San Francisco Giants World-Series-winning manager Bruce Bochy understands coaching and shares his perspective in Bloomberg Businessweek (“Hard Choices,” Nov,-15-21, 2010).
“Like any job, the more you learn the better manager you become,” he says, reflecting on his own development as a major-league sports manager.
In the United States, at least since Green Bay Packers Head Coach Vince Lombardi, professional sports coaches have provided motivation and inspiration, and some might say, wisdom, to broad audiences through speeches and books. Consider the following:
- Vince Lombardi, What it Takes to Be #1: Vince Lombardi on Leadership
- Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski), Leading with the Heart
Phil Jackson, Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior - Lou Holtz, Winning Every Day: The Game Plan for Success
- Jim Tressel, The Winners Manual: For the Game of Life
These coaches/authors and scores like them know what it takes to win and can communicate their messages effectively. Moreover, they elicit commitment, motivation, and great effort from individuals, and sculpt that effort into championship team performance.
It is not surprising that leaders and managers who learn, do, teach, and lead a coaching mentality gain a competitive advantage.
Bruce Bochy captures the essence of coaching when he says, “My job is to put [my team members] in a position where they can succeed.”
What if a work-group leader were to adopt this view–I mean deep in the heart–and earnestly put it into practice? What would change? What would be needed? What would happen?
–Erik
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