Upper Hand’s Post

"Success in management requires learning as fast as the world is changing." – Warren Bennis In the fast-paced world of high school sports, staying ahead means constantly evolving and refining our approaches. One powerful way to ensure we're on the right track is by conducting a Recognition Audit. Here's how you can get started: 1. Assess Current Practices: Take a close look at how you currently recognize and appreciate your athletes. Are your methods effective? Are there any gaps or areas for improvement? Gather feedback from coaches, athletes, and support staff to gain valuable insights. 2. Identify Strengths and Weaknesses: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your recognition process. What are you doing well, and where can you make improvements? Consider factors such as frequency, personalization, and inclusivity to pinpoint areas for enhancement. 3. Set Clear Objectives: Define clear objectives for your Recognition Audit. What do you hope to achieve by assessing your current practices? Whether it's boosting morale, improving teamwork, or enhancing individual performance, set specific goals that align with your team's values and mission. By taking the time to conduct a Recognition Audit, we can ensure that our efforts to recognize and appreciate our athletes are strategic, impactful, and aligned with our goals. Let's commit to learning and evolving as we strive to create a positive and supportive environment for our high school sports teams. Are you considering doing this within your team? Let’s discuss in the comments! 👇 #HighSchoolSports #Athletics #TeamCulture #Sportsmanship #StudentAthletes #SportsLeadership #AthleticDirector #Recognition #Leadership #ContinuousImprovement

Yet another example on how sports can translate to leadership. I watched my daughter give group softball lessons to a group of 6-year-old girls. If you have done anything with a group at that age, you know it is like herding cats- and let's add bats and balls. So now it is also ensuring they don't hurt anyone! And, at that age it is all about having fun. It was really fun to watch her and her own personal coaching journey. It was also interesting for her father and I. Standing there, we watched her with pride, but could also see things that she needed to adjust. Most of those adjustments, were little things that we could see as parents of a fully grown softballer. Those little things were probably not things parents of the new ballers could see. When she finished the lesson, she immediately asked for feedback on what she could improve-so I was glad that we had said nothing in the moment. When we watch and coach others, do we stand back and let them show up on their own or do we come over the top and correct in the moment? When we are being coached, what do we prefer? There are times for both. A great coach knows when to coach in the moment and when to let them figure it out and then talk. Talk about why the individual took the approach they did or made the decisions they did. That learning is invaluable. As leaders that focus on coaching vs. directing-it is sometimes hard not to jump right in when we see something different than how we would handle or if you see a negative consequence likely. Letting it play out is often the best thing we can do-because often times the learning is in the experience. This is not to say there are not times when jumping can also be very impactful and will remediate an action that has huge consequences. When we get in trouble (or at least I do) is when we get concerned that the consequence reflects on ourselves personally, and we jump in too early. Oh, and let's make sure we reinforce what they did well! The Reformed Sports Project #sportsandleadership #coachingjourney #feedbackisagift

High School Athletic Directors: Is your recognition strategy empowering your athletes or leaving them deflated? Recognition is more than just trophies and accolades; it’s the heartbeat of your department that encourages appreciation, growth, and motivation. If your recognition culture feels outdated or ineffective, you're not alone. It's time for change. Here's how you might be dropping the ball: - Celebrating Only the Big Wins: When was the last time you celebrated small victories, not just championships? If your recognition is focused solely on the end results, you're neglecting the efforts that sow the seeds of success. Athletes, regardless of their ranking, should feel valued. - Overlooking Effort: Is your program appreciating effort, progress, and improvement, or is it win-or-nothing? Recognizing athletes for their dedication and effort, even without a win, fuels motivation and confidence. - One-Size-Fits-All Recognition: Personalized recognition taps into the unique contributions of each individual. A generic "nice job" doesn't cut it anymore. - Inconsistent Appreciation: Is your recognition strategy systematic, or does it pop up sporadically? Regular acknowledgment of efforts promotes positive behaviors and cultivates an appreciation culture. If these resonate, perhaps it's time to revisit your recognition playbook. Let’s chat about how you can turbocharge your recognition efforts and create a truly motivational environment in your athletic program. 🏆 If you found value in this post, please hit the LIKE button. And if you are ready for a change in strategy, let's talk. Send me a message. #highschoolsports #athletics #recognitionmatters #teamculture #leadershipdevelopment #sportsmanship #studentathletes #sportsleadership #athleticdirector

