lOMoARcPSD|31863004
CHAPTER
6
Leadership in Sport: The Critical Importance
of Coach and Athlete Leadership
Julia S. Ammary, Lehigh University
Jeff Janssen, Janssen Sports Leadership Center
I feel my attitude sets the tone. It’s my job to magnify my teammates’ strengths and to hide their weak-
nesses. I put people in position to do their thing.
—Dawn Staley, Basketball Hall of Fame member and Olympic Gold medalist
Why is it that some teams consistently perform administrators
up and coaches consistently invest time
to their full potential while others, even with strong
and energy in the development of a leadership cul-
talent, fail to live up to expectations? How doture
some within their teams. In fact, because of the rich
teams develop and sustain a championship-level learning laboratory inherent in sport and the ample
program year after year, even though athletes opportunities
come to apply core leadership concepts in
and go on a regular basis? How do somepractical teams and tangible ways, many coaches, parents,
build and maintain a winning culture where people
and administrators are capitalizing on the oppor-
not only survive but also thrive individually tunity
and to intentionally develop leadership skills in
collectively? student-athletes.
Many factors determine a team’s success, but Inspired by compelling curiosities, anchored in
few are as influential as the all-encompassingleadership
power theory and research, and written from a
of strong and credible leadership. Many people practitioner’s perspective, this chapter focuses on
automatically assume that as the primarythree leaderquestions: Why is leadership important?, What
of a team, the coach is the common denominator is leadership?, and, How can core leadership con-
among strong programs. While the coach’s lead-
cepts and strategies be applied in sport to develop and
ership is absolutely critical to success, the best personal, interpersonal, and team effective-
enhance
leaders know their effectiveness ultimately isness?
deter- For the sake of clarifying expectations (a lead-
mined not by manipulating a large number ership
of fol-
practice that is extremely valuable in working
lowers, but by empowering others. Top program with coaches, athletes, and teams), please note that
100
Downloaded by Gabriel Musyoka ()
, lOMoARcPSD|31863004
101
Julia S. Ammary and Jeff Janssen
this chapter does not intend to neatly define because
leader- it seems to be invisible when it is done well
ship. Instead, it acknowledges that leadership (i.e., is
processes
a and people function smoothly and
powerful, complex, and heuristic process involving
seamlessly), and we are most acutely aware of its
the psychology, sociology, and spirit of people value in in its absence or in times of transition and
social situations. Accordingly, the goal of thischange.
chap- Even though research has not delivered
ter is to facilitate a leadership journey, exposing
consistent
the facts proving that leadership is the key
reader to a range of perspectives and offering tosome
a team’s success, a number of studies have cor-
practical strategies that may enhance the leadership
related contemporary and multifaceted leadership
development of coaches, athletes, and teams. approaches to enhancedinterpersonalrelation-
Why is leadership in sport so important? Weships, trust, morale, and satisfaction, which can all
would be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’tfacilitate greater collective efficacy, teamwork, and
believe now more than ever that strong leadership
improved performance over time (Callow, Smith,
is needed to support the fast-paced and dynamically
Hardy, Arthur, & Hardy, 2009; Loughead & Hardy,
changing environments in which our sport organiza-
2005). Peer leaders who frequently inspire, moti-
tions and teams are attempting to flourish. As vate,
sportenhance creativity, solve problems, and use
scandals “go viral” and are played out very publicly
contingent rewards are associated with teammates
through social media, and as social media and who other
experience great joy and satisfaction playing
technology platforms attempt to take the the placesport,
of are motivated to pursue challenging tasks
real face-to-face communication, there is a growing
with great effort, and are interested in learning
“trust gap” between leaders and their people(Glenn,
(Maak 2003; Price & Weiss, 2011).
