Wish Your Best Athlete Was Also Your Best Leader?

Jeff Janssen, Janssen Sports Leadership Center

"As I look back on my coaching career, almost all of our best seasons occurred when my best player was also
my best leader." Mike Fox, North Carolina Head Baseball Coach
While virtually anyone, regardless of athletic ability, could earn enough respect to become a leader, the ideal
situation is almost always when your best athlete is also your best leader.
Why?
Inevitably, your best athlete already has a certain level of respect from the team because of their athletic skills.
Their physical talent gives them an undeniable leg up on their teammates when it comes to leadership and
provides them with an early platform from which to lead.
If they can combine their physical talent with effective leadership skills, they become a formidable force
on your team. This "Best Athlete/Best Leader" Combo commands a certain presence and respect that gets
everyone on the team to listen to them and follow their lead. And ultimately translates to a team that trains and
competes at a high level.
The problem is, more often than not, your best athlete is not always your best leader.
Just because a person has the best athletic skills on your team does not also guarantee they have the best
leadership skills.
Unfortunately, like you, I have seen many "Best Athletes" through the years who were prone to laziness,
arrogance, selfishness, poor people skills, an overly active social life, being uncoachable, etc. - hardly the
makings of an effective leader.
Worse, if the rest of your team follows this "Best Athlete" who has poor leadership skills, your season
could be a disaster.
Unfortunately, if you leave their leadership development to chance, you are lucky if your best athlete is also
your best leader more than 20% of the time. (Odds obviously not in your favor.)
Rather than hoping your best athlete has a modicum of leadership skills, I encourage you to start now to
develop their leadership skills just as you do their physical skills.

GET THEM WHILE THEY'RE YOUNG...

I highly encourage you to identify your best athletes when they are young and provide them with leadership
training early - something Carolina baseball coach Mike Fox astutely suggested when we first developed the
UNC program.

With our Leadership Academies, our coaches now purposely target and encourage their best young, athletic
talents to get involved in our Emerging Leaders leadership development programming during their freshman
and sophomore years.
Knowing that these talented athletes already have a platform of respect from which to lead because of
their physical talent, we invest an intensive year of leadership development training in them too.
Since they already have the physical talent part of the equation, our goal is to develop their leadership skills
while they are young.
Then, by the time they are a junior and senior, they are much more likely to have the magical "Best Athlete
AND Best Leader" Combo, which is so critical to a team's success.
The question for you then becomes:
What are you doing now with your young, talented athletes to try to develop them into your team's future
best leaders?
Invest the time now to coach, develop, and groom your young talents to become your team's best leaders. It will
be time well spent and serve to create a solid leadership pipeline that you and your program can rely on for
many years to come.

The Seven "C's" of Championship Team Building

Jeff Janssen, Janssen Sports Leadership Center

Talent + Teamwork = Success

Legendary Boston Celtics basketball Coach Red Auerbach once remarked "Some people believe you win with
the five best players, but I found out that you win with the five who fit together best." While talent is definitely
important to be successful, the most talented team on paper does not always win the tournament or
championship.
Talent without teamwork is trouble. I have seen too many teams who had great talent, yet were unable to play
to their potential because of selfishness, jealousies, conflict and players who were unable to accept their roles.
Likewise I have seen teams with solid but not superior talent, rise to a championship level because of teamwork.
Thus, teamwork becomes a sort of "wild card" factor whether you have great or average talent.
In working with many programs across a variety of sports and levels, I have discovered seven important factors
that distinguish championship teams. It is these seven areas that I seek to improve when I consult with teams
and that you as a coach must continually monitor. As you read the description of the Seven "C's" of
Championship Team Building, take a moment to assess how well your team is doing on each of the
characteristics.
Seven "C's" of Championship Team Building
1. Common Goal
Championship teams have a singular, common focus. Obviously, for many teams the common goal is to win the
conference and/or national championship. This is the team's primary, specified, overt goal and all other goals
revolve around it. This goal is firmly embraced by all members of the team, coaching staff and support staff.
Everyone understands that this is the direction and destination that the team is moving toward. The players
understand that their individuals goals must fit within the framework of the team's goal.
2. Commitment
While some seasons may start with the entire team focused on a common goal, rarely do they end up that way.
Commitment is probably the single most important factor that differentiates championship teams, coaches,
athletes, businesses, schools, marriages (you name it) from the mediocre. It's much too easy to say you want to
win the championship and its a whole other thing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears necessary to pursue a
championship - especially when obstacles and adversity strike. Continual commitment to the team's common
goal is one of the toughest areas of team building. Championship teams buy into the mission at every level and
make the mission their own. The players and coaches work hard and pay their dues because they want to, not
because they have to. In addition to their commitment, the team members feel a sense of personal and group
accountability. The players have a clear understanding of how their individual choices and decisions influence
the collective psyche and success of the team. There is a true sense that if an player is slacking off, she is not
just hurting herself but her entire team. The players feel a sense of responsibility and obligation to give it their
best.