Lessons on leadership I’ve learned from watching youth soccer: 1. There is training and there are games. Know the difference. (Games are not the time to teach. Let the team play. Training comes later.) 2. Learning includes getting it wrong. Good coaches let their teams fail but ensure they learn from the failure. 3. You can’t just talk at people and expect it to stick. You have to design drills & training regimens that train through experience. 4. When mistakes are being made by the team at training, stop play immediately. It’s not kindness to let mistakes turn into habits. “Freeze and look around” is important. Often players don’t realize what they did wrong until they pause to look around. A good coach helps their team look around. 5. Coach individual short comings privately. Pull the player aside and work with them individually. Utilizing assistant coaches here is great both for the player and coach. 6. Good teamwork and camaraderie doesn’t just happen, it’s trained. 7. Good learning happens with increased self-awareness not spoon feeding. Allow other to wrecognize their own mistakes during games then help them correct them in training. 8. Proactive anticipation saves lots of energy. Anticipate where your teammates will need you. You get tired a lot faster if you sprint reactively instead of jog proactively. 9. If you lose the ball, get it back! We all lose the ball sometimes. It’s what we do afterward that counts. 10. A coach’s role is to call formations, make strategic adjustments, maintain the roster, and inspire the players. It is not to play the game. Let the players play. (Player/Coaches is an anti-pattern). #Leadership #Lessons #Soccer

Here's what sports coaches have to teach to managers 🏃➡️I spent last weekend at a sports hall with my daughter attending in the Estonian youth championships in track and field. She's a sprinter. 🧐I'm always interested in observing other parents. They remind me of different kinds of managers. > Some are overinvested in their kids' performance. They demand the kids' attention to give some in their mind necessary last minute tips and hints. But the tension in their kids' eyes goes unnoticed. > Some give their kids a disappointed glare after the finish. > Some even nag 'why did you do this or that?'. > Some hug their offspring with compassion. > Some are not invested in their kids at all, but you don't see that because these parents are not there. Some are there, but barely raise their eyes from the phone or laptop. *** I see these as powerful lessons in leadership. 🤔 How invested in your team's result should you be and what is the best way to support them? The trainers display great leadership in these situations. ✔️ They have given everything they could to prepare the young athletes for top performance. ✔️ Then get out of the way and let them give their best. ✔️ They show empathy and give acknowledgement for the effort made. ✔️ They also help reflect on how it went, but not right after the finish, when adrenaline is still high and the start bang still in the ears. ✔️ They are not personally invested in their students, but truly wish well. No wonder coaching has become one of essential leadership and management tools. It teaches managers when and how much to interfere and when to step aside and let your people give their best. #coaching #performancemanagement #coachingleader #holisticleadershipcoach

March Madness!! It’s that time of year when I watch a lot of college basketball. I listen to a lot of analysis of players and coaching. Most talk is about how even the top player on the team gets better, stronger, and smarter throughout the season through the power of practice and listening to instructive coaching. That same attitude needs to be incorporated into every profession, every agency team at every level on the organizational chart. Learning and professional growth don’t stop when you become head of your department or attain the title of CEO. Like the basketball player who spends hours shooting free throws between games, organizational leaders at all levels, need to constantly practice and improve their skills by seeking and taking advice from others. And, just like the basketball team’s captain, who sets the example for the younger players, an organizational leader needs to model and share that formula for excellence with their team, encouraging an environment of constant development and growth. At each stop along my career path, I looked for and found one or more people who could help me analyze “my game.” With intentionality I became open to their combined rigorous and caring advice on how to better my leadership and opportunities for mission success. Thanks Michael, Caryl, and Adam. College basketball can teach us a lot beyond “Xs and Os” of the game. It is an example of the power of coaching and practice to become your best. Oh, and GO BLUE DEVILS!  

The Rise of Development Coaching As a coach myself, I was thrilled to see my hometown New York Knicks leading the charge in a new coaching trend! Their roster boasts over five dedicated development coaches, spearheaded by the legendary Allan Houston, who himself tackles both leadership and development roles. This isn't a one-off move. Forward-thinking NBA teams are increasingly recognizing the value of development coaching. Within the next two years, we can expect this approach to become standard across the league. Why the Buzz? Development coaches are game-changers. They have the time and expertise to focus on the intricate details and personalized strategies that head coaches and assistants simply can't. They create a "custom-fit framework" for each player, maximizing their potential on and off the court. The Takeaway: If the NBA, arguably the pinnacle of basketball, prioritizes development coaching, shouldn't your team or club follow suit? Without it, athletes miss out on the tailored guidance that unlocks their full potential. Let's empower our athletes to thrive by bringing development coaching to every level of the game! This level of coaching is for all sports. Are you interested in learning more about how development coaching can benefit your team or sports club? Let's connect and discuss how to take your athletes to the next level! #playerdevelopment #sports #developmentcoach #playersdevelopmentclub

