Leadership is Coaching & Coaching is Leadership

DeAngelo Wiser

Wiser Sports Leadership
wisersportsleadership.com

We can be overwhelmed with 105 traits of leadership, 85 attributes of a great leader, 44 essentials of being a leader, and so forth. It can be confusing and overwhelming.  So let’s keep it simple, and think about these questions:

“What would your foundation for leadership look like?” 

“What would support everything you expect a leader to be and allow you to be effective over a long period of time?”

Our foundation for leadership at Wiser Sports Leadership is based on five main principles: Character and Integrity as the cornerstones, and Positive Outlook, Enthusiasm, and Confidence completing the row.  We believe these principles will allow you to build your career as a leader in any field.

CHARACTER

OPTIMISTIC/POSITIVE  OUTLOOK

ENTHUSIASM/PASSION

CONFIDENCE

INTEGRITY

1.      Character- What type of person are you?  Are you able to rally your employees or team around a cause?  Are you genuine?  How do you react in times of crisis?  Are you able to stay calm and in control when your team or employees look to you for guidance?  Your character as a leader will ultimately be the deciding factor for how your employees feel about the company or team they work or play for.  They want to work or play for someone they can count on and who stands up and supports them when times are tough.

When we think of someone with character, we often think of our parents.  Can you think of others you have met or been associated with who’ve had strong character?  What made you think of them?

2.      Positive Outlook- Are you positive in most everything you do and say?  Employees or players hear enough negative messages through family, and all forms of media, so they need someone who can inspire them through positive, uplifting messages throughout the day.  It makes them glad to come to work or practice in a positive frame of mind ready to get the job done and  do anything for you.

Can you remember someone in your life that always seemed to have a positive outlook?  How did they act?  Why do you think they were so positive?

3.      Enthusiasm- Do you believe in what you’re doing, selling, coaching, or the company you work for?  Do you have a burning passion for what you’re doing?  If so, it’s not hard to be enthusiastic.  Genuine enthusiasm shines through when you can’t wait to get to work or the field.  Remember your employees or players are a reflection of you and your actions.  Enthusiasm will multiply and grow based on how you act and present yourself to those around you.

Have you met someone who seemed very passionate about their work or a cause they were working on?   Have you thought, “Wow, I wish I could be like that!”?

4.      Confidence- As a leader, any and all decisions you make must be based on the confidence that they’re the right ones with respect to your employees, players and the company.  In all situations, transmit a demeanor of confidence in everything you do.  Employees and players want to work and play for someone who’s strong, confident and willing to make sound decisions.

Would you say confidence is learned through experience of different situations, or is a part of someone’s personality?  We often hear the statement, “They’re a natural leader.”

5.      Integrity- Along with your character, the most important part of the foundation of leadership is integrity.  Your decisions must be based on morals and values that are sound and that never jeopardize the company’s or team’s reputation or good standing.  Never allow short cuts, deadlines, individual needs or wants to compromise your beliefs.  Take a stand when pressed into situations that are uncomfortable for you and that you don’t feel are right.  Leaving a job is certainly an option if you don’t believe what you’re being asked to do is legal or ethical.  Your reputation is worth more than that.

Invest time in exploring what a company or organization stands for and what they believe in before joining them.  How would you handle a situation where you were asked to do something that compromised your beliefs or values?

At some point in your career, especially if you’ve been loyal to the company or organization, you’ll be asked to be a leader in some capacity.  Whether you accept that position or not is a personal choice.  If you do accept it, then the decision becomes what type of leader you want to be.

We know the best start is to use the five principles listed here as a foundation for your successful career as a leader.    

We want to work with you, your team and organization to achieve your goals.
Email coachwiser@gmail.com for more information.  

I wish you and your organization or team the best!

INTEGRATING COACHING LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN YOUR BUSINESS…………

DeAngelo Wiser
Wiser Sports Leadership

With technology being in the forefront, companies and CEOs are increasingly relying on that same technology for a huge percentage of employee training.  Online courses seem to be the norm for required certifications for many jobs, introductory video clips about the history of the company, goal setting, learning what is expected in the work place, and much more.  Technology has advantages, allowing employees to do this in the comfort of their homes at any time, with the ability to pause the presentation and pick it back up later.  Certainly there are situations where this can work wonderfully, especially in technical aspects of the company.

However, I wonder what price we’re paying to replace quality human interaction with efficiency.  It may be costing your company more that you know in a revolving workforce.