& Pless, 2006; Pless, Maak, & Waldman, 2012). We Recentfindingsby journalistSam Walker
need different and effective educational approaches
(2017) substantiate the correlation between team
to overcome this trust gap. We must intentionally
leaders and team success. As featured in his book,
develop quality leaders in our emerging genera- The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates
tions who will make strong decisions, communicate
the World’s Greatest Teams, Walker devised a system
clearly, and balance the needs and well-beingtoofidentify
peo- the greatest teams of all time in pursuit
ple with the pressure to deliver results. of an understanding of what those teams have in
Today,teamsneedthe objective realismof common. Through his research, he learned that the
great managers and the vision and passion ofgreatest
great teams can be traced back to exceptional
leadersto achieveteamgoals(Bolman& Deal, leaders. Further, he identified the seven traits of
2013).Many top coachesand sport leadership elite captains as:
experts would agree that leadership is a differentiat-
ing element of a championship experience. Said • Extreme
leg- doggedness and focus in competition
endary North Carolina women’s soccer coach•Anson Aggressive play that tests the limits of the rules
Dorrance, “The final piece in a championship•team A willingness to do thankless jobs in the
is leadership. The most attractive type of leadership
shadows
to me is the student-athlete who is a coach on the
field. I want a driving verbal force who won’t •
A low-key, practical, and democratic communi-
let stan-
dards slip. That’s how teams with ordinary talent cation
can style
win championships” (Dorrance, 1994). • Passionate nonverbal displays to motivate others
For decades,researchers and practitioners • Strong convictions and the courage to stand
have been searching for traits, behaviors, and strat-
apart
egies that prove that leadership works. The reality
is that leadership is difficult to measure, •
Ironclad emotional control
perhaps
Downloaded by Gabriel Musyoka ()
, lOMoARcPSD|31863004
102 Chapter 6 Leadership in Sport: The Critical Importance of Coach and Athlete Leadership
Clearly,leadershipdevelopment is and will discipline means: behaving wisely” (p. 21–22). The
continue to be a critical element in the stability and
objective nature of sport reinforces the practice of
forward progression of our individuals, teams,behaviors
orga- that produce winning results, providing
nizations, institutions, and corporations. The extragoodincentive for teams to invest time and energy
news is that we believe leadership can be in taught,
refining their understanding and applications
learned, practiced, and improved by anyone of thewhobehaviors that become leadership. Studies
cares deeply about facilitating positive change within established
highlighting strategiesfor personal,
a team. interpersonal, and team leadership development are
How is leadership (and leadership in sport) devel-
explored with further detail in the latter part of this
oped? While sport provides an environment rich in
chapter.
opportunities to experiment with leadership aware-
ness and skills, we simply cannot leave to chance
the leadership learning of our coaches and athletes.
Debunking the myth that leaders are born and not
Exercise 1
made, enhanced leadership capacity is linked Summarize
to the importance of leadership in sport.
formal training efforts (Dugan, 2006), where Consider
the the impact of both coach and athlete
synthesis of core concepts and skills results leadership.
from
discussion and reflection upon situations, behav-
iors, and the evolving leadership needs of a team.
Formal leadership training complements the daily,
informal development efforts by coaches at prac- Having established the compelling reasons for
cultivating
tice, and thus is most effective when integrated as a effective leaders and having acknowl-
part of team culture and routines rather than beingedged the incredible opportunity sport provides
scheduled as an added obligation (in addition to to do so, we must examine the elusive question
about
strength/conditioning, tactical/technical skill devel- what we are attempting to develop: What is
opment, mental training, community service, team leadership?
building, etc.). Investment by athletes and coaches
is most sincere when formal leadership program- Leadership Theory
ming is reinforced as a key element of program Leadership
plan- is a complex phenomenon that has
ning and when the developmental efforts areexisted shared since the earliest human civilizations; in
by key constituents (coaches, athletes, support every
staff,group of people there is at least one person
parents). who mobilizes others toward the achievement of
Ultimately, sport experiences and formal a train-
vision. Over the past half-century, researchers
ing can be only as influential as participants are have dis-explored key elements of leadership effec-
ciplined. Leadership effectiveness can be enhanced tiveness, sparking an evolution of thought mani-
through a conscious commitment to learningfested about, in thousands of published definitions and
experimenting with, and assessing strategies numerous
and theories and models. Current focus is on
behaviors. As former Princeton University transformational,
men’s emotionally intelligent, adaptive,
basketball coach Pete Carril (Carril & White, 1997)and ethical leadership (e.g., Gomes, 2014; Lamm,
said, “Great philosophers of education have Carter,
said& Lamm,2016). Theseconceptualiza-
there are two things important in learning. tions
Bothof leadership include integrated and relation-
begin with a definition of the words to know. One ship-based approaches (e.g., Hogg et. al., 2005),
is learning facts, data—information. The other focusingis on group roles and processes, collabora-
knowing how to behave intelligently. Thattion, is what
and shared goals (Dugan & Komives, 2010).
