Effective Coaching Habits Through Various Leadership Approaches

I have grown up playing team sports my whole life and, as I am sure that others who have played team sports as well will know, there are some really good coaches who uplift and develop his or her players and some coaches who tear down players and do not foster a growth mindset. Based on this class, I have seen what approaches are present in effective coaches. Path-goal theory, servant leadership, and authentic leadership are all leadership approaches that coaches can utilize to effectively lead players into hard work on and off the field. 

One thing that sports teams tend to have in common is the ability to rally towards the common goal of winning. Since coaches lead the teams towards their common goals, it makes sense that path-goal theory would be very applicable in these circumstances. Path-goal theory is an approach to leadership that emphasizes a leader’s ability to help their followers achieve their goals by removing obstacles and by engaging in different behaviors that fit the needs of the followers and the circumstances of a given situation (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 133). There are three main leader behaviors that path-goal theory focuses on: directive, supportive, participative, and achievement oriented. Directive leadership occurs when leaders provide specific instructions regarding a task. Supportive leader behaviors focus on being approachable and amicable; they help make things easier and enjoyable for their followers. Participative leadership allows followers to play a role in making decisions and suggestions are taken into consideration by the leader. The achievement-oriented behaviors push followers to be the best they can be and instill beliefs of self-efficacy and confidence in them  (PSU WC, 2022, L. 6 p.13). There are many examples of this seen in the practice of coaching. 

First, coaches utilize directive leadership to help achieve the goals of winning by instructing players on how to make a play. For example, if a player is struggling to shoot a basketball, an effective coach may break each step down with the player to show them exactly how to correctly shoot a basketball. Effective coaches demonstrate supportive leadership when a player may be upset for making a mistake during a game. An example of this could be when a shortstop makes a bad throw that costs the winning run to score and then the team loses the game. The shortstop may be very upset and emotional. An effective leader would notice this and provide emotional support and comfort them, whereas an ineffective leader may single them out or express anger at the player. Coaches can show participative leadership when asking players what they want to work on in practice. If a football team is struggling to make a variety of different plays, an effective coach may ask them what they want to work on in order to make  the practice most beneficial for the players. Finally, achievement-oriented behaviors are very important in coaches, instilling confidence and encouraging the ability of players to develop in their skillset is imperative when trying to create a winning team. On a more personal note, I have found coaches that engage in achievement-oriented behaviors for growth both on and off the field to be most effective and memorable. 

Servant leadership is also an approach that coaches can utilize in order to be effective. Servant leadership focuses on leaders putting the needs of the followers above their own (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 254). For the most part, coaches do not get paid to coach, think little league, recreational sports, and travel teams. Thus, most coaches are volunteers who are there to help the players and want to provide guidance and see them improve. So coaches put their time needs and wants aside and help invest in the players. Based on the servant model of leadership, there are a few antecedents and leader behaviors that can lead to effective team and player performance, as well as  personal growth. Antecedent conditions include context and culture, which include the environment and nature of the situation; the leader attributes, which are the personal traits a leader brings to the table that help them lead; and follower receptivity, which is the desire for followers to be engaged  (Northouse, P. G. (2021) pages 259-260). Context and culture can be identified through the game or practice atmosphere that fosters a culture of winning, competition, and hardwork. Leader attributes can vary, but in servant leadership, characteristics such as emotional intelligence, self-determination, and moral development are imperative in order to successfully lead others as a coach (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 260).  Moreover, follower receptivity can be demonstrated when the players listen to the coach because of the authority and respect they have for him or her and usually the game itself. 