Tonight, I meet with 9 high school football players for leadership and mental skills training, and this is my agenda. If you don't know me very well, you may think: "WHOA! She's a slacker!" OR "I hope the head coach isn't paying her." OR "This is a great example why women shouldn't do leadership training." If you do know me very well, you know there's always a reason behind everything I do. I don't have a plan yet for this year's off-season leadership and mental skills training because: 1️⃣ The most important action with these young men: Build Relationships And I only have a solid relationship with two of the players, a budding relationship with two more, and no relationship with the other 5. Those 5 don't know me. And if you know anything about teenage boys, you know they need to know you and trust you before they will comply with any requests. Therefore, part of today will be spent getting to know these 9 players as both football players and young men. 2️⃣ I want to hear what they want this year's off-season training programming to look like. It's a hell of a lot easier getting the players to buy into what I'm teaching if they had a say in what I'm teaching. Now, don't get it twisted, they don't have the ultimate say. Because at the end of the day I'm the Sport Performance Coach and I'm responsible for our players' mental toughness. Trust! Composure training will most definitely be taught--because yeah, high school football players. 🏈 🏈 🏈 🏈 🏈 🏈 🏈 🏈 🏈 🏈 🏈 🏈 My strongest held belief on leadership (same for parenting): The most effective way to lead a team is by setting high expectations within the context of the warm and fuzzies. And I will always focus on building relationships first. What's y'all's take on this? Do you agree with this leadership practice OR is this a great example why there won't ever be a female president, except on the Netflix show, "The Diplomat?" #leadership #sportperformance #mentalskills #teenageboys

ATM! [A Teaching Monday] Leadership Lessons from the 2024 NBA Playoffs: A Journey in Teamwork – Part 4. "Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." – Andrew Carnegie. "Teamwork makes the dream work," they say, and this age-old adage continues to prove true across various fields, from sports to business, education, health, media, arts, and entertainment. This principle was vividly illustrated when the Dallas Mavericks clicked as a team and won the 2024 NBA Western Conference Finals. However, they fell like a house of cards against the Eastern Conference Champions, the Boston Celtics, who demonstrated unparalleled teamwork to secure their historic 18th NBA Finals title with a 4-1 win against the Dallas Mavericks last week Monday, June 17th. The Celtics' dominance in the series highlighted the power of teamwork. Despite the Mavericks' game 4 victory, where they avoided a sweep with a blowout win, the Celtics' cohesion and collective effort ultimately led them to triumph. The value of teamwork is paramount; when a team fails to embrace its discipline, nothing works. Jaylen Brown, the newly crowned 2024 NBA Finals MVP, shed light on the Celtics' championship success, emphasizing the role of teamwork. "It was a full team effort," Brown said after receiving the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP trophy. "I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime, Jayson Tatum. He was with me the whole way. I’ve been grateful for every moment, every opportunity. I never hung my head." Brown's words resonate deeply, underscoring the essence of collaboration and mutual support. As Andrew Carnegie once said, "Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." This quote perfectly encapsulates the Celtics' journey. It wasn't just individual brilliance but the synergy between players that paved the way to their victory. The importance of teamwork extends far beyond sports. In business, for instance, effective teamwork can lead to remarkable achievements. Steve Jobs, the visionary behind Apple Inc., famously stated, "Great things in business are never done by one person; they're done by a team of people." This highlights how collective effort, and diverse talents can drive organizational success and innovation. In the realm of education, teamwork is equally vital. Teachers, administrators, and students working together create an environment conducive to learning and growth. Helen Keller, a remarkable advocate for disability rights, once said, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." This sentiment reflects the power of collaboration in achieving educational goals and fostering a supportive community. [To be concluded next week]. #teamwork #leadershipdevelopment #synergy #leadershiplessons #2024nbafinals.

Leadership Lessons from 3 Year Olds: Over the past couple of years, I have had the privilege of coaching my children (and a few dozen others, thank you parents!) in 3–5-year-old sports leagues. While this group is young, they certainly imparted a few lessons to help keep me grounded that felt worth sharing. 1. You don’t know your limit, so why set one?              This past month, our youth basketball team only had two players that could actually get the ball to the rim, let alone make a shot. Despite not having the physical strength, these kids continued to give it their all each and every time they stepped up to take a shot. They were undeterred and excited to take each shot. They didn’t know their own physical limitations and kept pushing forward. 2. A little coaching can go a long way.              I am by no means an expert or greatly experienced in coaching competitive sports. However, I am and will continue to be amazed by how just a few words can motivate these kids to do amazing things. As an example, in soccer this past fall, one of our kids was relatively disengaged (which is totally fine as the point at this age is to learn and have fun). I approached him and asked him to do the kick off, but before he did, I encouraged him to “charge up” and run/kick as fast as he could toward the goal. Seconds later, he scored his first and only goal of the season. I couldn’t have been more excited for him in that moment. I think we often get so caught up in finding the next leadership trend or looking for a big picture solution that we forget that a few simple words may be all that it takes to properly motivate our team to do amazing things. 3. We can all be more compassionate.              At this age, the kids don’t care about winning or losing. They care simply about having fun. There were several moments where a kid on our team or the other team may have been upset. Without hesitation, we would always have one or more kids stop playing to go comfort their opponent or distract them with some goofy antic. This pure compassion to make sure another person is okay and happy is something we should all strive to employ in our daily lives. Video for proof of the goofiness of my own child on the court. #Leadership #YouthSports #Fun #Management