Are You A Leader?

by Alan Stein - Professional Basketball Strength & Conditioning Coach

I try to build my success, brick by brick, and aim to get a little better every day. One of my focal points is improving my leadership. The words 'coach' and 'leader' are synonymous – so if I want to be the best coach I can be – I must continually grow and develop as a leader.

Some folks think leaders are born; some think they are developed. I happen to think it is a little bit of both. Regardless, anyone can work to improve to their leadership skill set. The traits needed to be a successful leader apply to both players and coaches at every level. If the coach is the only leader in the gym; that team won't be very successful. Players need to accept leadership responsibility as well.

"An army of asses led by a lion will always defeat and army of lions led by an ass."

I heard legendary coach Don Meyer say that at a clinic in Las Vegas a few years ago. While that quote certainly makes me chuckle, it is brilliant. You can't underestimate the power of a great leader. Great leaders make the impossible seem possible.

Here are 5 traits necessary for effective leadership:

1. Learn from your mistakes. To be a good leader you have to take calculated risks. You will certainly make mistakes along the way. Admit them. Learn from them. Don't repeat them! These mistakes can be in the classroom or on the court. You have to hold yourself accountable. "Success comes from good decisions. Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from bad decisions."
2. Lead by example. The old adage "do as I say, not as I do" is not true. If you expect something from the people you lead, you have to expect it from yourself. You must hold yourself accountable before you can to the same for others. If you expect your players or teammates to be on time; then you need to be on time. You can't talk the talk unless you walk the walk. "Example is not the main thing when influencing others; it is the only thing."
3. Be unselfish. Compassion and empathy are important leadership qualities. It is impossible to be selfish and be an effective leader. If you are a player, are you playing for the scoreboard or the scorebook? If you are a coach, do you listen to your players' and assistants' feedback and thoughts? "Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first."
4. Have confidence. You have to feel good about yourself to be a good leader. No one is going to follow someone who doesn't believe in themselves. Confidence comes from a sound work ethic and from being prepared. If you are going into a game and aren't confident you can win; it's because you know you didn't do what was necessary to prepare! "Winning breeds confidence and confidence breeds winning."
5. Set a high standard. If you do everything to the best of your ability, then you can expect it from those you lead. If you are always on time, always work hard, and always put your heart and soul into every practice, workout, and game – then you can expect your teammates and players to do the same. But you have to trust your teammates and players can meet this standard. A good leader will inspire those they are leading. You want to be the type of leader who raises the level of everyone around you. Set the bar high and then lead them to it! "The quality of a person's life is reflected in the standards they set for themselves."

These are just some of the traits needed to be an effective leader. Whether you are the point guard on a high school basketball team or an assistant college coach; your ability to be an effective leader will dictate your success as well as your team's success.

Are you an effective leader?

After giving our players a month to rest, recover, and reflect... we began our off-season workouts last week.

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About the Author...

Alan Stein is the owner of Stronger Team and the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the nationally renowned, Nike Elite DeMatha Catholic High School boys basketball program. He spent 7 years serving a similar position with the Montrose Christian basketball program. Alan brings a wealth of valuable experience to his training arsenal after years of extensive work with elite high school, college, and NBA players.

His passion, enthusiasm, and innovative training techniques make him one of the nation's leading experts on productive training for basketball players. Alan is a performance consultant for Nike Basketball as well as the head conditioning coach for the annual McDonald's All American game, the Jordan Brand All American Classic, and the Nike Summer Skills Academies. Alan is a Camp Coach at the prestigious NBA Players Association's Top 100 Camp as well as the Chris Paul CP3 Elite Backcourt Camp. Alan has filmed over a dozen DVD's on improving performance and is a sought after lecturer at basketball camps and clinics across the world. He has been featured in Winning Hoops, Time Out, Dime, SI.com, SLAMonline.com, American Basketball Quarterly, Stack, Men's Health, HOOP, and FIBA Assist Magazine.