Transformational Leadership

Back in the Fall, a video of Nick Saban talking about transformational leadership on College Gameday went viral. In the video, Saban describes his experience coaching at Michigan State and how, in 1998, he made a seismic shift that forever altered his career. 

Transformational leadership became a buzzword for the coaches that we work with. We started hearing questions like: Am I being transactional or transformational? How do I become more transformational as a leader?

When someone with a resume like Nick Saban lets you peek behind the curtain about what contributed to his success, it's sure to perk people's ears up, no matter what sport they coach. 

To support our coaches, we first had to get clear about what transformational leadership is, why it is important to develop resilience for athletes and teams, and how they can shift from being transactional as a leader to becoming transformational.

What is Transformational Leadership?

Transformational leadership is when a coach uses a variety of inspirational methods to positively influence the motivation, morale, and performance of team members during difficult or challenging situations.

Coaches who are transformational in their leadership style embody 4 primary characteristics:

• Idealized Influence: They embody what matters most to the group and build trust by doing so.

• Inspirational Motivation: They create a shared vision that motivates the group.

• Intellectual Stimulation: They are unafraid to be different, reflect on what is going on, and problem-solve.

• Individualized Consideration: They take time to create strong relationships with each of their athletes and coach to each athlete's needs.

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Why is it important to develop resilience with your athletes and teams?

Adversity, fear, doubt, worry, and loss of confidence are natural and unavoidable parts of sports. When combined with negative moments, such as losing games, bad calls from referees, injuries to key players, and slumps in performance, they can be big setbacks in the journey of a team if the right leadership style is not utilized.

Transformational leadership allows teams to zoom out and connect their adversity to their vision. Leaders who respond to adversity without losing sight of the big picture (goals, values, standards) can instill confidence and optimism in their teams. 

What we see when coaches implement transformational actions into their environment is that setbacks become opportunities for growth, team bonds are strengthened, and their collective resilience improves.

All of this leads to being able to thrive through the difficult moments that are inevitable.  

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

When a coach uses a variety of inspirational methods to positively influence the motivation, morale, and performance of team members during difficult or challenging situations.

How can you shift from being transactional as a leader to becoming transformational?

Saban laid out the following framework for how he switched from being transactional to transformational: 

1. Being someone who players can emulate

2. Caring about players for their benefit, not your benefit 

3. Having a vision for what the team is going to accomplish and how they are going to do it

4. Instilling values based principles that will help athletes be successful in life

5. Playing one play at a time; everything is about process, and nothing is about outcomes

Coaches should not be expected to do this work by themselves. They are responsible for so much, from managing their coaching staff, recruiting, NIL, prepping for upcoming opponents, setting practice schedules, and all of the other responsibilities they have beyond sport. 

In our work with coaches, we foster these leadership qualities so that they can support their teams in developing a shared vision, hold each other accountable, and perform at their best no matter the adversity they are facing. 

At the end of Saban's monologue, he spoke about how developing transformational leadership abilities contributed to the improvement in his team's record. 

What is inspiring to us?  

We have seen a similar positive effect on win percentage with the programs we work with.

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COMING SOON

This spring, we are launching The Coaches' Huddle. The huddle is a free monthly webinar where we take a deeper dive on important frameworks, strategies and tools to help coaches be at their best.

The Coach Huddle program provides coaches with a dedicated space to enhance their performance around leadership, communication, and team culture strategies through interactive discussions and actionable insights. This opportunity equips coaches with tools and frameworks to support their athletes, foster resilience, and build a high-performing team environment.

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