Downloaded by Gabriel Musyoka ()
, lOMoARcPSD|31863004
103
Julia S. Ammary and Jeff Janssen
Further, shared leadership that “emanates from great performance, effort, or character when ath-
the members of teams and not simply fromletes the meet or exceed team standards).
appointed team leader” (Pearce & Sims, 2002, p. 172), Stimulation: Leaders and partici-
• Intellectual
seems to be gaining interest and momentum, andefforts are more creative and innovative
pants’
may even be a stronger predictor of team effective-as a result of questioning assumptions, refram-
ness. Outlined next are a few of these integrated ing problems, and encouraging creativity in
approaches to leadership whose key elements oneareanother. Each person’s knowledge and
directly applicable to sport. abilities are enhanced through this process.
Bass and Riggio’s(2006) transformational Buy-in by athletes is greatly enhanced when
leadership theorydescribesa courseof action team members are involved in preseason team
where both leaders and participants engagedevelopmentin a sessions, including goal-setting,
mutual, ongoing process of raising one another brainstorming
to action steps, and systems of
higher levels of motivation, moral reasoning,accountability.
and Follow-through on the sugges-
self-consciousness. By appealing to social and com-tions of athletes goes a long way in building
munity values, transformational leadership encour- trust and engendering ownership of team ideals
ages collaboration and interdependence, including among team members. Encouraging athletes
the follower as an essential element of leadership to continue learning about leadership is also
(teamwork in sport). Within this theory, every par-a great way to spark creativity and intellectual
ticipant has the potential to lead, and leadership is
stimulation (e.g., small groups of athletes
not based on position or title, but rather on the assume
devel- responsibility for educating team mem-
opment of individual potential and performancebers to about a different leadership topic monthly,
promote positive action toward the achievement of
presenting what they have observed and learned
team goals. The four primary components of trans- and making suggestions for team improvement).
formational leadership include:
• Individualized Consideration: Leaders grow
• Idealized Influence: Leaders behave in ways that future leaders by paying attention to each indi-
allow them to serve as role models and that vidual participant’s needs for achievement and
result in admiration, respect, and trust from par-
growth. They serve as a supporter, mentor, and
ticipants. In sport, coaches and team captains coach for participants, thereby increasing those
earn the respect of team members through lead- individuals’ potential for growth and develop-
ership by example and modeling team standards ment. Vocal leadership by coaches or captains
(e.g., team captains must pass team fitness tests
cannot only address the masses; one-on-one dia-
to maintain credibility). logue, feedback, and attentiveness are incredibly
• Inspirational Motivation: Leaders motivate and important in developing team members who are
inspire those around them through purpose and committed to team goals above personal pur-
challenge. Enthusiasm and optimism are dis-suits (e.g., coaches find time for individual meet-
played as participants are engaged in helpingings at the beginning, middle, and end of their
lead-
seasons to check in with team members about
ers create an exciting and attractive future. Great
coaches and captains learn about what motivates expectations, perceptions, and progress).
and frustrates their team members and identify
Supporting the application of the transfor-
meaningful roles that put athletes in positions to
mational leadership theory in sport, Price and
succeed. Recognition of small wins accumulates
Weiss (2013) linked coach and peer transforma-
and contributes to overall team morale (e.g.,
tional leadership behaviors to positive individual
using a sticker system to publicly acknowledge
Downloaded by Gabriel Musyoka ()
CHAPTER
6
Leadership in Sport: The Critical Importance
of Coach and Athlete Leadership
Julia S. Ammary, Lehigh University
Jeff Janssen, Janssen Sports Leadership Center
I feel my attitude sets the tone. It’s my job to magnify my teammates’ strengths and to hide their weak-
nesses. I put people in position to do their thing.
