Thread by @IJaSport

[Leadership thread]

Guardiola speaking about managing groups.

• The person behind the shirt
• Everyone is different and requires different care.
• Go with your gut feeling when making a decision
• Provide a good atmosphere
• Help them realise their talent on daily basis

According to the Handbook of Sports Psychology, leaders have the following 11 characteristics.

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Leaders create vision:

By developing clear, objective, measurable goals, leaders are able to lay out the road map for the group which results in a common vision.

Leaders stimulate intellectually:

You must engage your players each and everyday. Training mustn’t become routine and ordinary, and how this is done depends on each coach’s context.

Leaders pay individualized and supportive attention to each member:

As Guardiola referenced, each individual requires attention in a different way and the job of the coach is to understand how to deliver the individualized support needed.

Leaders give personalized recognition:

Every player wants to feel like they contribute to the betterment of the group, and recognizing individual efforts gives merit to their work.

Leaders are demanding:

Setting a bar which is attainable for the group, which means standards that they have to work to achieve and never lowering the bar. Demand more and more but always with care.

Leaders build both self-efficacy and self-esteem:

By building on achievements and praising the work involved, coaches can develop a player’s belief in their abilities to overcome obstacles.

Leaders guide training:

Coaches are facilitators of the environment. As Guardiola mentions, creating a good environment for players to enjoy and want to learn from is vital of a coach.

Leaders emphasize winning:

Football is a game with a winner and a loser. No matter what age, players should learn how to compete. This need for competition develops a motivator to break through the psychological barriers put in place during tough moments of matches.

Leaders cultivate self-interest:

Coaches should develop players’ want towards self-improvement. Without taking care of oneself, and one’s development, improvement is impossible.

Leaders encourage rivalry within the team:

Coaches must instill competition into every training session. Iron sharpens iron, so when players are forced to be better by their own teammates, training results will be compounded.

Leaders instill both a task and an ego orientation:

Coaches must develop both intrinsic (task) and extrinsic (ego) motivations simultaneously. Due to nature of a sports, it’s not enough to improve the ability to perform a task irregardless of external factors. You need both.

References:
amazon.com/Handbook-Sport…