“Bad teams, no one leads. Average teams, coaches lead. But elite teams, players lead.” P.J. Fleck, Minnesota Golden Gophers Coach.
For football fans, this is the time of year we have a multitude of reasons to tune in to our favorite pastime and watch the College Bowl Games segue into the NFL Playoff games. Hopes soar for success and dreams are dashed of being the championship team. Often, coaches are given the full credit for success or failure. Certainly play calling and providing leadership are a component of winning teams, but can the coach dictate the outcome through coaching?
P.J. Fleck was on to something in the quote above; coaches cannot will a team to victory anymore than a leader of an organization can decree a winning formula for success. Organizations can however provide the environment that creates a culture of success. Providing leadership, whether as an elected or appointed official, can and will determine the ability of the people in your organization to perform at their peak.
I believe most people desire to achieve their peak performance through mastery of their work, and need the autonomy to execute their plan without feeling micromanaged. Leaders must remember their role in developing the winning formula for success involves creating the framework, not running the plays. Create and manage a strategic (game) plan for winning, and provide the players the opportunity to shine on the field.
When the players in your organization buy in to your game plan they will work together as a team and provide all the coaching you need to achieve victory through their leadership. True coaching is more about creating the environment for developing leadership opportunities than calling every play. Try giving your staff the opportunity to lead and watch what happens. See you in the playoffs!