What we can learn from the worlds best sporting coaches

by Leigh Rust

The first day at the job was the most nerve-wracking.

Meeting the team and seeing the flashes of excitement and apprehensiveness in their eyes as we spoke about the journey ahead. I knew in order to motivate the team to be the best versions of themselves, I had to lead by example.

No, this wasn’t my first day as a boss, or even the first day we opened the Safetyline Jalousie factory. This was my first day, during the current season as the soccer coach for my son’s team.

As a father of three, I try my best to set a good example for my kids. As a co-founder and company director, leading by example is not always easy, but motivating and appreciating hard work and dedication is something I strive for in any role I take on.

Coaching a group of young, energetic and impressional boys got me thinking about how important role models are in the early stages of our development, and essentially, what makes a great leader, well, great.

What became apparent when I started researching was a team-first mentality shared by legendary coaches like Phil Jackson and Red Auerbach. You would assume that in a team sport, working well together would be a no-brainer necessity.

However, in some teams, winning becomes the be-all and end-all.

Don’t get me wrong, winning and success is an awesome goal. It's something I certainly have ingrained in me as an avid sportsperson myself. But there are elements to team-building which are vital in reaching these goals and maintaining longevity, which should not be ignored.

There’s no surprise that the vast majority of leadership speeches are made by sporting identities as well as c-suite executives. Similarly, it is evident why sporting terms such as “call the shots”, “ballpark estimate/figure” and “game plan” make an appearance so frequently in the day-to-day business vernacular.

Casey Stengel, the nine-time championship winner as both player and coach, was a charismatic leader who made a lasting impact on baseball and the sporting industry. He rightly said, “Finding good players is easy. Getting them to play as a team is another story.”

This is true on and off the field. In business, your company is only as successful as your team “plays” together. With the support of a great leader, individuals feel supported and appreciated, enabling them to be the best versions of themselves.

Another quote that stood out to me was spoken by Vince Lombardi, a national symbol of single-minded determination to win (with a proven track record of doing so). He said, “the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” Although he was a success-driven coach rather than a team focused one, this kind of hard work and dedication to achieving any goal is admirable.

That’s why as a coach and business leader, I aim to convey the importance of two solid types of work: teamwork and hard work. With success and winning as a happy contingent, rather than the only thing to resemble great achievements.