—Dawn Staley, Basketball Hall of Fame member and Olympic Gold medalist
Why is it that some teams consistently perform administrators
up and coaches consistently invest time
to their full potential while others, even with strong
and energy in the development of a leadership cul-
talent, fail to live up to expectations? How doture
some within their teams. In fact, because of the rich
teams develop and sustain a championship-level learning laboratory inherent in sport and the ample
program year after year, even though athletes opportunities
come to apply core leadership concepts in
and go on a regular basis? How do somepractical teams and tangible ways, many coaches, parents,
build and maintain a winning culture where people
and administrators are capitalizing on the oppor-
not only survive but also thrive individually tunity
and to intentionally develop leadership skills in
collectively? student-athletes.
Many factors determine a team’s success, but Inspired by compelling curiosities, anchored in
few are as influential as the all-encompassingleadership
power theory and research, and written from a
of strong and credible leadership. Many people practitioner’s perspective, this chapter focuses on
automatically assume that as the primarythree leaderquestions: Why is leadership important?, What
of a team, the coach is the common denominator is leadership?, and, How can core leadership con-
among strong programs. While the coach’s lead-
cepts and strategies be applied in sport to develop and
ership is absolutely critical to success, the best personal, interpersonal, and team effective-
enhance
leaders know their effectiveness ultimately isness?
deter- For the sake of clarifying expectations (a lead-
mined not by manipulating a large number ership
of fol-
practice that is extremely valuable in working
lowers, but by empowering others. Top program with coaches, athletes, and teams), please note that
100
Downloaded by Gabriel Musyoka ()
, lOMoARcPSD|31863004
101
Julia S. Ammary and Jeff Janssen
this chapter does not intend to neatly define because
leader- it seems to be invisible when it is done well
ship. Instead, it acknowledges that leadership (i.e., is
processes
a and people function smoothly and
powerful, complex, and heuristic process involving
seamlessly), and we are most acutely aware of its
the psychology, sociology, and spirit of people value in in its absence or in times of transition and
social situations. Accordingly, the goal of thischange.
chap- Even though research has not delivered
ter is to facilitate a leadership journey, exposing
consistent
the facts proving that leadership is the key
reader to a range of perspectives and offering tosome
a team’s success, a number of studies have cor-
practical strategies that may enhance the leadership
related contemporary and multifaceted leadership
development of coaches, athletes, and teams. approaches to enhancedinterpersonalrelation-
Why is leadership in sport so important? Weships, trust, morale, and satisfaction, which can all
would be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’tfacilitate greater collective efficacy, teamwork, and
believe now more than ever that strong leadership
improved performance over time (Callow, Smith,
is needed to support the fast-paced and dynamically
Hardy, Arthur, & Hardy, 2009; Loughead & Hardy,
changing environments in which our sport organiza-
2005). Peer leaders who frequently inspire, moti-
tions and teams are attempting to flourish. As vate,
sportenhance creativity, solve problems, and use
scandals “go viral” and are played out very publicly
contingent rewards are associated with teammates
through social media, and as social media and who other
experience great joy and satisfaction playing
technology platforms attempt to take the the placesport,
of are motivated to pursue challenging tasks
real face-to-face communication, there is a growing
with great effort, and are interested in learning
“trust gap” between leaders and their people(Glenn,
(Maak 2003; Price & Weiss, 2011).
