Study Leaders: Part 2- Observation and Listening

Coaching is leadership.  The one thing all coaches should start doing immediately is studying leaders.  In Part 1 I discussed how reading books and articles on leaders in industry and sports is critical to the development of a coach.  In case you missed it, below is a link:

The One Thing You Should Start Doing Immediately

In Part 2 of Leadership Study I will provide three ways in which you can enhance your leadership through observation and listening: utilizing podcasts, audio books, and videos; observing another coaching staff; and leveraging the knowledge of other coaches in your department.

If you don’t enjoy reading, or you struggle to find time; podcasts, audio books, and videos are a great way to gather knowledge.  As baseball coaches we spend a lot of time driving. During the summer we are traveling from one event to the next and the spring months are filled with time on a bus.  When I was younger this was my time to listen to music or talk radio.  As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned to use this time to invest in gaining knowledge. Below are three Podcasts that you should know about:

1.  Top Coach Podcast- They do an amazing job of lining up top coaches from all levels to discuss their programs.

2.  KWB Radio Joe Ferraro and Kevin Wilson’s podcast focuses on hitting but they also have great guests with elite knowledge in all aspects of the game.

3.  Brian Cain- An expert in the “Mental Conditioning”, Cain has recently developed a podcast.

In addition to the podcast, I began investing in audio books.  Two guys who I regularly have in my headphones are Anthony Robbins and Brian Tracy.  Anthony Robbins is the master of providing tips to motivate yourself.  Brian Tracey’s “Goals Program” is definitely worth researching.

Every Tuesday are the press conferences for NFL coaches.  You can watch the majority of press conferences on nfl.com.  You can learn a lot simply listening to how these coaches discuss their teams strengths and weaknesses.

The second way to gather leadership information is by observing another coaching staff. This will be the best investment you ever make.  I have been to several conventions and clinics, but I have learned the most by watching other coaching staffs, hands down!  Heres’ some advice on how to make the most out of your observation:

1.  Pick a program that you or others admire.  Do some research.  Of course everyone wants to watch elite SEC and ACC programs work.  While seeing these programs is fantastic; oftentimes, they have staffing and other resources that makes it difficult to transfer the information to your program.  There are some truly outstanding small school coaches and high school coaches that are providing a great baseball education.

2.  Call or email the coach in advance. I like to speak to the coach prior to see if we can sit down either before or after for a conversation.  This is my favorite part of the visit and allows for great learning.  The majority of coaches will honor this request.

3.  Try to take one thing away that will impact your program.  Just like we tell youth campers, if you can leave with one nugget of knowledge it was worth the trip.  I wouldn’t look to change your whole  program; instead, I would try to find one powerful concept that you think will make a difference in your program.

Another great way to study leaders is to leverage the knowledge of other coaches in your department.  My favorite question to ask coaches, “What’s the one thing you are doing in your program that we should be doing?”  You would be amazed how much this one simple question has impacted me.  This year alone we have changed our player evaluation forms, how we handle our “leadership committee”, and our recruiting materials stemming from this question.  Many of your colleagues are doing really outstanding things; therefore, why not reach out to them and ask for advice?  It takes confidence and humbleness to seek out assistance from your peers.

Continual learning is an important part of leadership.  You and your program can learn a lot about leadership simply by observation and listening.

Two questions for you:

1.  What podcast, audio books or videos do you recommend?

2.  What coaching staff: high school or college would your recommend observing?

On Thursday we will discuss the final piece in studying leaders: surrounding yourself with people who are passionate about success.

Be outstanding,

Mike Deegan