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Divide the world of coaches into two groups — successful and unsuccessful.
What separates the two?
The choices they make.
You are free to choose
There is freedom in coaching.
“You’re nuts,” you could say, “Look how boxed in I am by these rules and regulations.”
I get that.
I’m the NCAA compliance coordinator at my school. I deal with hundreds of bylaws coaches need to follow.
BUT, you ARE free to make choices. Especially choices regarding how you approach, how you prepare and how you engage with coaching and those you coach.
In my coaching journey I’ve connected with boat-loads of successful coaches. I’ve noticed 7 choices they make which impact their success. Every day these successful coaches:
- Choose to be honest
- Choose to have a vision
- Choose to teach, to guide, to nurture
- Choose to be curious
- Choose to be a life long learning
- Choose to ask questions, and then to listen to the responses
- Choose to be demanding but not demeaning
These are foundational-choices. Without these choices, success is illusive, or if it does happen it will be short-lived.
For instance, honesty is the #1 trait followers want from their leaders. As a coach, AKA leader, people expect honesty from you. Chose to be dishonest and your followers won’t follow. You will be a coach-of-none.
And those other six choices? Just as foundational.
But wait, there’s more
There are other choices a coach can make — important ones. Ones that can help you in your journey.
- Choose to accept being wrong
- Choose to change opinion
- Choose to share knowledge
- Choose to help competition get better
- Choose to help others who need it
- Choose to be singular-in-focus
- Choose to have a wide perspective
- Choose to conserve energy
- Choose to define success
- Choose to say, “Don’t know”
- Choose to care, and show it
- Choose to stay on course
- Choose to stand firm for principles
- Choose to enjoy coaching
- Choose to find joy, especially while building things
- Choose to do morning rituals
- Choose to be a fitness example
- Choose to be empathetic
- Choose to follow rules
- Choose to change rules not liked
- Choose to make sports better
- Choose to be skeptical
- Choose to think
- Choose to be accountable
- Choose to put the big-boy/big-girl pants on when needed
- Choose to act professional
Actions You Can (and should) Take
The list goes on. BUT here’s the interesting thing about the ones above … those choices are mindsets. You could do any, or all, right now.
This moment.
No cost involved.
NO PERMISSION NEEDED, from anyone else.
Use this to your advantage. Here’s how … pick a foundational choice, #1 for example. Say this, “Today, I choose to be honest.” How does that feel?
If you already have chosen to be honest, then bravo. Move onto #2. How does, “Today I choose to have a vision,” work?
Continue down the list until you find a choice you stumble on. Hold your focus on that choice until it becomes authentically you.
You make coaching choices every minute of every day. Be thoughtful on the ones you make.
A quick note
This week I’ll be posting an article a day. Its more than I normally do. I hope you can tune in, but not to worry if you can’t. I’ll send a recap next week.
-Mike
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