& Pless, 2006; Pless, Maak, & Waldman, 2012). We Recentfindingsby journalistSam Walker
need different and effective educational approaches
(2017) substantiate the correlation between team
to overcome this trust gap. We must intentionally
leaders and team success. As featured in his book,
develop quality leaders in our emerging genera- The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates
tions who will make strong decisions, communicate
the World’s Greatest Teams, Walker devised a system
clearly, and balance the needs and well-beingtoofidentify
peo- the greatest teams of all time in pursuit
ple with the pressure to deliver results. of an understanding of what those teams have in
Today,teamsneedthe objective realismof common. Through his research, he learned that the
great managers and the vision and passion ofgreatest
great teams can be traced back to exceptional
leadersto achieveteamgoals(Bolman& Deal, leaders. Further, he identified the seven traits of
2013).Many top coachesand sport leadership elite captains as:
experts would agree that leadership is a differentiat-
ing element of a championship experience. Said • Extreme
leg- doggedness and focus in competition
endary North Carolina women’s soccer coach•Anson Aggressive play that tests the limits of the rules
Dorrance, “The final piece in a championship•team A willingness to do thankless jobs in the
is leadership. The most attractive type of leadership
shadows
to me is the student-athlete who is a coach on the
field. I want a driving verbal force who won’t •
A low-key, practical, and democratic communi-
let stan-
dards slip. That’s how teams with ordinary talent cation
can style
win championships” (Dorrance, 1994). • Passionate nonverbal displays to motivate others
For decades,researchers and practitioners • Strong convictions and the courage to stand
have been searching for traits, behaviors, and strat-
apart
egies that prove that leadership works. The reality
is that leadership is difficult to measure, •
Ironclad emotional control
perhaps
Downloaded by Gabriel Musyoka ()
, lOMoARcPSD|31863004
102 Chapter 6 Leadership in Sport: The Critical Importance of Coach and Athlete Leadership
Clearly,leadershipdevelopment is and will discipline means: behaving wisely” (p. 21–22). The
continue to be a critical element in the stability and
objective nature of sport reinforces the practice of
forward progression of our individuals, teams,behaviors
orga- that produce winning results, providing
nizations, institutions, and corporations. The extragoodincentive for teams to invest time and energy
news is that we believe leadership can be in taught,
refining their understanding and applications
learned, practiced, and improved by anyone of thewhobehaviors that become leadership. Studies
cares deeply about facilitating positive change within established
highlighting strategiesfor personal,
a team. interpersonal, and team leadership development are
How is leadership (and leadership in sport) devel-
explored with further detail in the latter part of this
oped? While sport provides an environment rich in
chapter.
opportunities to experiment with leadership aware-
ness and skills, we simply cannot leave to chance
the leadership learning of our coaches and athletes.
Debunking the myth that leaders are born and not
Exercise 1
made, enhanced leadership capacity is linked Summarize
to the importance of leadership in sport.
formal training efforts (Dugan, 2006), where Consider
the the impact of both coach and athlete
synthesis of core concepts and skills results leadership.
from
discussion and reflection upon situations, behav-
iors, and the evolving leadership needs of a team.
Formal leadership training complements the daily,
informal development efforts by coaches at prac- Having established the compelling reasons for
cultivating
tice, and thus is most effective when integrated as a effective leaders and having acknowl-
part of team culture and routines rather than beingedged the incredible opportunity sport provides
scheduled as an added obligation (in addition to to do so, we must examine the elusive question
about
strength/conditioning, tactical/technical skill devel- what we are attempting to develop: What is
opment, mental training, community service, team leadership?
building, etc.). Investment by athletes and coaches
is most sincere when formal leadership program- Leadership Theory
ming is reinforced as a key element of program Leadership
plan- is a complex phenomenon that has
ning and when the developmental efforts areexisted shared since the earliest human civilizations; in
by key constituents (coaches, athletes, support every
staff,group of people there is at least one person
parents). who mobilizes others toward the achievement of
Ultimately, sport experiences and formal a train-
vision. Over the past half-century, researchers
ing can be only as influential as participants are have dis-explored key elements of leadership effec-
ciplined. Leadership effectiveness can be enhanced tiveness, sparking an evolution of thought mani-
through a conscious commitment to learningfested about, in thousands of published definitions and
experimenting with, and assessing strategies numerous
and theories and models. Current focus is on
behaviors. As former Princeton University transformational,
men’s emotionally intelligent, adaptive,
basketball coach Pete Carril (Carril & White, 1997)and ethical leadership (e.g., Gomes, 2014; Lamm,
said, “Great philosophers of education have Carter,
said& Lamm,2016). Theseconceptualiza-
there are two things important in learning. tions
Bothof leadership include integrated and relation-
begin with a definition of the words to know. One ship-based approaches (e.g., Hogg et. al., 2005),
is learning facts, data—information. The other focusingis on group roles and processes, collabora-
knowing how to behave intelligently. Thattion, is what
and shared goals (Dugan & Komives, 2010).
