At the weekend I had the privilege of coxing Brixham Ladies gig rowers in the Appledore “Supervets” Championship. We placed second in our qualifying heats, fought hard in the semi-finals to finish seventh place in the final. I couldn’t have asked for more from the crew who fought every inch of the way against really tough competition.
Driving home I realised that coxing a rowing crew is entirely analogous to leading a team.
The crew look to you for firm direction and leadership. This must be achieved with absolute consensus to ensure that everyone is onboard with your strategy and plan.
And you must have a plan! This begins before the event, ensuring your rowers are fit, ready and you have contingency were one of them to become unavailable.
The planning continues at the event, scouting the course, considering tides/winds, working out how to row the race from your given berth etc… This needs to be communicated to the team, they need to know what you expect of them.
Then there’s the race. As the cox it’s your job to get the team to the line at the right place at the right time. You need them warmed up and ready to fight tooth and nail. You need to understand the competition and be aware of what is likely to affect your carefully laid out plan.
From the start you are in control. Directing six rowers, feeding them information, making quick decisions, reacting to things that go wrong and constantly revising your race strategy as it unfolds around you. Some of your competitors may play nasty, you have to hold your nerve, stay calm and focus on your crew and your plan. The sea can change, a buoy turn that seemed easy now requires a different approach as waves drive you away from it. Boats in front of you require you to take a different course if you’re going to get past.
All the while you must keep the rowers motivated. They will be giving everything but it may not be enough to get you the lead. But we never give up and you must drive them all the way to the finish, achieving the best you can as a team.
But your job doesn’t end at the line. You need to review yours and the team’s performance. What went well? What didn’t? How can we improve in the next heat? How does this affect the strategy we’d previously been working to. As a cox you need to listen, digest and act in the best interests of the team. The loudest voice is not always correct.
In reading this I hope you agree the analogies are clear to team leadership. I must have got some of it right at the weekend but my coxing was by no means perfect. It’s making me think hard about my team leadership and ensuring that I’m running our business in a similar way.
But let me leave on a recommendation, if you’re struggling to filter those CVs for a leadership post, just look for the phrase “cox” in the interests section.
#rowing #leadership #brixham
Preng & Associates
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