3. Complementary Roles
Championship teams are comprised of several individuals who willingly take pride in a playing a variety of
roles. These roles, when played in concert and harmony lead to team success. Thus, each player is assigned
specific positions and responsibilities that help determine the entire team's success. While individually they are
not solely responsible for the team's success or failure, collectively each role forms a synergistic whole that is
greater than the sum of its parts.
The major difficulties in developing complementary roles is that some roles get more attention and praise
thereby making them seem more important. Championship teams however realize that all roles are critical to the
overall team's success and willingly accept and value their individual roles.
4. Clear Communication
A fourth characteristic of championship teams is clear communication. Successful teams communicate
successfully both on and off the field. The on field communication helps them perform more efficiently and
effectively. Players must communicate signs, the number of outs, where to throw the ball and call fly balls to
perform successfully. Off the field, players need to continually monitor the team's effectiveness, modify things
when necessary, and celebrate successes.
5. Constructive Conflict
Along with effective communication, championship teams have the ability to keep conflict under control. Often,
coaches and players are able to use conflict constructively to further develop and strengthen the team. It is not
that championship teams never experience conflict, because this is impossible. Instead they are able to handle
the conflict they experience and do not let it interfere with the team's common goal. Championship coaches and
players make sure that their common goal always takes precedence over any conflict.
6. Cohesion
A sixth characteristic shared by many championship teams is that they genuinely like and respect each other.
The players like to spend time with each other outside of scheduled practice and game times. They find reasons
to stay together like going to the movies, studying, hanging out, etc. This is not to say that every single player is
a part of the group, but that a majority of players tend to socialize together. While it is not absolutely necessary,
cohesion is a factor that often will help your team perform at a higher level.
7. Credible Coaching
Finally, it takes a credible coach to develop, orchestrate, and monitor all the other "C's" of Championship Team
Building. You as a coach play a critical role in helping the team arrive at a common goal, monitoring and
maintaining your players' commitment, assigning and appreciating roles, communicating with the team, keeping
conflict under control, and promoting your team's chemistry and cohesion. The team must have a leader who
they believe in and has the skills necessary to get the most from the team. A credible coach creates an effective
environment that allows the team to perform to their full potential.
As you realize, championship team building is a complex process which must be continually monitored and
improved. Regardless of your talent level, invest some time and tap into the power of teamwork to help your
team perform at a higher level. By recognizing and working on the Seven "C's" of Championship Team
Building you can create a more motivated, committed, and cohesive team.
This article is an adapted excerpt from Championship Team Building.

10 Steps for Creating a Reliable Pipeline of Effective

Team Leaders
Jeff Janssen, Janssen Sports Leadership Center

Just as you must analyze, recruit, develop, and replace your team's physical talent, so too must you continually
analyze, recruit, develop, and replace your team's leadership talent.
Most coaches are familiar with the concept of the Depth Chart. For those who aren't, a Depth Chart is when you
plug your personnel into the various positions you have; noting who the first string players are, their replacements,
and any other backups you might have down to the third and fourth string.
For example, the North Carolina men's basketball Depth Chart for the 2013/14 season would look like the
following for their point guard position.
Point Guard
1. Marcus Paige 2. Nate Britt
The Depth Chart helps you stay on top of your team by visually seeing your personnel strengths,
weaknesses, and liabilities. If there is a hole in any position, you must proactively plan to shore it up should an
injury or other problem occur.
Similarly in recruiting and drafting at the professional level, coaches must project ahead
in the coming years to fill certain positions that will be lost to graduation or retirement.
Complicating matters further, some college coaches must conjecture whether their
athletes might be turning pro early (see Lawson example above) or taking off a season to
play with the National Team.
Thus, a detailed Depth Chart is a necessity for both short and long term planning for a
team to be successful.
While most coaches create and monitor a meticulous Positional Depth Chart for the
physical skills and talent of their athletes, they often overlook a critical area to their
team's success: leadership.
Many coaches unfortunately subscribe to what I call the "Magic Eight Ball Theory" of
leadership development. This means they enter each season hoping that good leaders will
magically appear by chance. Unfortunately, it is often too late at this point.
Just as you must analyze, recruit, develop, and replace your team's physical talent, so too must you
continually analyze, recruit, develop, and replace your team's leadership talent.
This is where a Leadership Depth Chart can be a big help. Like a Positional Depth Chart, you too must analyze
your team's leaders for the upcoming years. You must evaluate their leadership ability as well as their readiness to
assume a leadership position.

As former Director of General Electric's Crotonville and current Michigan Business School professor Noel Tichy
writes in The Cycle of Leadership, "A well-designed leadership pipeline, discipline, and commitment are
absolutely essential in order for an organization to assure that it will have the leaders it needs when and where it
needs them. Without a deliberate and formal pipeline structure, leadership development is only random. Some
leaders will emerge, but their emergence will not be predictable, there will not be nearly enough of them, nor will
they have the diversity and level of skills of those who have been systematically taught and tracked."
HOW TO CREATE YOUR LEADERSHIP DEPTH CHART
Here's how to create your own Leadership Depth Chart based on the ones we use with our Leadership Academies:
Step 1: Make six columns on a spreadsheet or piece of paper.
Step 2: In the first column titled, "Season," write in the years of your next four upcoming seasons.
For example, you would include the 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17 seasons.
Step 3: Title the second column "Leaders."
Here you should put in the names of the people who you think will be your primary and
secondary leaders for the particular year. These should include the people who you think will
be your team captains. Also include the names of your potential core team leaders, even though
you might not officially make them captains.
When doing this, I encourage you to think about the leadership skills of your best athletes especially your most talented younger athletes. Typically, your best athletes already have a
good amount of respect from their teammates based primarily on their physical talent. The
other players often look to them for leadership because of their "status" on the team. Take
advantage of the platform of respect they already have and be sure to invest some time in their
leadership skills while they are still young.

