The offseason remains a time rest and reflection for some basketball coaches. This is a time when you can gather your thoughts and plan what the next season will look like. Coaching a basketball team can be an all-encompassing undertaking. Being a coach takes time and devotion. To do it well, you need both a micro and macro approach. Coaches need to do more than game plan or practice plan. Coaches must remember they are leaders, and the offseason provides a chance for you to become a better leader.
Here’s a look at five ways to become a better leader for next season.
Have Confidence
You have complete power over your attitude, which will have an impact on everything you do in life. Having an optimistic outlook fosters confidence. Without appearing haughty or smug, you must have a strong sense of self-worth and confidence in your talents. It may sound cliche, but a successful leader is someone who feels good about themselves.
Nobody will follow a person who doesn’t have confidence in themselves. A strong work ethic and preparation lead to confidence. You know you didn’t do what was required to prepare if you go into a game and aren’t confident you can win.
Have Compassion
Compassion and empathy are crucial for effective leadership. Selfishness is incompatible with successful leadership. To be a better leader, even in the competitive world of basketball, you must have compassion.
Do you play for the scoreboard or the scorebook if you are a player? Do you compete for the name on the back of the jersey or the one on the front? As a coach, do you pay attention to the opinions and suggestions of your players?
Show your respect for and genuine concern for your teammates and opponents.
Raise Expectations
You can anticipate it from people you lead if you do everything to the best of your ability. You can count on your teammates and players to do the same for you if you consistently arrive on time, put in a lot of effort, and give your all during every practice, exercise, and game. But you have to have faith that your athletes and teammates can live up to this expectation.
A good leader will inspire their followers to follow their example. You want to be the kind of leader who elevates everyone else’s performance. Set a high standard, then guide people toward it.
Lead By Example
“Do as I say, not as I do” is an outdated proverb in today’s society. If you want to become a better leader, you must expect as much of yourself as your players. You want the people you are leading to expect it of you. Before you can hold anyone else accountable, you must first hold yourself up to that bar.
You must arrive on time if you want your athletes or teammates to do the same. Get to know your players if you want them to know every play in your playbook. People gravitate toward leaders, so act like one.
Learn From Your Mistakes
Becoming a better leader means taking risks you might not have planned on before. Taking these calculated risks might lead to mistakes along the way. But if you want to be an effective leader, you need to allow those mistakes to happen. The key is to learn from them. Discover what went wrong and way. After that, it becomes a matter of making sure those same mistakes don’t happen again.
Related: 5 Ways to Make the Most of the Basketball Offseason
Basketball Offseason Resources:
Coach Unplugged Podcast
Ep 1389 The 10 Points of Leadership for Players and Coaches
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