I want to challenge every company and CEO to train their employees in face-to-face settings, either with a company trainer or an immediate supervisor, whenever possible. Just as coaches prepare their players for any sport, corporate training should incorporate the following:

1.     Game Situations- Every coach puts his or her players in game situations in practice. So can you. Place employees in small groups and give them situations they need to resolve, such as an angry customer, conflicts with another employee, practicing a proper sales technique, etc.  Then have each group leader present the group’s resolution.  Give the best group a bonus of some kind--free lunch, fun money, etc.  We did this when I was a sales manager in front of the owner, who was a tough audience.  We undoubtedly improved.

2.      Listening- Probably the most overlooked area in training topics is listening in the workplace.  Great coaches always listen to their players with respect to what they think is best and how to improve the team.  With the same groups, ask each one to come up with the five biggest challenges their job presents each day.  Follow up with how they would resolve these.  Simply by listening you can gain great insight in your company and how it can improve. 

3.      Leadership Classes- Every team has one or more leaders willing to step up in tough situations on and off the field.  Coaches simply can’t do it all.  Offer leadership classes for those interested in expanding their careers, allowing potential leaders to emerge.  Challenges are what true leaders thrive on.  In this setting, you can take role playing to a higher level and see what solutions they come up with respect to employee relations, discipline problems, how to negotiate a deal with another company, etc.  These classes need not be related to your company.  By doing more for your employees and looking out for their welfare, you will gain loyalty and expand their careers.

4.       Engaging- Coaches engage their players every day.  Rapport is necessary for any team to succeed.  People work for people.  Do your employees know who you are?  I believe they need to.  If only a matter of walking through your business every day and engaging them with true, sincere conversation, you gain valuable information about those in your work force. You will teach them by your example.  Employees want to know what kind of person you are, and base their decisions and performance on it.  Dedicated employees have great loyalty for a leader they believe in.

5.      Trainer/Coach- Certainly a big key to your company’s success is the Coach or Trainer.  In today’s world they have to be many things.  Motivator, Supporter, Driver, Enthusiastic, Confident, Solid Decision Maker, Trustworthy, Strong Character, High Integrity and many more.  When you think of all the successful sports teams, you understand when you see the Coach.  This same type of individual needs to be the one who trains your employees.  When I was in sales, we had the best trainer I’ve ever seen, he was so enthusiastic about the company and his job that we were just naturally drawn in to succeed.  Invest in someone who has all the attributes of a great salesperson, with a loyalty to your organization and a commitment to make those around him or her better. 

Technology is a terrific tool, making your company more visible, more efficient, and providing resources never before thought of.  However, it can’t produce enthusiasm, dedication, loyalty, and determination in your employees.  Only you can do that.  


Our successful experience in this area can get you started down the path for success, whether evaluating current conditions, exploring new options, making recommendations or setting goals.   Contact us today: coachwiser@gmail.com   

WANT TO EVALUATE YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS? THEN TAKE THE DAY OFF................

DeAngelo Wiser

As the leader, what would happen if you missed a day of work or practice?  Would everything be in chaos? Would your employees or players just take it easy and do nothing? Would the day be wasted? 

Often we feel our organization couldn’t function without us, that we have to be there driving those we lead to success.  That, in most cases, isn’t true.  If you’re a great leader, you’ve trained your team, and employees over and over again for just about every situation, including the fact that you might not be there.

In my soccer coaching career, I always felt I had to be there.  It was just my personality, my sense of responsibility, since I wanted to be an example for my players.  Soccer taught me valuable lessons.  There are no time outs or quarters, only halftime.  This left only one time during the contest that I could talk with my team--halftime.  And, honestly, I’m not sure how valuable that 10 minutes was.  During the game, I had to allow my players to do what they do best, which is play.  I couldn’t help them by yelling or calling them to the sidelines, which early on in my career bothered me.  I figured out the only thing I could do was prepare them to the best of my ability in practice every day.  Then on game day I had to allow them to make their own decisions (just like life) and evaluate how effective I had been.

Leadership in the work place is exactly the same. We strive to train and empower our employees to give them independence to do what they do best, utilize their talents.  By doing this we create an environment of encouragement and positive support for everything they do, granting our company the right to succeed.  Our involvement then becomes minimal and allows us to do our job as well.

To look out and see our employees or team working like we weren’t there is the greatest achievement we could ever hope for. Do your job as a leader, then enjoy that day off.