Step 4: Title the third column "Readiness."

Using a 1-10 scale, rate each of your anticipated leaders. A "10" means they are fully ready and have the leadership
skills necessary to step in and do a great job on Day 1. These leaders understand your philosophy, work hard every
day, make great decisions away from the playing field, have developed effective relationships with each of their
teammates, and are willing to confront and hold people accountable.
A "1" means this person has a lot of things to understand before they can become an effective leader. Obviously,
not many "1" rated athletes will make your Depth Chart. Most of your ratings will likely be in the "4" through "8"
range. This means most will need some more leadership development and coaching in order to be better prepared
when you will eventually rely on them in upcoming seasons.
Like you did previously, be sure to rate the leadership readiness of your younger, more talented athletes. If they are
deficient in the leadership area, you will have to make the decision whether you are going to invest the time to
improve their leadership skills to bring them up to speed. (It is worth it if you can.) Or you might try to rely on

some others for leadership who are less talented, but have a much stronger foundation of leadership. By projecting
ahead three to four years, ideally, you should be able to do both.
Step 5: Title the fourth column "Strengths."
List the current strengths of each prospective leader and what they bring to the team. You will want to build on
these strengths in the coming seasons as well as make sure the leader recognizes what he/she does well.
Step 6: Title the fifth column "Weaknesses."
Note the current weaknesses and areas of improvement for each of your leaders. What specific skills or insights do
they need to gain to be a better leader for your team? Highlight their areas needing development.
You might also notice in this section that many of your potential leaders probably share similar deficiencies;
typically in the areas of conflict management and enforcing the standards of your team. These common areas of
development will help you with the last column.
Step 7: Title the sixth column "Development Plan."
Based on the leader's strengths and weaknesses, devise a customized development plan that will help them
improve as a leader. You can assign them readings, have them shadow and interview a leader who excels in an area
where they are weak, role play how to handle some challenging situations they will likely face, get them some
360-degree feedback on their leadership from their teammates and coaches (see link below), etc. Like you do when
trying to develop a person physically, create some learning experiences that will help them grow as a leader.
360-Degree Feedback info at: http://www.teamcaptainsnetwork.com/public/283.cfm
Step 8: Encourage your staff to sketch out their own Leadership Depth Chart.
Ask each of your staff members to create their own Leadership Depth Charts to get their perspectives. Then invest
the time to discuss your findings and projections as a group. While you will likely agree on most prospective
leaders, there will be times when a dark horse candidate is worth betting on. Further, your readiness ratings of your
leaders will likely be somewhat different. Whatever the case, proactively analyzing and discussing your leadership
depth will eventually payoff immeasurably and is worth the short time and effort.
Step 9: Personally and privately inform your "high potential" leaders that they have a chance to be a future
team leader.
Let your high potential leaders know that you appreciate how they carry themselves and
that you think they have the chance to be a future team leaders. Hearing from a coach that
they are respected and have the potential to be a future team leader is a huge boost of confidence for most athletes.
Many will rise to the occasion and do their best to prove you right. They will do their best to live up to the positive
impression you have of them. You will need to remind them that your respect and that of their teammates is
something that they must continually earn and maintain through their actions. Tell them that you would like to
invest time with them to further develop their leadership skills.
Confirmation comes from the business world in a book called Leading the Way. The authors write, "Being a highpotential in the Top Companies often means you're held to a higher standard. Top Companies don't pull any
punches. Nearly all tell their best leadership talent that they are, in fact, their best leadership talent. While some
organizations prefer to keep quiet when it comes to telling high-potentials that they are high-potentials, Top

Companies are often up-front with this key population, informing them not only of their status and its benefits, but
also of what the designation doesn't mean."

Step 10: Invest the time to develop the leadership skills of your team.
After creating a Leadership Development Plan, follow up and invest the time develop your young leaders. There
are a variety of ways you can do it including the following used by some of your coaching colleagues.
During the off-season, some coaches will invite a group of sophomores in on a regular basis to discuss their
leadership philosophy and how their team can better develop as leaders.
Carolina women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance has his prospective leaders read chapters from The Leadership
Moment by Michael Useem. The book includes real-life historical happenings and how positive or negative
leadership played a prominent role.
Florida women's soccer coach Becky Burleigh takes her prospective leaders through areas of the Team Captains
Network website to develop her leaders. She assigns them various links to read as well as having them take the
five module e-course. They then post their insights on the Discussion Forum and discuss them as a group.
Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski invests 90 minutes every week to groom and mentor a sophomore,
junior, and senior leader on his team.
Many coaches also use the 10-module program outlined in my Team Captain's Leadership Manual with their
current and prospective leaders.
More info available at: http://www.jeffjanssen.com/coaching/resources.html#leadership
The primary point is that if you want to have strong veteran leaders, you must proactively invest the time to
develop them when they are younger to create a reliable pipeline. As I've said before, "If you want your
leaders to be an extension of you, you must extend yourself to them."
Discover 12 Simple Yet Significant Daily To Do's for Leaders
Jeff Janssen, Janssen Sports Leadership Center

Student-athletes of all ages often wonder, "What can I do to be a better leader?"