Downloaded by Gabriel Musyoka ()
, lOMoARcPSD|31863004
103
Julia S. Ammary and Jeff Janssen
Further, shared leadership that “emanates from great performance, effort, or character when ath-
the members of teams and not simply fromletes the meet or exceed team standards).
appointed team leader” (Pearce & Sims, 2002, p. 172), Stimulation: Leaders and partici-
• Intellectual
seems to be gaining interest and momentum, andefforts are more creative and innovative
pants’
may even be a stronger predictor of team effective-as a result of questioning assumptions, refram-
ness. Outlined next are a few of these integrated ing problems, and encouraging creativity in
approaches to leadership whose key elements oneareanother. Each person’s knowledge and
directly applicable to sport. abilities are enhanced through this process.
Bass and Riggio’s(2006) transformational Buy-in by athletes is greatly enhanced when
leadership theorydescribesa courseof action team members are involved in preseason team
where both leaders and participants engagedevelopmentin a sessions, including goal-setting,
mutual, ongoing process of raising one another brainstorming
to action steps, and systems of
higher levels of motivation, moral reasoning,accountability.
and Follow-through on the sugges-
self-consciousness. By appealing to social and com-tions of athletes goes a long way in building
munity values, transformational leadership encour- trust and engendering ownership of team ideals
ages collaboration and interdependence, including among team members. Encouraging athletes
the follower as an essential element of leadership to continue learning about leadership is also
(teamwork in sport). Within this theory, every par-a great way to spark creativity and intellectual
ticipant has the potential to lead, and leadership is
stimulation (e.g., small groups of athletes
not based on position or title, but rather on the assume
devel- responsibility for educating team mem-
opment of individual potential and performancebers to about a different leadership topic monthly,
promote positive action toward the achievement of
presenting what they have observed and learned
team goals. The four primary components of trans- and making suggestions for team improvement).
formational leadership include:
• Individualized Consideration: Leaders grow
• Idealized Influence: Leaders behave in ways that future leaders by paying attention to each indi-
allow them to serve as role models and that vidual participant’s needs for achievement and
result in admiration, respect, and trust from par-
growth. They serve as a supporter, mentor, and
ticipants. In sport, coaches and team captains coach for participants, thereby increasing those
earn the respect of team members through lead- individuals’ potential for growth and develop-
ership by example and modeling team standards ment. Vocal leadership by coaches or captains
(e.g., team captains must pass team fitness tests
cannot only address the masses; one-on-one dia-
to maintain credibility). logue, feedback, and attentiveness are incredibly
• Inspirational Motivation: Leaders motivate and important in developing team members who are
inspire those around them through purpose and committed to team goals above personal pur-
challenge. Enthusiasm and optimism are dis-suits (e.g., coaches find time for individual meet-
played as participants are engaged in helpingings at the beginning, middle, and end of their
lead-
seasons to check in with team members about
ers create an exciting and attractive future. Great
coaches and captains learn about what motivates expectations, perceptions, and progress).
and frustrates their team members and identify
Supporting the application of the transfor-
meaningful roles that put athletes in positions to
mational leadership theory in sport, Price and
succeed. Recognition of small wins accumulates
Weiss (2013) linked coach and peer transforma-
and contributes to overall team morale (e.g.,
tional leadership behaviors to positive individual
using a sticker system to publicly acknowledge
Downloaded by Gabriel Musyoka ()
