversial Challenge  –  United Team
3.Changing Challenge    –  Fast and Flexible Team
4.Unpleasant Challenge  –  Motivated Team
5.Diversified Challenge  –  Complementary Team
6.Long-Term Challenge  –  Determined Team
7.Everett-sized Challenge  –  Experienced Team

Type of Person On Our Team:

1.Enthusiastic Beginner  –   Needs Direction
2.Disillusioned Learner    –   Needs Coaching
3.Cautious Completer     –  Needs Support
4.Self-Reliant Achiever    –  Needs Responsibility

5.The Law Of The Chain
“The Strength Of The Team Is Impacted By Its Weakest Link”

Not Everyone Can Take The Journey To Become #1 or reach team goals because:

1.They can’t keep pace with other team members.
2.They don’t grow in their area of responsibility.
3.They don’t see the big picture.
4.They don’t work on personal weaknesses.
5.They won’t work with the rest of the team.
6.They can’t fulfill expectations for their area.

We all must take pride in our responsibility to the others.

A weak link is a  member who doesn’t want to change, grow, or conquer new territory.

What happens when a weak link remains on the team:

1.The stronger members identify the weak one.
2.The stronger members have to help the weak one.
3.The stronger members come to resent the weak one.
4.The stronger members become less effective.
5.The stronger members come to question the leaders ability.

You lose the respect of the best when you don’t deal properly with the worst.

As long as a weak link is apart of the team, everyone else on the team will suffer.

Remember, no matter what kind of situation we face, our responsibilities to our team come in the following order:

1.To the School We Represent
2.To the team
3.To the individual

Our own interests and comfort come last.

“Winning Teams Have People Who Make It Happen”.

#6.The Law Of The Catalyst
“Winning Teams Have People Who Make It Happen”.

A Catalyst is never satisfied – Get out of your comfort zone; you won’t know what you’re capable of until you try to go beyond what you’ve done before.

  1. Intuitive Catalyst sense things that others don’t sense.
  2. Communicative Catalyst say things that other team members don’t say in order to get the team moving.
  3. Passionate Catalyst feels things that others don’t
  4. Talented Catalysts capable of doing what others can’t do because their talent is as strong as their passion.
  5. Creative Catalyst thinks things others do not think.
  6. Initiating Catalyst does things that others can’t do.
  7. Responsible Catalyst carry things that others do not carry.
  8. Generous Catalyst gives things that others don’t give.
  9. Influential Catalyst is able to lead teammates in ways that others cannot.

The road to the next level is always uphill  and if a team isn’t fighting to move up, then inevitably it slides down.

Three Kinds Of Players:

1.The player who doesn’t want the ball.  Some people don’t have the ability to come through for the team in high pressure situations.
2.The player who wants the ball but shouldn’t. This player can’t carry the team to victory, the problem is that they don’t know they can’t.
3.The player who wants the ball and should.  This is the smallest group, they consist of people who want to be the “go to” player at crunch time and who can actually deliver. They are the catalysts.

To be the best, work positively to get out of your comfort zone.  We won’t know what we are capable of until we try to go beyond what we’ve done before.

#7. The Law Of The Compass
”Vision Gives Team Members Direction and Confidence

A Teams vision must be aligned with:

1. A moral compass (look above) There’s only one true North.  If our compass is pointing in any other direction then up, our team is headed in the wrong direction. A moral compass brings integrity to the vision.
2. An intuitive compass (look within) Integrity brings fuel to the vision, passion brings fire.
3. A historical compass (look behind) Build upon the past. A vision should build on the past, not diminish it. Anytime we cast vision, we must create a connection between the past, the   present, and the future.
4. A directional compass (look ahead). A directional compass gives a sense of purpose.
5. A strategic compass (look around) Must have a strategy.  It is not enough to stare up at the steps; we must step up the stairs.
6. A visionary compass (look beyond). The vision of the team must look beyond current circumstances and any shortcomings of current teammates to see the potential of the team.

“You most have a long-range vision to keep you from being frustrated by short range failures.”  Charles Noble

 

When you see it, you can seize it (Vision)

A check list for vision must have:

1.Clarity – because it brings understanding.
2.Connectedness – Because it brings the past, present, and future together.
3.Purpose – Brings direction to the vision.
4.Goals – Brings targets to the vision.
5.Honesty – Brings integrity to the vision and credibility to the system.
6.Stories – Brings relationship to the vision.
7.Challenge – Brings stretching to the vision.
8.Passion – Brings fuel to the vision.
9.Modeling – Brings accountability to the vision.
10. Strategy – Brings process to the vision.

 

This is Part 2 of a 5 Part Series of Notes from a Leadership Academy provided for a school’s student Athletes.

You can read all 5 parts at this link: Leadership Academy Notes

 

About the Author of this post:

Jerry Campbell has over 30 years of high school and college coaching experience. He has experience as a head coach, offensive coordinator, and various position coaches. He has written numerous football coaching articles in various publications, is the author of over 30 books on coaching football, and has produced 12 coaching video series. Additionally, he is a nationally sought after speaker on the coaching clinic circuit.

 


Filed Under: Leadership, Leadership Academy

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