Fortunately leadership opportunities abound and present themselves on a daily basis. While they may be subtle,
leaders are usually given at least a dozen opportunities to demonstrate leadership every single day.
These leadership opportunities are rarely available in the form of dramatic, rousing, "win one for the Gipper" type
speeches, but most often present themselves in simple, yet significant interactions on a daily basis.
There's a quote we often use in our Leadership Academies by Helen Keller that drives home the value of these
seemingly trivial, yet critical leadership moments. She said, "I long to accomplish great and noble tasks, but it is
my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along not only

by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker."
Most emerging leaders erroneously view and define leadership as the mighty shoves reserved only for the heroic
captains of the team. In actuality, however, it's the tiny pushes of leadership that happen more frequently and
have the greatest impact over time.

To help your emerging and existing leaders recognize, value, and act on the many tiny opportunities to lead every
day, I have created a simple 12-point checklist. I encourage you to go over the checklist with your leaders to show
them just how simple leadership can be - yet how profoundly powerful the aggregate of these 12 daily leadership
actions can be on your program.
12 SIMPLE YET SIGNIFICANT DAILY TO DO'S FOR LEADERS

1. Be the hardest worker at practice today. Without fail, one of the quickest ways to impact a team is with your
own work ethic. Choose to be one of the hardest workers on your team today. Not only does it set the tone for the
work ethic of your program, it is also one of the best and quickest ways to enhance your leadership credibility with
your teammates and coaches.
2. Be a spark of energy and enthusiasm today. Let your passion for the sport shine
through today. Spread a contagious energy and enthusiasm amongst your teammates. Think about how lucky you
are to be able to play and compete. Remember back to when you were a young child and reconnect with the joy
you played with back then. Make your sport fun again for yourself and your teammates.
3. Model mental toughness today. Because your teammates will look to you under pressure, adversity, and stress,
be sure to model mental toughness today. Bounce back quickly after errors to show your teammates how to
respond to negative situations. Maintain your poise and optimism despite any mistakes you might make so that
your teammates can trust and rely on you to get them through the tough times.
4. Connect with a teammate today. Leadership is all about relationships. Invest the time to build and strengthen
the relationships you have with each of your teammates. Inquire about their day, challenges, and goals. Make a
special and ongoing effort to get to know every athlete on your team, not just your friends and classmates. The
relationship building you do each day will pay off immeasurably down the road.
5. Compliment a teammate today. Be on the lookout for teammates who are contributing to your team. Call out a
teammate for making a hustle play, pushing through a weight workout, recovering quickly from a mistake, getting
an A on an exam, etc. Praise the actions and attitudes you want to see repeated. As Mother Teresa once said, "Kind
words are short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless."
6. Challenge a teammate today. Challenge at least one of your teammates today. Positively push them and
yourself to make the most of your workout. Make a friendly wager to see if they can be successful at least 4 out of
5 times in a drill. See if you both can improve your times in conditioning. Offer to stay after to help if there is
anything they want to work on. Good leaders consistently invite, inspire, and sometimes implore others to
greatness.
7. Support a teammate today. Odds are, at least one of your teammates is struggling with something today - it
could be a performance slump, a rocky romantic relationship, a disagreement with a coach, an unglamorous role,
struggling with a class, or a sick family member. Good leaders are consistently on the lookout for teammates who
might be struggling and are ready to offer an ear to listen, an encouraging word, a pat on the back, or a shoulder to

cry on.
8. Constructively confront negativity, pessimism, and laziness today. As a leader, have the courage to
constructively confront the negativity, pessimism, and laziness that will crop up on your team from time to time.
Instead of fueling the fire by joining in or silently standing by, be sure to refocus your teammates on solutions
rather than dwelling on and complaining about the problems. Left unchecked, these problems can quickly grow to
distract, divide, and destroy your team.
9. Build and bond your team today. Team chemistry naturally ebbs and flows throughout the course of the
season. Take the time to monitor and maintain your team's chemistry.
Let your reserves and support staff know how much you appreciate
them. Stay connected and current with each of the natural sub-groups
on your team. Douse any brush fires that might be occurring and continually remind team members about your
common goal and common bond.
10. Check in with your coach today. Invest the time to check in with your coach today. Ask what you can do to
best help the team this week. Find out what your coach wants to accomplish with today's practice. Also discuss if
there is anything your coach is concerned about regarding your team. Discuss your collective insights on your
team's chemistry, focus, and mindset. Work together to effectively co-lead your team.
11. Remind your team how today's work leads to tomorrow's dreams. It's easy to get bogged down during your
season with monotonous drills, tiring conditioning, and demanding workouts. Remind your teammates how all the
quality work you do today gives you a distinct advantage over your opponents. Help them see and even get excited
about how today's hard work is a long-term investment in your team's goals, rather than just a short-term hardship
or sacrifice.
12. Represent yourself and team with class and pride today. Leaders have the awesome privilege and
responsibility of representing their teams. Take advantage of this opportunity by representing your team with class
and pride today. Hold a door open for someone, sit in the front rows of class and actively engage in the discussion,
say please and thank you, dress in respectful attire, etc. These tiny pushes represent you and your team with class
and distinction. And they ultimately set you up for a lifetime of respect and success.
Great leaders willingly invest the time and effort to engage in these 12 leadership actions on a daily basis. In
applying these principles, leaders build strong relationships, keep their team on track, and enhance their credibility.
Encourage your emerging leaders to take advantage of at least 7-9 of these actions on daily basis. Your veteran
leaders should be looking to capitalize on 10 to all 12 of these opportunities.
And as a coach, I encourage you to go back and look at all 12 again as well. The 12 leadership behaviors are things
that you could and should be doing on a daily basis too. Be sure that you too take advantage of these 12 tiny
pushes of leadership that will ultimately make a huge impact on your team.

