Teaching, Coaching, Leading, Learning
This semester as I have done before, I invited UNI men's basketball coach Ben Jacobson to speak to my class of aspiring school principals, and not just because Panther Basketball is in my blood. The reason is there are so many parallels between teaching and coaching and leading a team and leading a school. Listening to Jake talk with my students for the fifth semester, I was struck by several things. Chief among them is how much leaders in other fields can learn from some, but not all, coaches. I'd be the first to say that one couldn't and shouldn't drop just any college or professional level coach into a graduate class and expect it to work. But Jake's message always does.
Since reading Reframing Organizations by Bolman and Deal, I've believed their assertion that, over time organizations take on the personality of their leaders, for better or worse. Jake's teams are as good of an example of that as I can think of. Focused, methodical, not prone to knee jerk reactions, fundamentally sound, very cohesive, tenacious.
He talked about the importance of "listening aggressively." Susan Scott in Fierce Conversations calls that "paying fierce attention" to each other. Talked about valuing people's time, getting to know the janitor and concession worker in the McLeod Center...how the things in their lives are just as important as the things in his and that, as people they're eager to share.
Five years ago as a rookie head coach, he talked about the importance of toughness, which is fairly boilerplate and cliche for any coach. "Not winning? We're probably not tough enough. Things not going well in life? You're not handling them with enough toughness and grit" were the answers back then. He'll get no argument from me about the importance of toughness, whatever the task. Being a principal is tough. Teaching is tough. Selling Dodge Durangos in a dismal economy has got to be tough.
Since that initial toughness message five years ago, however, Jake now realizes how much more is necessary. Of course he still values toughness (what coach doesn't?), but the importance of teamwork and trust make up the other legs of the stool. His point was that as leaders, we have to understand the danger in seeing every problem as having one solution. That's when we become hammers masquerading as leaders that see nothing but nails.
I almost laughed out loud when he described how he challenges assistant coaches to do more than point out with great passion and frustration what the players do poorly. He wants them to come to his office with solutions. I immediately remembered being a principal and assembling the stencils to spell out the word "solutions" above my office door. The reason for the planned redecoration was not (as some seemed to hope or expect) that the wise principal had all the answers, but rather to send the message that our problems are very well known and easy to identify. What we need are ideas, creativity, and insight about what to do about them (That I never got around to painting the word because a crisis of some sort erupted is beside the point and something every principal will understand).
Jake also talked about the importance of differentiation, though he never used the word, which is probably overused as a term and sadly underused in practice. He talked about the range of players on his team with different backgrounds, personalities, and skill levels. Some perform at their highest levels when they are aggressively pushed with tough love. For others, the issue is much more related to feelings of efficacy, building confidence, and encouragement. The need for the same kind of differentiation has been present with all the teachers and students I've tried to assist.
Finally, he reflected on how easy and clear cut things appeared from the assistant coach's office. Sitting in the big chair is different. More complicated. More difficult. Yep.
Yes, he gets to recruit players that fit his team and approach. Yes, he enjoys a very healthy salary. No question that in many ways, the emphasis placed on athletics in America is out of whack. And no, I won't be writing a book entitled "Everything I Needed to Know About School Leadership I Learned from Listening to Coach Jake." But when it comes to effective leadership, those who "get it" advocate and practice a lot of the same things, whether they're leading a school, congregation, family, business, or team.
Since reading Reframing Organizations by Bolman and Deal, I've believed their assertion that, over time organizations take on the personality of their leaders, for better or worse. Jake's teams are as good of an example of that as I can think of. Focused, methodical, not prone to knee jerk reactions, fundamentally sound, very cohesive, tenacious.
He talked about the importance of "listening aggressively." Susan Scott in Fierce Conversations calls that "paying fierce attention" to each other. Talked about valuing people's time, getting to know the janitor and concession worker in the McLeod Center...how the things in their lives are just as important as the things in his and that, as people they're eager to share.
Five years ago as a rookie head coach, he talked about the importance of toughness, which is fairly boilerplate and cliche for any coach. "Not winning? We're probably not tough enough. Things not going well in life? You're not handling them with enough toughness and grit" were the answers back then. He'll get no argument from me about the importance of toughness, whatever the task. Being a principal is tough. Teaching is tough. Selling Dodge Durangos in a dismal economy has got to be tough.
Since that initial toughness message five years ago, however, Jake now realizes how much more is necessary. Of course he still values toughness (what coach doesn't?), but the importance of teamwork and trust make up the other legs of the stool. His point was that as leaders, we have to understand the danger in seeing every problem as having one solution. That's when we become hammers masquerading as leaders that see nothing but nails.
I almost laughed out loud when he described how he challenges assistant coaches to do more than point out with great passion and frustration what the players do poorly. He wants them to come to his office with solutions. I immediately remembered being a principal and assembling the stencils to spell out the word "solutions" above my office door. The reason for the planned redecoration was not (as some seemed to hope or expect) that the wise principal had all the answers, but rather to send the message that our problems are very well known and easy to identify. What we need are ideas, creativity, and insight about what to do about them (That I never got around to painting the word because a crisis of some sort erupted is beside the point and something every principal will understand).
Jake also talked about the importance of differentiation, though he never used the word, which is probably overused as a term and sadly underused in practice. He talked about the range of players on his team with different backgrounds, personalities, and skill levels. Some perform at their highest levels when they are aggressively pushed with tough love. For others, the issue is much more related to feelings of efficacy, building confidence, and encouragement. The need for the same kind of differentiation has been present with all the teachers and students I've tried to assist.
Finally, he reflected on how easy and clear cut things appeared from the assistant coach's office. Sitting in the big chair is different. More complicated. More difficult. Yep.
Yes, he gets to recruit players that fit his team and approach. Yes, he enjoys a very healthy salary. No question that in many ways, the emphasis placed on athletics in America is out of whack. And no, I won't be writing a book entitled "Everything I Needed to Know About School Leadership I Learned from Listening to Coach Jake." But when it comes to effective leadership, those who "get it" advocate and practice a lot of the same things, whether they're leading a school, congregation, family, business, or team.
You have a gem in coach Jake if he too understands that his lessons to his assistants/players can be lessons for other leaders. It is a wise man who understands that while athletics may be the delivery system his message has broader implications.
ReplyDeleteBen, I think he does. He also hit on the idea of one of the first responsibilities of leaders being to cultivate leaders in others...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the read.
I could relate to many of the comments and connections you made between coaching and administration! There will be days when you feel like you are not 'tough enough' and there are days were you are definitely in the learner's seat more than the leadership seat. Learning to roll with it all is what makes a good leader.....go Panthers!
ReplyDeleteKim Nelson, 2001 Alum