My Two Cents: It's In Your Hands
"When in the heat of battle, the last thing that you want to do is --
disempower the troops."
I figure that's athletics 101. It's basic stuff. Even if you think your players are messing up or even if you think that they are messing up badly, as a coach and as the leader of your team, you can't afford to make the mistake of shooting them down in the heat of the battle.
It's ineffective. It counters the effort and, you'll ultimately end up sabotaging -
yourself.
The objective of any GAME is to win. The pace may be furious, the stakes may be high and the pressure to win may be real, but once the players have been picked and once the GAME is underway, the primary job of any good coach, the job of any good leader is to:
EMPOWER THE TROOPS TO GET THE JOB DONE!
A coach is in the battle with the guys that he put on the team. After that, the only option is to move ahead and lead the team to victory by reinforcing the belief in the players that -- they can't lose.
Any effort to do otherwise is suicidal.
A good coach will consistently fuel his players with confidence and inspiration. A good coach MUST be the invisible hand that picks a player up when he falls or stumbles and immediately sends him back into the GAME -- to play; back into the battle to do damage.
And, when that player is sent back in the GAME, the expectation has got to be that he will perform above and beyond; beyond any previous expectation and above what is probable or predictable --
If what you want to do is win.
For a team to be successful, for the battle to be won, the coach has got to believe - in his team. And the players have got to believe that their coach believes that they can.
In life, sometimes you will follow, other times you will be called on to lead. Are you someone who can be counted on to inspire confidence and provide support for the people that play on your team?
Will you lead and, when necessary, will you be that invisible hand that sends a fallen player back into the GAME?
Can you be counted on to:
EMPOWER THE TROOPS TO GET THE JOB DONE!
And, that’s my two cent's (for whatever it’s worth).
Auguste Roc
auguste@danaroc.com