There are also leadership behaviors in servant leadership that coaches can utilize to lead successful teams. They are conceptualizing, emotional healing, the ability to put followers first, helping followers grow and succeed, behaving ethically, empowering, and creating value to the community. Conceptualizing is the ability to understand the processes of an activity; emotional healing describes behaviors that focus on the followers’ emotional states and concern for their well-being; behaving ethically occurs when leaders simply do the right thing intentionally; empowering is the behavior of encouraging and enabling followers to perform successfully by themselves; creating value for the community involves the positive impact that servant leaders elicit on their community (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 263). Putting followers first and helping followers grow and succeed are pretty self-explanatory and can be seen when effective coaches go out of their way to help a player. For example, a tennis coach may stay later after practice to help a player get extra work in order to help them succeed. Coaches can practice conceptualization by having knowledge of the game and being able to communicate complex rules to the players or by breaking down complex operations into simpler, but perhaps not obvious steps. This can be seen in baseball or softball when there is a confusing call made by the umpire and they break down the reasoning behind the call.  Emotional healing is very similar to the supporting behavior of goal-setting theory, in which they provide emotional support to uplift players when they get down on themselves. Coaches can behave ethically when they put the best players in the game. This may seem like a given, however, most coaches have children on the team or favorites that may not be the best, so it can be difficult to put them on the bench as opposed to others whom they are not as attached to. 

Effective coaches can empower their players by providing words of encouragement and instilling beliefs of confidence in them, which is also similar to achievement-oriented behaviors. This can be demonstrated in those football pregame meetings where coaches “hype” the players up and instill a group confidence and motivation to win Lastly, effective coaches can create value to the community by not only winning championships to unify a hometown, school, or county; but they can also give back to the community through community service events and by fostering values in their players such as integrity, a strong work ethic and good sportsmanship that will help them become better citizens. An example of this is when some coaches have mandatory volunteer events, such as cleaning a park or helping stock shelves at a food pantry, that occur outside of practices. I know that some of the best team-bonding events I have participated in are the ones in which we volunteered to help others. 

Another theory of leadership that coaches utilize to be effective is authentic leadership, which, when using the developmental approach, is the combination of relationships with followers, self-awareness, and personal experiences (PSU WC, 2022, L. 12 p.2). Coaches can use their knowledge of the game, their ability to communicate effectively, and awareness of their capabilities to help guide the players to improve. Authentic leaders use relationships to connect with their followers.  They let their values guide their behaviors, are disciplined to remain consistent in their practices, have heart, demonstrate compassion for their followers, and have a purpose that drives their passion for leadership positions (Northouse, P. G. (2021) page 224). These factors influence how authentic a coach can be perceived by his or her followers. 

When coaches connect with players on a more personal level, that makes players more comfortable and motivated to perform at high levels. A coach joking around with players or showing concern about their lives outside of sports exemplifies this concept.  When coaches internalize hard work, dedication, and motivation, they express those behaviors on the field and can model them for the players. An example of this could be when coaches demonstrate positive energy during the game and good sportsmanship to the other team and coaches.  Effective coaches are also consistent. Especially when coaching young players, coaches are successful when they show constant behaviors. For example, if a coach is angry, and unhinged after one loss, but is calm and collected after a similar loss, it can confuse players and create tension. Effective coaches also exemplify kind behaviors that place emphasis on “having heart” and are compassionate. They are understanding of mistakes, very similar to both supportive behaviors in path-goal leadership and emotional healing in servant leadership. Coaches also usually have a purpose as to why they coach. For some, it is to help push and motivate young athletes, for others it is because they simply love the sport. Both can light a fire within a coach that shows that they have passion and dedication for the goals of the team. This one is hard to conceptualize through a specific example, but it can be seen and demonstrated when players know that this coach truly cares and loves what they do based on all of their other behaviors listed above. 

The approaches of path-goal leadership, servant leadership, and authentic leadership are all great theories to apply in a coaching setting. There are a few common concepts that overlap to identify key areas that make leaders effective. In my own life, the best coaches are the ones who care about our lives on and off the field. They have helped me develop skills to excel in the game, but also in the classroom and the workforce. For me, the impactful coaches know that it is more than a game, but also that the games aren’t the most important thing in life either. 

 

References 

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2022). PSYCH 485 Retrieved from 

https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2181168/modules/items/35188530 

Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory & Practice (9 ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc.