As a coach, you serve as the guiding force behind your players, shaping their development not only as athletes but also as individuals. Effective leadership goes beyond X’s and O’s for basketball coaches. It encompasses qualities like communication, motivation, and the ability to inspire greatness in others. Join us as we explore the profound influence of leadership in coaching, and discover practical strategies to enhance your leadership skills on and off the basketball court.
5 Leadership Musts for Basketball Coaches
To be successful today, coaches need a thorough understanding of relevant X’s and O’s; they need to be an expert in individual player development; and they need to master some very specific leadership skills. In fact, in the long run these leadership skills may win just as many games as the other two requirements!
Here are those leadership requirements in no particular order:
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Must be Goal Oriented
A great coach knows exactly what he is trying to accomplish and has a vivid mental picture of what success looks like. He is driven to turn that image into a reality and keeps moving forward regardless of setbacks and disappointments. (And there will definitely be setbacks along the way!) Long term success never happens by accident and you can’t lead your athletes if you don’t know where you are going.
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Must Lead by Example
As you know already there are a myriad of time demands that coaches face every day. To have the necessary time and energy to lead others, coaches must not only be focused on their goals but must also be constantly planning and prioritizing their future course of action. “Do as I say not as I do” does not work with today’s athletes and so a coach must mirror the behaviors that he wants to see from his players. If the players are working harder and longer than the coach then that team is ultimately not going to be very successful.
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Must be Personally Accountable
Not only is it easy but it’s a widely accepted practice to blame anyone and everyone else for our failures. The players are lazy, the refs are horrible, the gym floor is slick, the other coaches cheat, etc. The truth of the matter is that we don’t always get what we want but we usually get what we deserve. If you make a mistake, admit it. If you are lacking in a certain area then own up to it and do something about it! Great coaches should always take a little less credit than they deserve and should even shoulder a little more of the blame than they earned.
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Must have Good People Skills
The days of the “run thru that wall because I said so” coaching dictators are long gone. There may be a few still out there but odds are they spend more time battling their players than actually leading them. Off the court team members want coaches who can relate to them and talk to them as people and not just as players. On the court they want to know why you are doing things a certain why and how that will increase their overall chance of success. Coaching basketball is as much a people business as it is about offenses and defenses and those leaders who lack the ability to positively interact with their players are going to struggle.
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Must be Able to Influence Others
World renowned leadership expert John Maxwell has often said that leadership is influence – nothing more and nothing less. Players are generally going to do things for their own personal reasons. But great coaches are able to influence nearly every single decision and action made by a team member. As a result, these coaches (and their teams, of course) are able to produce more and better results than the majority of their competitive counterparts – and when all is said and done, the end results often become the leader’s legacy.
Young athletes need solid leadership now more than ever before. So many players are being influenced more by their friends, their music, the internet, etc. than by adults who really care about their best interest. A coach who possesses these five leadership skills will be able to win more games. And will also be able to make an impact on his players’ lives that will last a lifetime.
Related: Personal Leadership Questions & Quotes for Coaches
Resources:
Youth Basketball Coaching Made Easy
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