Team Building 101: The Four Stages of Team

Development

Forming - Storming - Norming - Performing

While chemistry class is not required for most coaches, it is typically one of the most important subjects to
comprehend. One of the best ways to build team chemistry is to have a clear understanding of the typical stages
of team development. Much like a child growing up, just about every team progresses through certain
developmental stages throughout the course of a season. Your role as a coach is to use the following stages of
team development as a guide and facilitate your team's natural progression through them.
It is important to remember that not all teams will automatically progress sequentially through these stages but
this model will serve as a good guide for developing your team's chemistry. Most problems arise when coaches
are not familiar with the stages of team development or when they try to push a team to "peak" too soon.
Stage 1 - Forming
Forming is the first stage and occurs as your players begin each new season. Your returning players are a year
older (and hopefully wiser) and your new freshmen and/or transfers are trying to figure out what is going on.
This initial stage involves excitement as well as uncertainty because some players are not even sure if they are
going to make the final cuts. Others know they will make the team but are unsure about the role they might
play. Experienced players will be trying to get a feel for the newcomers in an attempt to see if they can help the
team or if their position might be threatened. On the surface, most people will be cordial and friendly as they
meet and interact with the new team members, but internally there are often a lot of unanswered questions that
can cause stress.
Stage 2 - Storming
The second stage occurs when a group of individuals with various wants, needs and insecurities starts to more
closely interact and compete with one another. Inevitably, because of the various personalities and individual
goals on your team, conflicts between players, coaches, staff (and any combination of these groups) will surely
arise. Players will be testing your standards just as you will test theirs. Individuals will be overtly and covertly
vying for starting positions and leadership roles. Work ethics and positive and negative attitudes will be
exposed. Your team will begin to discover who is playing what positions and roles and how much playing time
each person might get. Remember that each player enters the season with a certain set of expectations of how
things should be for them individually and for the rest of the team. Naturally conflict arises when the
expectations and desires of various individuals come into contact.
What many coaches do not fully understand and appreciate is that the Storming stage is a necessary and
important stage of team development. Your goal as a coach is not to prevent conflict from happening, which of
course is impossible, but to handle and channel conflict into effective individual and team development. Your
approach to conflict is a crucial variable in successful team building. You may even want to alert your team to
the fact that not everyone is going to agree and like each other 100% of the time and that this is a normal and
necessary part of team development. The biggest key is how constructively your team handles the inevitable

conflict. Typically, we take time on the front end to teach our players some conflict management skills in an
effort to weather the Storming stage.
Stage 3 - Norming
The Norming stage occurs when your team begins to settle on a set of rules and standards as to how things will
be done. Norming relates to your team's standards in practices, the classroom, weight training, conditioning,
mental training, social life, etc. Occasionally, these standards are formally written and agreed upon but typically
they evolve unobtrusively over time as "this is the way we do things." Obviously, your team's norms and
standards concerning attitude, work ethic, team support, academics, etc. have a tremendous impact on the
success of your team. As a coach, it is important that the team norms you establish help to create and foster a
successful environment. During my work with teams, I encourage the players to openly discuss, establish and
monitor the standards they want to commit themselves to - both on and off the field.
Stage 4 - Performing
The Performing stage is the eventual goal of all teams. This stage follows Norming and occurs only after
effective standards are in place and firmly embraced by the team. The team begins performing as a cohesive
unit that respects and trusts each other. They know what to expect from each other and this yields a sense of
comfort, confidence and consistency. Coaches talk a lot about peaking at the end of the season. This Performing
stage is exactly the "peaking" that coaches are trying to achieve - when the team is jelling and working as a
well-oiled machine.
Unfortunately the Performing stage is not a guaranteed aspect of your season. Performing requires that your
team has constructively handled the conflict of the Storming stage. Not only do you need to overcome the
conflict, but you and your team also have to be sure that you have set effective rules and standards in the
Norming stage in order to ascend to the Performing stage.
Common Problem Areas of Developing Your Team
Teams can go back and forth between these stages, especially as new challenges and demands arise during the
season. Injuries, conflicts and losses can cause a team to regress from the Norming stage back into the Storming
stage. As you probably realize, team building is a complex, ever-changing process that must be continually
monitored and adjusted.
1. Stuck in Storming Stage
Keeping these stages in mind, most of the problems that I see with teams are ones of conflict where teams get
stuck in the Storming stage. Conflicts are continually flaring up because individuals often do not have the skills
and/or maturity to effectively handle their differences. These differences are either perpetual open sores or they
are swept under the carpet only to fester and rear their ugly heads at the most disastrous times.
2. Negative Norms
Additionally, some teams make their way through the Storming stage but the unproductive norms that are
established become their eventual downfall. The norms that are established may be totally counterproductive to
your team's success. For example, "Do just enough to get by," "Every person for themselves," "Coach plays
favorites," are all norms and attitudes that have prevented teams from reaching their potential. Teams with poor
standards continually keep themselves from progressing.

In this situation, it is often best to intentionally shake your team up and move them back into the Storming
stage. This is where you as a coach challenge their attitudes, work ethics and standards because you recognize
that they are actually hurting the team. Your goal is to get them to recognize their behavior and how it runs
counter to the goals that they have set. Then you need to encourage and help them establish more effective
standards - or sometimes even impose more effective standards.
As you realize, you are an important catalyst in monitoring and mixing your team's chemistry. Keep the stages
of team development in mind as you guide your team from Forming to Performing.

How to Help Your Players Understand and Accept

Their Roles
"Sometimes a player's greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team." Scottie Pippen, Chicago
Bulls
Understanding and accepting roles is one of the biggest areas for developing a successful team. The
obvious problem with getting individuals to play roles is that certain roles have more outside appeal than others.
As Tennessee coach Pat Summitt observes, "Role playing is uncomfortable, especially for people who are
competitive and diverse."
Who gets the most praise, pats on the back, and interviews after the games? Too often it is the player who
scored the most points, not the one who set the perfect and painful screens to get her open. Coach, media, and
fan attention to the "glamour" roles of the high scorer or top rebounder is one of the biggest obstacles for getting
individuals to accept and embrace less popular roles. However, these roles are absolutely critical to your team's
success. Championship teams have players who not only accept the often unsung roles of defensive stopper and
back up point guard, but understand their overall significance and value to the team. As Miami Heat coach Pat
Riley says, "The key to teamwork is to learn a role, accept that role, and strive to become excellent playing it."
Accepting Roles
Your goal as a coach is to have your players accept and embrace the role that they are given. When each
player accepts her role and takes pride in playing it your team will have its best chance of being successful.
How do you get your players to understand and accept their roles?
ACCEPTING ROLES = DEFINING ROLES + APPRECIATING ROLES
Two factors are absolutely critical in helping players accept their roles. The first depends on how well defined
the player's role is. The second revolves around how much the player feels she is appreciated by her teammates
and especially her coach for playing the role.
Defining Roles
A key aspect of role acceptance is clearly defining roles for each of your players. Role definition means that
each player knows what is expected of her to help the team be successful. Each player should be given a set of
primary responsibilities that she is expected to handle and fulfill. Let's take the six-time World Champion
Chicago Bulls as an example. Steve Kerr basically had to find the opening and knock down the outside jumper.
Dennis Rodman had two responsibilities - to rebound and defend. Luc Longley had to play post defense while
Ron Harper took care of the perimeter. It's usually your superstars (Jordan and Pippen) who have to take on
additional roles. But the majority of the "role" players just need to play their role effectively and everything else
takes care of itself. Each player should have one or two primary responsibilities that when executed
successfully, propel the team toward its ultimate goal.

Two Ways to Define & Clarify Team Roles

1. Individual Meetings with Each Player
There are a few ways that you can help define and clarify your player's roles. One is to have an individual
meeting with each player specifically discussing their role. It usually is best to begin the meeting by asking the
player how she feels about her present role as she sees it. Find out how satisfied she is with her role as well as
any future roles she might like to play. Either the player sees things the way you do or you need to bring in your
perspective as a coach to help clarify it for her. If a player would like to play a greater role, discuss what you
think it will take for her to have a chance to play the desired role. It may range from extra practice to a reality
check to, in a few instances, transferring to another team. The key is to have honest and open communication
between you and each player.
2. Teammates Clarifying Roles for Each Other
An excellent and effective way of clarifying and appreciating roles is to have your team assist in defining roles
for each other. Many teams have found this exercise to be quite beneficial. Have your players sit in a circle and
describe each player's role. Ask the team, "What does Jenny bring to this team? What do we need from her in
order to reach the team goals we have set for ourselves?" If the person is a starter, the players will likely discuss
her strengths and help her see her role more clearly. If she is a sub, players will talk about the need for her to
push the starters to get better as well as appreciate the "little" things she does.
Appreciating Everyone's Role on the Team
The most important factor in helping players accept their roles depends on how appreciated they feel for playing
them. Your acknowledgement and praise as a coach goes a long way in helping players feel more appreciated.
Essentially, you need to create a sense of pride in playing every role. You want each player to understand the
contribution she makes to the team and take pride in it, regardless of whether it is valued by the fans or media.
Phil Jackson acknowledged the importance of role playing in his book Sacred Hoops. "I knew that the only way
to win consistently was to give everybody - from the stars to the number 12 player on the bench - a vital role on
the team."
Nails and Glue Awards
Getting people to accept roles requires that you appreciate them. By appreciating them for playing roles, your
players begin to understand that their role is valued and ultimately important to the team reaching its common
goal.
As coach Rick Pitino says, "Recognize the people who get less attention in the group because they're not in the
glamorous positions. Thank them publicly for their unselfishness and do it in front of their peers." While the
fans and media may overlook some vital roles, you can appreciate them in a more effective way through team
awards.
One such award that I have developed with teams is called the "Nails" award and the "Glue" award. We created
the Nails award to acknowledge and appreciate the mental toughness of the player(s) who is "mentally tough as
nails." The award is given on a weekly or bimonthly basis and is voted on by the team. The players are not
allowed to vote for themselves. The Glue award focuses on team aspects and is symbolized by the "glue that
binds the team together." The players vote for the teammate who had the best team attitude demonstrated by
encouraging her teammates and/or making individual sacrifices.

You can create various awards for whatever roles you deem important to your team's success - like recognizing
the player with the most rebounds, assists, charges taken, or screens. Let your players come up with the names
for the award. Arizona's men's team created the "All Props Team" to acknowledge the player who best
exemplified the team's standards for success. You can either determine your award based on objective stats or
have your team vote for the player they felt did the best job. We usually announce the award at practice, put up a
sheet on the player's locker, and add his/her name to the main award list in the locker room.
Your team's success depends on your ability to get your players to understand and accept their roles. Use
the previous suggestions to help you define and appreciate each player's role and soon your team will have a
winning chemistry.
This article is an adapted excerpt from Jeff Janssen's book Championship Team Building: What Every Coach
Needs to Know to Build a Motivated, Committed & Cohesive Team.

6 Leadership Lessons from the George Washington

Leadership Academy

by Becky Bedics, Ed.D., Director of the George Washington Student-Athlete Leadership Academy
The George Washington Student-Athlete Leadership Academy has been a very popular program among GW
student-athletes and coaches. Under the guidance of Patrick Nero, Director of Athletics and Recreation, GWU
has undertaken a significant evolution of the athletic department culture over the past few years. Always an
excellent academic destination for the nation's top students, GW's student-athletes, coaches and athletics
administrators have recommitted to developing leaders at every level and are doing so via creative and
consistent strategies.

1. Emphasize Ownership
Some of the collegiate student-athletes I talk with (across divisions and sports) feel so much is out of their
control; including their time, what and how they eat, and how they spend their "off the field" hours. Several
Colonial coaches emphasize pride in wearing the buff and blue and ownership of their GW experience. This
helps encourage student-athletes to recognize what they do control, and increase their engagement when things
get tougher.
Colonial softball coach Stacey Schramm took her team on a big hike
at the start of the school year, ending with a catered dinner in
centerfield of their home field at The Vern, in celebration of their
"first family dinner at home," cementing ownership of their field. In
the second year of their program, GW Sailing coach John Pearce
emphasizes ownership from the first practice as one of the team's
core values in an effort to set the tone for a vibrant and engaged
team.
Coach Schramm describes taking ownership early in this way, "GW
Softball is a team-first organization. Our team understands this and
has bought in - everyone is encouraged to be a leader in one way or
another and no one needs to defer based on their role or graduating year. We have had sophomore captains,
walk-on captains, reserve captains, etc. I think the willingness of the coaching staff to seek leadership in all
different personalities, etc. has allowed players to flourish in leadership roles as well as respect the leadership of
all others within the program. We have eight freshmen this year and they are treated and respected (naturally) by
everyone in the program as integral leaders and integral pieces to our puzzle." This leads us to our next point:

2. Prevent a "Leadership Void" Between Classes

One of the most challenging things I hear from coaches is "There is no leadership in our Sophomore (or Junior
or Senior) class. It is challenging because unless you are new to the team, these student-athletes have been
available to train and coach their leadership skills their entire collegiate athletic career.
George Washington coaches take an intentional approach to building leaders on their
teams longitudinally and creating what we at the Janssen Sports Leadership Center call a
"Leadership Depth Chart" to build consistent leadership across the classes.
Terry Weir, coach of the Men's and Women's Cross Country, teams conducts one-on-one
discussions with each student-athlete regarding how they can each make an impact and
helps them find opportunities to lead from any position in the lineup, or any class. He
also encourages the younger leaders on the team to "help out" veteran leaders when
possible so that "by the time they are veterans themselves, they are even better at it."
Women's Lacrosse coach Tara Hannaford and Women's Rowing coach Eric Carcich each
make a point to hold meetings with their student-athletes by class on a regular basis to discuss their different
roles on the team. Each class may be at a different "place" at any given time, so meeting with each group really
enhances their "global" perspective. They also take this opportunity to discuss the impact that each class has on
the team as a whole. By starting leadership discussions early in the student-athlete's collegiate career, there is
time to view and guide their leadership style.

3. Make Competition an Everyday Occurrence

Several coaches incorporate healthy "challenges" and opportunities to put their student-athletes in competitive
situations into practice, either with themselves or with each other.
Women's Gymnastics coach Margie Cunningham incorporates daily individual challenges into practice whereby
a student-athlete is pulled from warm-ups and given a challenge to complete with her teammates cheering her
on. This puts her in a position where she has to perform under pressure, as well as promotes an energy-boost for
the team as they begin their daily practice.
Mark Davis (Men's Rowing coach) and his staff not only meet with their freshmen on an individual basis, they
are each provided with personal "challenges" to meet by the next session. Coach Tara Hannaford (Women's
Lacrosse) assigns a player to the Buff or Blue team when they arrive on campus as freshmen, and they remain
on that team their entire Colonial career. She and her staff sponsor different competitions in practice, some
lacrosse-related, some not, throughout the year. Coach Hannaford has seen these types of activities help her
team bond and engages the team.

The 6 Key Components of Commitment

How do you define commitment?
What exactly does it mean to truly be committed to someone or something?
In today's age of entitlement and instant gratification, the critical concept of commitment
is getting watered down in the minds of many athletes.
80% of coaches believe that today's athletes don't fully understand nor appreciate
the importance of commitment. To combat this insidious assault on the importance and
value of commitment, I have athletes define the concept of commitment and have them discuss the 6 Key
Components of Making and Keeping a Serious Commitment listed below. I strongly encourage you to do the
same.
Here's how we define commitment:

Commitment is a serious, long-term promise you make and keep with yourself and others to fully
dedicate yourself to your task, training and/or team, even when, and especially when times are tough.
Further, commitment means not only promising to do something, but much more importantly, actually
investing the necessary effort and actions to make it happen.

The 6 Key Components of Commitment

Based on this definition, youll notice that there are six key components of making and keeping a Serious
Commitment.

A Serious Commitment is a...

1. Solemn Promise
Instead of just being hollow words said casually in passing, a Serious Commitment is a solemn pledge you
make and keep with yourself and others. You must understand the complete consequences of your commitment
and fully mean it when you say it. When you make a commitment, others will take you seriously and rely on
you to be true to your word.
Our tradition calls for a commitment to accountability. This is not an assumption this is a promise that
I will be there for you; and I can count on you being there for me.
Bob Ladouceur, De La Salle High School Football Coach

2. Full Investment
A Serious Commitment means you fully invest yourself in the cause - physically, mentally, and emotionally.
You connect completely with your cause and passionately pursue it by putting your whole heart, mind, and soul
into it. You dont hold back but go all in, putting in your full attention, energy, and effort to accomplish your
goal.
Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.
Swami Sivananda

3. Willingness to Sacrifice
When you make a Serious Commitment to someone or something, it also means you willingly and selflessly
make individual sacrifices for it. It is a key priority for you and something you willingly work the rest of your
life around, even if it causes some personal hardship to you. Commitment means you knowingly and willingly
give up things you might want in the short-term to potentially gain something of greater value in the long-term.
In a team setting, commitment also means sometimes sacrificing your individual goals for good of the team.
I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not
the individual, is the ultimate champion.
Mia Hamm, Former Soccer Superstar

4. Long-term Obligation
A Serious Commitment is a long-term obligation you must continually work toward and ideally see through to
completion. It isnt something you try out and then easily abandon. It is something you establish, embody, and
embrace for the long haul.
Those who stay will be champions.
Bo Schembechler, Former Michigan Football Coach

5. Pact to Persevere
A Serious Commitment means sticking with something even when, and especially when, times are tough. Just
like the traditional marriage vows of for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, true commitment is
unwavering regardless of the circumstances. When you make a commitment to someone or something, you
make a pact to persevere through the tough times together. It wont be easy, but it is almost always worth it.
Everyone starts strong. Success comes to those with unwavering commitment to be at the end.
Howard Schultz, Founder and CEO of Starbucks

6. Agreement to Act
Finally, a Serious Commitment is way more than words. It is best demonstrated and proven by your actions on a
regular basis. People will initially listen to your words but will ultimately measure your commitment and your
character by your deeds.
"Commitment is an act, not a word." Jean-Paul Sartre, Philosopher

Team Leadership Evaluation

Using the scale from one to five below, rate your team leader by putting the number in the corresponding box
on each of the following 24 questions.
1 = Strongly Disagree

2 = Disagree

3 = Undecided 4 = Agree 5 = Strongly Agree

mmitment
1. is one of the hardest workers on the team
2. cares passionately about the teams success
3. is a competitive person who wants to win
Confidence
4. has confidence in him/herself as a person and his/her ability to
lead
5. wants to perform in pressure situations
6. bounces back quickly following mistakes and errors
Composure
7. stays calm and composed in pressure situations
8. stays focused when faced with distractions, obstacles, and
adversity
9. keeps his/her anger and frustration under control
Character
10. consistently does the right thing on and off the court/field
11. is honest and trustworthy
12. treats teammates, coaches, and others with respect
Leader By Example - Total

(subtotal / please fill in)

courager - Servant
13. reaches out to teammates when they need help
14. takes the time to listen to teammates
Encourager - Confidence Builder
15. regularly encourages his/her teammates to do their best
16. regularly compliments his/her teammates when they succeed
er - Refocuser
17. communicates optimism and hope when the team is struggling
18. knows what to say to teammates when they are struggling

Encourager - Team Builder

19. has developed an effective relationship with each teammate

20. is a team player who seeks to unify the team
Enforcer
21. holds teammates accountable for following team rules and
standards
22. constructively confronts teammates when necessary
23. is willing to address and minimize conflicts between teammates
24. is firm, fair, and direct when dealing with conflicts and
problems
Vocal Leader Total (Click In Box for Final Total)

Team Leadership Evaluation Scoring Directions

The Team Leadership Evaluation is divided into two parts. The top 12 questions help you rate your team leader
as a Leader by Example. Then the first 12 questions are combined with the final 12 questions to help you rate
your team leader as a Vocal Leader.

Leader By Example Scoring

The Leader by Example Evaluation measures the four critical areas your captain needs to be an effective Leader
by Example: Commitment, Confidence, Composure, and Character. To compute your team leaders Leader by
Example score, add your ratings for the first 12 questions.
12 - 44 = Not a Leader by Example
45 - 52 = Solid Leader by Example
53 - 60 = Spectacular Leader by Example
The total for the Leader by Example section should at least be 45 if not higher. Anything 44 and below your
team leader is not successfully leading him/herself to earn your respect. The closer the score is to 60, the better
job you believe your team leader is doing of leading him/herself.

Vocal Leader Scoring

The total score for all 24 questions will give you your team leaders rating as a Vocal Leader.24 24 - 89 = Not a Vocal Leader
90 - 105 = Solid Vocal Leader
106 - 120 = Spectacular Vocal Leader
Your team leaders total as a Vocal Leader should at least be 90 if not higher. Anything 89 and below your team
leader is not doing an adequate job of leading him/herself or others. The closer your captain is to 120, the more
he/she is doing what is necessary to be an effective leader.