5 Key Things I Learned from Rob Miller: How Coaching and Company Leadership Go Hand-in-Hand

The other night, I attended an event for the coaching staff and student athlete leaders at Flagler College, where I coach cheerleading. Rob Miller, from Proactive Coaching, is a phenomenal and inspirational speaker. (And it doesn’t hurt that he really knows his stuff.)

As I listened to Rob the other night, I couldn’t help but find the correlations, one right after the other, between his recommendations for being a better coach and everything I heard my college professors say about business leadership. The fact of the matter is…leadership is leadership, no matter who or what you’re leading.

So since I couldn’t help but find the similarities between the two types of leaders, here are some of the biggest insights I gained from the other night as they pertain to leaders of all shapes and sizes. Everything makes perfect sense here – to the point of a “Duh?!” response – but they’re often things we forget as leaders, mentors, and coaches.

1. Be an intentional leader

Provide your athletes or employees with a clear and concise vision. If the people you lead do not have a clear picture of what they are responsible for or committed to, how do you suppose they’ll act? What blueprint will they follow? Their own. They’ll end up following their own vision, since one wasn’t laid out for them. Rob even suggested sitting down with your team to decide on core values or covenants so that your athletes or employees are involved, and therefore invested, in the vision themselves.

Your words and actions must align. I can’t tell you how many times I heard the word “alignment” in my college marketing classes. It holds true for everything: if you say one thing and do another, how do you expect your athletes or employees to act? How do you expect them to respect you?

Be consistent. This is really reiterating the last two, but I think it needs a special mention. Consistency is key from a leader in every aspect: from a plan or course of action to discipline to how you speak to your players/employees and so on. Consistency is key at every level of a program and also leads us to building trust…

2. Build trust

Be prepared. Know what you’re talking about and act like you know what you’re talking about. Make sure you have a strong, consistent (there’s that word again) philosophy.

Be tough, but fair. The line skews a bit here between being a boss and being a coach. As a coach, you shouldn’t be a boss and you shouldn’t be a buddy. Obviously, in the workplace you have to be a boss, but you can still follow the same rule: be tough, but be fair.

Don’t hand out discipline based on talent. Both employees and athletes will start to see that just because a teammate is better at their job or skill, they are treated differently for the same infraction. No matter what, the punishment should always fit the crime, not the person.

3. You can teach skills

As a coach or leader, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment when an athlete or employee doesn’t properly demonstrate a skill. But were they ever taught how to do it right? Were they ever mentored along the way? Rob gave the four key steps for learning a new skill and I think it works for both athletics and the real world:

1. Define or explain the skill
2. Model or show the skill
3. Shape or give feedback and helpful criticism on the skill
4. Reinforce the skill

4. Shoot for full attention and full effort

In both athletes and employees, the goal is always full attention and full effort at all times.

Mistakes made at full effort and full attention should be a learning opportunity, not a punishment opportunity. Athletes, in particular, should feel they’re allowed to try and fail and that that’s ok. It’s the only way they’ll learn to take risks. So, be sure to use a coaching style that encourages fearless competition.

Motivate your employees and athletes to always give full attention and full effort. Never demean or embarrass them; doing so does not motivate people. Remember they need to see and hear belief and confidence from you in order to have it in themselves.

5. Develop a successful track record

The best way of knowing if you have a successful program (or business) is when players/employees (and especially customers) recommend you to others.

As a coach, if a prospective player calls up a past player and that past player says: “Join that program! The coach is amazing,” you’ve got a successful track record.

As a boss, if a prospective employee calls up a past employee and that past employee says: “Take that job! The boss is amazing,” you’ve got a successful track record.

As a business, if a prospective customer talks to a past customer and that past customer says: “Work with that company! They are amazing,” you’ve got a successful track record.

Point being, a recommendation is not the sincerest form of flattery, it also proves that your program is well worth it.

6. Bonus ideas: Just for Coaching

The following are additional helpful tidbits from Rob, and really specific to just coaching.

• Be abnormal.
• Care for your athletes as people and not just athletes. They aren’t 24/7 athletes; they’re student athletes.
• Have a genuine interest in who they are and what they do outside of your sport.
• Be a straight talker: always let them know where they stand on the team.
• Be careful with your words. Kids can live with them for a lifetime.
• Often, coaches have to manage and lead. Manage your program; lead your athletes.
• What should your paychecks really be? Wedding invitations, birth announcements, graduation announcements, etc.

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To learn more about Rob Miller and the team at Proactive Coaching, visit them online or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.