A633.8.3.RB - How Do Coaches Help?

Being a basketball coach myself and having played the sport dealing with coaches all of my life, it is very similar to the job of an executive coach. There is a coaching theory (for sports coaches at least) that says for every 1 piece of negative criticism you should give 7 positive ones. This sort of defines the meaning and job of being a coach. A coach is there to provide confidence and guidance in the client, to let him know he cares and is willing to adjust behaviors but mostly to encourage through his/her experience the right way to handle the situation and to empower the client to bring the best out in himself.

Coaching and leadership go hand in hand because a leader must truly care about the personal and professional growth of subordinates. I heard once that good leaders don’t make good followers they make other good leaders and that statement says everything about a leaders responsibility to coach and grow the people around them. Coaching and mentoring is crucial to the development of people in organizations, inexperienced members need that attention and guidance or they can become lost and unaware of their role and true potential.

The right leadership and coaching can have a huge positive impact on an organization, its internal chemistry, its employee engagement, its productivity, and its success. Coaching and leadership taps into the individual potential of the people of the organization and the true potential of the organization. A culture in which peers learn from each other in no specific hierarchy makes for the most successful of organizations.

In our organization we have such a culture, people treat others with respect and have for the most part positive learning work relationships. Our leaders are humble and truly care about the successes of all of us from the coaches, support staff, to the student athletes. This is our culture, our culture of building leaders out of our coaches and players, so they may have the best student athlete experience and be prepared for a successful life after their sport.